I take notes like some people take drugs.
There is an eight-foot stretch of shelves in my house containing nothing but full notebooks.
Some would call this hypergraphia (Dostoevsky was a member of this club), but I trust the weakest pen more than the strongest memory, and note taking is—in my experience—one of the most important skills for converting excessive information into precise action and follow-up.
Simple but effective note taking enables me to:
-Review book highlights in less than 10 minutes
-Connect scattered notes on a single theme in 10 minutes that would otherwise require dozens of hours
-Contact and connect mentors with relevant questions and help I can offer
-Impose structure on information for increased retention and recall
I fashion myself a note-taking geek of the first class. How dare I self-appoint myself into this priesthood? Relax, script kiddies. I’m using a much broader definition of “geek,” this one borrowed from “Understanding Geeks” in the current issue of Inc. Magazine (that said, I was recently on Geekbrief.tv, birthplace of the ubercool iYule.tv):
“Someone with an intense curiosity about a specific subject. Not limited to tech–there are also gaming geeks, music geeks, etc.”
Here are a few recommendations from inside the world of a compulsive note taker, including both the macro (books and notepad principles) and micro (page features and formatting):
1. Create an indexing system:
Indexing AJ Jacobs’ latest book (click to enlarge all thumbnails)
Information is useful only to the extent that you can find it when you need it. Most of us have the experience of note proliferation—notes on the backs of envelopes, billing statements, hotel paper, etc.–that somehow never gets consolidated. Consolidate and create an index.
My favorite notepads (covered below) generally don’t have page numbers off the shelf. Here’s how you progress with a non-paginated pad:
A. Put page numbers on the upper-right of each right-hand page but not on the left (e.g., 1, 2, 3, etc.). I do about 30 pages at a time, as needed.
B. Whenever you complete a page, put the page number in an index on the inside cover (front or back) and a few words to describe the content.
If it’s on the left-hand page, just take the prior page and add “.5” to it. Thus, if you flip over page 10, for example, and write on the back, that second page is “10.5” in the index.
Brainstorming blog post topics and paginating on the right-hand pages
The page numbers in the index do NOT need to be in order, as you’ll be scanning for content, then referring to the page. If you write on the same topic again, simply put that page number next to the previous index entry.
Creating an index like this for non-fiction books I read allows me to refer back and review key concepts in 5-10 minutes without rereading the entire book and searching for underlined sections.
Notes from “The Biology of Sleep” at Stanford University (Notice the bottom-right square allocated to follow-up questions, which is standard)
2. Choose the Proper Pad for the Job:
My current repetoire of active notepads.
Not all notepads are created equal.
This doesn’t mean that one is better for all things, just that you should match the form factor and durability of a notepad to the content.
Below is a photo of several different notepads I use:
-I use the big notebook, which contains graph paper, for larger projects such as future books, TV programs, feature-length articles, LitLiberation, conference panel notes, etc. I don’t want to turn 10 pages to get an overview of all the pieces of a single topic/event. Cons: terrible for traveling and intimidating for interview subjects. The larger the pad, the more reserved interviewees will be.
Notes from my first SXSW (Notice the bottom-right follow-up, in this case, people to contact)
SXSW panel titled “Blog to Book”; Notice the bottom panel and how I number the participants so I can just label comments/notes with each respective number. No spacial guessing required.
-I use the hard-backed red rectangular notebook, bought in Milan, as a default notepad. It is the perfect fits-in-ass-pocket checkbook size. Telephone interview notes, lists (dreamlining, asset assessment, cash-flow projections), projects requiring less than 3 hours to complete, random observations about emotional state or internal problem solving, random silliness like songs (think Adam Sandler), etc. Here is one beauty, written at 4am during an airport layover after a sleepless red eye:
Triple Threat
The fattest midget I ever met
Some called him the triple threat
Ugly, dirty, and smelly yet
The fattest midget I ever met.
