The 2 questions I get asked most often are:
"Tiago, what notes app should I pick?"
"How can I get started using a notetaking app?"
After helping thousands of students with these questions,
I've boiled it down to 3 key steps:
"Tiago, what notes app should I pick?"
"How can I get started using a notetaking app?"
After helping thousands of students with these questions,
I've boiled it down to 3 key steps:
1/3 Understand your notetaking style
You don’t choose a notes app – a notes app chooses you.
It calls out to you based on the natural ways your mind works.
There are 4 notetaking styles most people fall into:
1. The Architect
2. The Gardener
3. The Librarian
4. The Student
You don’t choose a notes app – a notes app chooses you.
It calls out to you based on the natural ways your mind works.
There are 4 notetaking styles most people fall into:
1. The Architect
2. The Gardener
3. The Librarian
4. The Student
The Architect:
• Approaches notetaking with a systems mindset
• Looks for customization that blends practicality, function, and aesthetics
• Wants to create the ultimate system to organize information
• Approaches notetaking with a systems mindset
• Looks for customization that blends practicality, function, and aesthetics
• Wants to create the ultimate system to organize information
The Gardener:
• Approaches notetaking with feelings of wandering, dreaming, and imagination
• Wants to cultivate new ideas, cross-pollinate concepts, and make connections
• Tend to think in a "bottom-up" way
• Approaches notetaking with feelings of wandering, dreaming, and imagination
• Wants to cultivate new ideas, cross-pollinate concepts, and make connections
• Tend to think in a "bottom-up" way
The Librarian:
• Has a fundamentally practical relationship to information
• Is project orientation - their research supports specific projects and learning obsessions
• Wants to curate a collection of knowledge
• Has a fundamentally practical relationship to information
• Is project orientation - their research supports specific projects and learning obsessions
• Wants to curate a collection of knowledge
The Student:
• Often at the beginning of their notetaking journey
• Oriented towards the short-term use of their notes
• Their biggest goal is to “get it done” and support the things they're committed to
• Often at the beginning of their notetaking journey
• Oriented towards the short-term use of their notes
• Their biggest goal is to “get it done” and support the things they're committed to
Here's a video where I explain the 4 notetaking styles in more detail: youtube.com
2/3 Pick a notes app
The culture and functionality of different notetaking apps will resonate with different notetaking styles.
Here is a quick summary of which apps I recommend for each style:
The culture and functionality of different notetaking apps will resonate with different notetaking styles.
Here is a quick summary of which apps I recommend for each style:
For the Architect, @NotionHQ is a popular app.
• Information can easily be updated and categorized
• Notion is like a flexible website for your notes
• Endless ways to design Notion
• Information can easily be updated and categorized
• Notion is like a flexible website for your notes
• Endless ways to design Notion
@NotionHQ For the Gardener, I recommend @RoamResearch or @obsdmd
• Both are fundamentally about creating new connections between ideas
• A map of content organically grows as you do, showing new insights you didn’t plan for yourself
• Both are fundamentally about creating new connections between ideas
• A map of content organically grows as you do, showing new insights you didn’t plan for yourself
@NotionHQ @RoamResearch @obsdmd For Librarians, like myself, I recommend @evernote
• Evernote is quick and accessible across all your devices
• Highly dependable for practical knowledge work
• It's the best at collecting information from lots of sources such as notes, PDFs, emails, or articles
• Evernote is quick and accessible across all your devices
• Highly dependable for practical knowledge work
• It's the best at collecting information from lots of sources such as notes, PDFs, emails, or articles
@NotionHQ @RoamResearch @obsdmd @evernote Finally, for Students, I recommend Google Keep or Apple Notes
• These apps are simpler, and more pared down in their features than the apps we've already discussed
• They’re unopinionated; just a few key features that allow practical, quick, flexible notetaking
• These apps are simpler, and more pared down in their features than the apps we've already discussed
• They’re unopinionated; just a few key features that allow practical, quick, flexible notetaking
@NotionHQ @RoamResearch @obsdmd @evernote If you have a more specific use case, check out my video exploring 68 different notes apps and who they're best for:
youtube.com
youtube.com
@NotionHQ @RoamResearch @obsdmd @evernote 3/3 Commit to your notes app for at least 30 days
It's better to make progress with the "wrong app" for 30 days than to make no progress at all and switch after 3 days.
It's better to make progress with the "wrong app" for 30 days than to make no progress at all and switch after 3 days.
@NotionHQ @RoamResearch @obsdmd @evernote The first step is to identify your most important inputs & start capturing them in your new notes app.
Don't overcomplicate it.
Remember that your notes exist to serve you, not the other way around.
Start with a simple system & make it more complex as you get more confident
Don't overcomplicate it.
Remember that your notes exist to serve you, not the other way around.
Start with a simple system & make it more complex as you get more confident
@NotionHQ @RoamResearch @obsdmd @evernote If you consistently follow this practice, you'll have a radically transformed sense of peace, control, and momentum in your life after just 30 days.
Check out this video with the complete beginner's guide to the first 30 days of using a notes app:
youtube.com
Check out this video with the complete beginner's guide to the first 30 days of using a notes app:
youtube.com
@NotionHQ @RoamResearch @obsdmd @evernote TL;DR:
1. Understand your notetaking style
2. Pick a notes app
3. Commit to your notes app for at least 30 days
One last piece of advice: Don't overthink this decision.
Your Second Brain will always evolve and you'll likely switch to a different app anyway at some point.
1. Understand your notetaking style
2. Pick a notes app
3. Commit to your notes app for at least 30 days
One last piece of advice: Don't overthink this decision.
Your Second Brain will always evolve and you'll likely switch to a different app anyway at some point.
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