Ask HN: Anyone use the Zettelkasten method and what are its benefits for you? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Anyone use the Zettelkasten method and what are its benefits for you?

8 pointsunixhero4 comments

The topic sums it up.

For the uninitiated, here is a description of what it is: https://www.shuomi.me/blog/what-is-the-zettelkasten-research-method

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I started Zettelkasten a few months ago as I had the idea to write more, think more, and create a blog. But the system crumbled -by lack of time- as I finally ended working full time as a start-up founder... My insight is that Zettelkasten are a fantastic tool if you have a writing purpose in mind or at least some topics on which you want to store some knowledge and reflect actively. Otherwise, you will end up piling up loosely related ideas without knowing what is relevant for you. I loved the system because it helps you to read in a more focused way. Actually, it allows you to think while you read (instead of ingesting passively knowledge). But it remains a time-consuming and intensive system to maintain. You have to commit to it. Anyway, even if I quit, I kept the Zettelkasten I wrote and intend to return to it if my lifestyle changes in the future. I loved the experience.

Thanks for your input! I hope I get to research more rather than what I currently do. I will definitely come back to this style of research method.

I started to use the system a few months back and it is exactly the thing that I feel like I had been looking for, for years. It allows me to read very actively and retain the knowledge for a long time and even write my own pieces based on what I have read in different books and so on. Also it not only allows me to reflect on what I read in a real and productive way but it also acts like my own personal wiki. But setting it up and figuring out how to incorporate it into ones life takes some time and thought but for me it's time very well spent.

As a side note it is important to not use the system as just a dump of ideas and loose notes. Those are good as a starting point but I would recommend that you go through your loose notes and ideas twice every week. This is so that you can either make them permanent notes or just throw them away.

One last thing is that I have found that the combination of this + anki makes it really easy for me to commit stuff to memory and really speeds up my learning process by a huge margin. I wish I had discovered this way of reading and learning when I was in uni xD

I also think it would have helped me immensely if I had it in University. Such a shame really. That and Ritalin, lol :).

I think I will try Zettelkasten to explore different fields.

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