Hey… if you’re bound to have rare flashes of insight/stupidity, you might as well capture them on paper.
-The flexible softcover moleskine is excellent for interviews, especially if you are in motion or in the field. I’ve found, however, that if that is the only notebook I carry, I put in material I would prefer to preserve for months or years, and the soft moleskine gets ripped to pieces in backpacks, luggage, and pockets over just a few weeks. There are hardback versions, but they tend to be square-ish and fit poorly in pockets. I limit this format to interviews, contact info when on the run, and temporary to-do/not-to-do lists.
I don’t use digital notetaking tools. Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve noticed that some of the most innovative techies in Silicon Valley do the same, whether with day-planner calendars, memo pads, or just simple notecards with a binder clip. It’s a personal choice, and I like paper. It can be lost, but it can’t be deleted, and I find it faster.
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Odds and Ends: My $2,600 Date and a Challenge
The $2,600 Date:
So, what happened after I auctioned myself off for literacy fundraising on eBay?
Quite a few of you have asked, so here’s the scoop. The $2,600 date took place this past Saturday, and we had an AWESOME time. I promised I wouldn’t show pictures, but the smart young lass looks a lot like Natalie Portman, so the night immediately started off on a much-relieved foot. She’s a veeeery pretty girl.
Big smiles all around.
Festivities began at the famous Alfredo’s Steakhouse in SF, where Marco made the meal one to remember. The delicious medium-rare Chicago steaks were matched with wine I brought along, in this case, a particularly sentimental and special bottle: Rombauer Vineyards’ Proprietor Selection 2004 Zinfandel (think of it as this wine on steroids).
Bigger smiles all around.
Once full and well buzzed, we set off for the beginning of entertainment: seats 10 feet from the main platform at Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza. It was incredible, and as an acrobatics fetishist, it was in seventh heaven. Hard drumming, aerials, gainers, wheels of death… Here’s just a taste of what we feasted our eyes on:
After Cirque du Soleil… well, I’ll leave the rest of the date to your overactive imaginations! It’s entirely possible nothing happened, but if it had, I wouldn’t be one to kiss and tell. Some things are more fun left unexplained 🙂
The Dream Date Challenge:
What would your dream date look like?
Pick a city anywhere in the world, and for a budget of no more than $500, describe your dream date in 300 words or less (bullet points are fine). My favorite 5 will get at least 12 copies of the 1st printing (it’s now in the 25th) of The 4-Hour Workweek to give away as X-mas/Festivus presents.
Be specific… but go nuts!
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That's how we're gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you're rude, we'll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
My Dream Date: Bombay, India The date would start after I finished my Rock show with my band, the Gods Of Now. (at least 200$ in my pockets) My lady would of course be warmed up by the live performance and we would carry on the festivities to a typical Indian restaurant where we would have the whole works of the Indian food culture. (10$ US) Next step would be to slowly digest our feast while enjoying a hooka pipe along with some moroccan tea ( heck! why not blend the cultures a bit ) Discussion would go from how good the hooka is to how complex our two brain hemispheres are. (brought by me = 0$) The night would surely end in a slow and intense tantric communion until we both collapse with big smiles on our face as we would let the warm Indian wind dry our exhilarated bodies. (priceless) what a night!
