Capturing systems
How do you take notes for a mind like water?
Since the first post in 2022, my note-making system has changed a lot, with many new tools in the block flexing AI for productivity. This is my 2024 note-making suite.
Mind like water
I used to have a complicated relationship with sleep because of running thoughts. I would hit the pillow and take an hour to fall asleep.
The first step was the Oura ring, which helped me become aware of my sleep latency issue. This was followed by a consistent meditation routine and adding structure to how I capture my thinking so that nothing important fell through the cracks.
After years of practice, I sleep a lot better at night.
Who is this for?
There’s an argument I initially thought I might make here that would have gone something like this: if you don’t produce things with your notes, you’re wasting your time by taking notes.
But then I thought more about it. I spent more time with my notecards. I paid closer attention when I was taking the pains to write things down. And now, I will make a different argument.
When you put stuff from a smart person’s brain into your brain, right then and there, you are changed.
Billy Oppenheimer is a professional note-taker and has done the heavy lifting for us with his answers to Who Needs The NoteCard System.
If you are a knowledge worker like me, it's part of your job to take notes, triangulate findings, and act on them. The note-making system is how I found harmony in getting things done. It makes me feel proactive about my information diet.
The cog and the brain, system overview
Whenever I give this analogy to people, it seems to resonate well.
The cog keeps the entire engine running, and it needs weekly maintenance.
The brain is where linked ideas triangulate to become worth reading content.
Over time, as you stumble upon old thoughts, they reshape as coherent narratives.
⚙️ ClickUp is where GTD-like project management lives. It acts as my centralized inbox and control panel for everything I capture, "stuff" pending to be processed, tasks I need to deliver, and projects aligned with my priorities.
🧠 Notion gave space to Obsidian as the external brain that holds reference material for projects and acts as a knowledge base that grows over time.
☀️ Sunsama is the tactical week view and the "hard landscape" of time-specific actions, day-specific actions, and day-specific information.
The capturing habit
It's a myth that great storytellers only think of great stories or that insightful people only have brilliant ideas. But they do have a habit of capturing their experiences and insights, and the patience to filter the majority until the best remain.
The capturing system supports a healthy habit of triangulating ideas.
Asking yourself how to start? Here's an eight-year shortcut for your delight.
The greatest genius will never be worth much if he pretends to draw exclusively from his own resources.
— Goethe
Capturing system use cases
The first use cases below are what I call reference annotation
The work of someone else that resonates with how I see the world.
Annotate the internet
Everything > Reader app
With the launch of Readwise's Reader app, everything became smoothly integrated. The Chrome extension will send any internet reference to the app, where annotations are linked to Obsidian.
Annotate podcasts
Snipd > Readwise
Snipd improved the time I spent with podcasts, and after their AI integrations, I started using the app a lot more for content and video creation. Great recommendation from Peter Lloyd.
Annotate books
Kindle > Readwise
It's simple and the most efficient. If you're serious about book notes, use the Kindle app.
Ideas in the inbox
Ideas > ClickUp inbox
This is the flow of thoughts I want outside my mind now but remember for later.
I spend a lot of time in front of screens, just like anyone else, which means I have no excuse for not capturing relevant ideas in the ClickUp inbox, either by opening the app or through the much-improved web extension.
The key here is to avoid having multiple inboxes in different apps.
Other tools
Meetings > Otter.ai recordings
I find it very convenient to record my thoughts out loud while going for walks. With earpods, it looks like you’re on a call, and no one will give you the look.
With the advancements in AI-powered assistants, meeting notes became table stakes. Otter has been my tool of choice since the beginning.
Managing tasks on a modern GTD
Clickup Inbox
I manage tasks using a folder system that has much to do with GTD on ClickUp.
If you are interested in setting up something similar, reach out in GrowthMentor.
Sunsama
I’ve been back to Sunsama for two years now, that was my third attempt to make this tool work as my main “week view” for the system. I don't use many of their integrations, the tool became quite evolved, the week board, weekly goals, and review rituals became integral to my ways of working.
The core change introduced by this tool is that Next Actions that used to live in ClickUp was deprecated. Next Actions live in Sunsama and are acted in the short term through the week board, it's a very smooth workflow of blocking time ahead and making promises with yourself.