Dream Date: Tokyo, Japan, where I met my beautiful wife, but we haven't been in more than 10 yaers. Saturday evening on a balmy summer night there. – Start with a quick drink at a small alley in Shinjuku or Harajuku. Let the atmosphere and welcoming nature of the faces guide which hole-in-the wall bar to be in. – Walk, leisurely, holding hands among the crowds (emphasis on no rush) through the neighborhood to a 2nd floor restaurant with a counter that serves raw fish delicacies, and perhaps cooked foods like robata yaki or yakitori. Again, eat slowly, leisurely, enjoying every moment. Only eat at a place where he counter people are engaging and interested in talking. A neighborhood place might be as good. – Make sure, in strolling, to stop along the way at any galleries passed, windows of interest, to chat with anyone who wants to be chatted with, generally enjoy the time. – go to a rooftop beer garden or bar, to enjoy the lights of the city and the night air. bask in the warmth and glow. – decide, based on the mood, whether to * Go to a fancy coffee shop * Stroll by some water * Take a quick train ride to Yokohama bay and stay there for the night, to wake up near Chinatown where we can have dim sum * Go back to our Inn (we'd have to be staying at an inn) and enjoy each other's company in more private surroundings. Pleasant, intimate among the crowd, nostalgic, mixing urban excitement with touches of beauty, food and taste, and special meaning for both of us.
Very interesting to read about your note-taking habits. What I'd really like to know is how you manage, keep track and assign tasks to your outsourcers… Do you use any online project management app, or rely on email only, or keep notes in one of your notebooks?
Dream Date, here it is in Los Angeles, South Bay.. .dream dates must have an element of mystery & unknown .my date is here as sunset, we drive to the heliport on 120th Street .we get on a helicopter, fly toward Catalina Island, it's almost dark.. .the city lights and the fading sun: we fly over the ocean and.. we arrive to Catalina, on one of the beaches, .get off the helicopter at the sound of jumgle drums, while fire dancers spark up the air.. . barbecue on the beach, watching the dancers . return helicopter flight to Los Angeles, unforgettable view of the city at night.. A bare foot sort of date..
Have you tried TiddlyWiki? It's a free web-based wiki where all your notes are contained in a single html file (so you can use online or offline and it's small enough to be kept on a USB stick so it's portable). It works much like the brain works: in a non-linear way. So you end up with a network of linked notes. If you'd like to give it a go then try a hosted one on www.tiddlyspot.com
Tim, Exactly what I was wanting. However, I have another question. Do you find any value in journaling your daily activities and thoughts surrounding them. Not just notes on meetings, books, and interviews. Something more chronological… I hate to call it a diary… but you get the gist of what I'm thinking. Ken
Geeez, what a waste! Ever hear of OneNote?!?!
Dream Date: 2 islands – 1 country Assume we're in Chora, Mykonos. Spend morning gathering food for the day/evening–wine, tarmasalata, pita bread, baklava, etc. plus a few other items we'll need for spending an evening under the stars on a sacred island. Take ferry to Delos, mythological birthplace of Apollo and Artemis; now a sacred island. Spend day exploring what remains of a once-powerful city. Find a good place to hide from the on-site island "guardians" so we can stay on this sacred island for the evening. Spend evening in candlelight, under the stars sharing spiritual insights, adventurous life stories and other romantic experiences as a couple might conjure up in such a situation. Take ferry back to Chora the next day (ok, so the tix were for yesterday…whatever!) 2nd stop: Santorini, Fira Town Take ferry from Mykonos to Santorini–3 wonderful hours on the Mediterranean Sea! Check into Theoxenia Hotel (http://www.theoxenia-hotel.com/). Enjoy wonderful shower! Rent motorcycle and explore Santorini, including remains of beautiful city on cliff peninsula, relaxing on volcanic sand beach and diving into mystical caldera. Return to hotel and get ready for a delicious dinner at a wonderful restaurant on the edge of the caldera. Marvel at the beauty and mystery we are gazing at together on this intoxicating island while sharing Greek delicacies and wine. Stroll back to hotel…walk into our most romantic room…and close the door! 2 Ferry tix to Delos, food, etc: $60 2 Ferry tix Mykonos to Santorini (RT): $100 Hotel: $150 (includes VAT & breakfast) Motorcycle rental/food in Santorini: $70 Dinner: $100 Total: $480 Dream date with dream man: Priceless, of course! (where is dream man, by the way?)
Dream Date: Wake up at sunrise and meet for breakfast on the river where they pronounce eggs as oeufs, and the coffee is strong enough to chew. After two to three cups of caffeine powered conversation, speaking about dreams and inspirations, we eventually digress to fart jokes and throttle the other customers with uncontrollable laughter. At this point we take a vote and decide it would be best to take our private party to the sand dunes where we can go for a good morning swim. The beach is uncrowded this early in the morning and we can wear as much or as few clothes as we like. I ask her what her superpower is, and if she knows the many uses for a towel. I quickly describe how it works wonderfully as a cape, tie it on my neck and encourage her to do the same. We run up and down the beach like superheros on BodyQUICK until we collapse exhausted gasping for meaning. After lying in the sand reflecting on that experience and complimenting each other on our superpowers we jump into the cool silent water. Swimming until my thoughts of 'she is so amazing' monopolize my thinking and bring enough courage for me to swim over and kiss her.
Oh right… Location and Price. Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City Michigan, Breakfast $20
I'm going to suggest a new tool for you to check out. It doesn't completely replace the pen/paper system, I still use both, but only as a temporary medium. Electronic documents such as Word are tired, and in need of a much more useful paradigm. They're no different than 8 ft of shelves full of notebooks other than they can create that index automatically. In my opinion, the greatest innovation Microsoft has come out with recently is OneNote. the reason I like OneNote is because it allows me to put all my content together. i can have separate notebooks, within which are multiple sections, each section with multiple pages.This allows me to easily see all my content together, at whatever granularity I need. But the thing I love about it is the versatility of the content I can put into my notes. I can drop other files into the note, I can take a screen snapshot and paste the image, I can take audio recordings and drop them in as well. You say, "i can do that with a Word document!" But what you can't do in Word is search that content. In OneNote, I can limit the scope to section/notebook/all, and when I search for the term Ferriss, it will find text, images with the text embedded, and assuming the audio is lacking a strong accent, it will even find audio clips where people have said Ferriss. So even though your naming system for the notebooks, sections, and pages will provide most of the index for you, the search feature will get you that last leg of the trip. I know you prefer Nokia, but if you have a Windows Mobile phone, you can also install OneNote mobile. So I can record voice clips or take notes on my phone and when I plug it…. fffwwwwwiipppp… it gets sucked into OneNote on my computer. I now use my phone for important items, my idea book/bug list, etc. Oh! have a Tablet PC? you can write directly into onenote as well and optionally convert it to text for you (although that can be problematic). And you can mark items for followup and it will automatically create the task (and link it) in outlook. The thing it's lacking is formatting. If you want to create a polished document, you still need to use something like Word, but luckily it has the ability to export directly to Word for that purpose. Or you can export to PDF (as with all Office 2007 files) I know it's not as romantic as stacks of notebooks, but it's worth a look. It's completely changed the way I work with data by making it much easier to recall. If you're interested, drop me a line and I'll send you a copy.
Re: new softcover Moleskines http://www.mojolondon.co.uk/stationery/moleskine/moleskinesoftcovernotebooks/
I've recently found you might want to have a mid-way dream first date because a dream first date is awfully hard to follow up. Here’s why. Me Australian living in London at bus stop bloody cold 1 am Sunday morning after fun night out. Cute blond girl jumping up and down to stay warm at bus stop near by. Me: What’s wrong with you? said with 😉 Her: I'm Cold. (in strong Nordic accent) Me: No your not, your weird. (said with ;-)) Are you American? (said with ;-)) Her: LOL no Norwegian Me: Do all Norwegians jump up and down in the cold Her: Yes Me : (Thinking this girl is cool) So if you’re from Norway aren't you meant to not feeel the cold. Her: Not me. Cant remember exactly what followed but we got talking more and said I wanted her number. She pulls out this awesome new phone. me: That is so cool HER: Yeah I designed it Me: Right, we are SO going out. Me: Text her straight away when she got on her bus. " you so did not design that phone" Her: Google me me: after googling; Wow she's truething it. She had to leave to go to the states for work for a week. We texted each other and she basically got to the point where she said; to go out with someone she hadn't met before, on a date, it would have to be a really tempting offer. So I wrote that I would bring the essence of temptation, if she was game enough to meet at the Tate modern at 2pm sharp to have afternoon tea sitting in the lobby of the Tate, over the crack (A public exhibition with a huge crack the full length of massive concrete lobby floor) at a portable table. Her: Yes; I can't believe I am putting meeting my parents aside to do this. Me: (Quietly, well noisily “STOKED” on the inside.) Right I'll see you at 2pm don't be late! Come the day: I turn up slightly late, after leaving working out what the essence of temptation was going to be and getting a table and chairs, until 1pm and turning up at 2.15pm. Only to get promptly told the museum would not be happy to have us have a 1st date over the crack (no pun intended. ) Not to be out done; we decided in the theme of things we should have afternoon tea in another publicly not correct place. e.g. On the Millennium bridge (one of the coolest foot bridges in the world in my book) next to the Tate mdern and crossing over the Thames to St Paul's Cathederal. Other women walking past us where holding their chests going aaawh, or what ever the noise they make when they're impressed. Guys who worked out what was going on thought i was either proposing or gave us the thumbs up. Fun, fun. her: I brought blueberry muffins and smoothies. me: You so rock, that is my favorite. Had a great afternoon being in the way of people a little bit. One of the much better things I've ever done. Probably all on CCTV too, NICE. On the second date we went out for coffee in a nice restaurant. What an anti climax! So if/when I end up on a perfect date again I'll make certain to make the same effort for the next… Cost £10 for dodgy white plastic fold-up table £15 for dodgy fold up chairs (BOTH RE-USABLE & Could have been borrowed) The essence of Temptation and a memory and story to last until I get amnesia, dementia or loose the photos. Now that Im looking for them…
Tim, This is a helpful post (and I find most of what you offer on your blog helpful, by the way). I was especially interested to see your endorsement of hand-written notes. The most popular post on my blog is called "On Note-Taking and the Body." It draws on the thought of the philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty who argued that we are embodied minds, instead of minds in bodies. It is a short post if you want to read it: http://therelativeabsolute.blogspot.com/2009/05/on-note-taking-and-body.html?showComment=1244641380950#c5133607749773729340 One thing I would like to see is a more fully articulated "method" for note-taking. For example, your notes resemble a quasi-Cornell method with the space for summaries or questions at the bottom. I imagine that your method developed organically and is therefore personally fitted to your needs, but a blog about method would be fantastic! John
Hi Tim, thanks for the interesting post. I used to take notes while reading, but I realised this took the fun out of reading so I stopped. I thought, I'll remember what I need to remember. If I can subconsciously remember what I've read, then it's worth remembering. Otherwise, why bother? I'm not sure if this is the best mindset to have! What do you think? Mary
Hello 4HWW! This might seem like a silly question. While taking notes on a topic, is it better to write on every page, or to write on every right handed page? Is that just a matter of individual preference? Also do I write down the page number in the index a page so…page 1 index, 2 index 3 index, or once I finish writing on multiple pages of the same topic (e.g. 1. index….stop the topic at page 20…index) I don't quite understand. Thank you all for your time.
Hi, Tim, Speaking of the "weakest pen": Have you tried the "millennium" edition of the Fisher Space Pen? http://www.spacepen.com/goldtitaniummillenniumii.aspx Since it's "guaranteed for your lifetime", you could give it a try to run it dry (and claim the guarantee). Happy note-taking!
Hi, Tim, As an avid traveller, you may find Manufactum's notebook a very sturdy companion: http://www.manufactum.de/Produkt/189673/1374414/NotizbuchMetallkante.html I have been using these notebooks for years and enjoy their haptic and paper quality. Cheers
No offense, but I consider an article written on advancing note-taking capacity that doesn't include computer-generated soft-copy notes to be EXTREMELY outdated, impractical, antiquated (not in the pleasant old-school way either), and novice. I have thousands of notes all stored, archived, and categorized on computer (which are triple-backedup of course) all the way as early as elementary school, highschool, through college, certification programs and the bulk of all the notes by far are personal notes taken on self-endeavored research projects. The occasional scratchpad hand-written note is okay, and I'm a computer science geek of sorts, but still, I found an article on the "joys of numbering your handwritten pages" (and then what do you do with those stacks of slowly deteriorating pages and awkward binders???? Nothing , they create toxic clutter) to be kind of pathetic. so just my 2 cents. But all my notes are soft-copy tripe-backedup on the computer where they're accessible on my iphone, laptop, comuter any webbrowser really. Could you imagine carrying around all of your hand-written if you wanted to look up a notes? Absurd, ridiculous, and pathetic to the extreme. I've put time into copying valuable hadn-written journals/notes to computer files. and properly archving/storing the notes. I was shocked to see such a not only outdated, but slow, cumbersome, and quite ridiculous (bordering stupidity) hand-written note method still used bye Ferris, of whom so many lifestyle techniques are so advanced.
From one avid note-taker to another: where I send my notebooks for permanent binding. http://www.dreamingmind.com/ I am not affiliated with them in any way. Just excellent craftsmanship and keeps my bookshelves looking nice.
tim, have you ever thought or had some experience with using something like a wiki for storing your notes and if so what makes you prefer using notebooks to it?
My dream date takes place in long beach calif. Happy hour and sunset starts the date at the art deco Observation Bar on the bow of the Queen Mary. Great views and live music in an amazing atmosphere of nostalgia and wo der. The. It's off to 7 pm salsa lesson at the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) about 2 miles away. From there it's a late dinner at Fuego, a great new Latin restaurant located close by in the new Maya hotel. More ocean views with a martini and paella. Hence, my non-existent dream date. Total cost under 200 dollars
Notetaking Comment & 4HWW Suggestion Tim, Your notetaking system has really helped me. Thank you for going into such detail! I have a quick question: How did you use this technique for writing the original 4HWK? I'm guessing you made the headings for the concepts you wanted to discuss in an index and gave yourself 20+ pages to add to your ideas. Would you explain how you did it? Have you considered writing a book directed specifically to professional educators? How to quickly teach concepts (which engages students and nixes behavior problems), set clear boundaries with parents and administrators, while still accomplishing student learning? For example, if our administrators saw the instructional time benefit of teachers who only checked their email twice a day, they might be gung-ho of more ideas you advocate. Can't wait for the release date in December! Jane=)
Tim- Please tell me where you found that graph paper notebook. I have been searching everywhere and most of the ones I've found are terrible. Thanks, Woodward
Hey Tim, as a true friend of paper-based notes (I really tried almost any digital solution out there!) I have to introduce you to the following: 'Roter Faden Taschenbegleiter' (no URLs here so just google the full term) It's some kind of 'notebook plus' with a unique clip-mechanism, that allows you to compose a notebooks that fits to your individual needs. You can add whatever you want to it: calenders, adressbooks, plain notebooks… You name it. And the best thing is: You can design it on your own (size, colour, material, number of pockets….)! Have to admit that it is far away from beeing cheap but in return you get an awesome quality: All of these books are handmade by the german designer and her team. Go check it out and keep up the good work here! Cheers from Berlin, Clemens
Tim you seem like a pretty ruthless note-taker, and I know you're a ruthless language learner. I'm surprised that I haven't seen you endorse the Pulse Smartpen (http://www.livescribe.com). Besides not having to worry about losing your notes somehow, its the most amazing thing for language studies (I'm currently using it for my third language- Chinese). Are you familiar with it? If you are, I'd love to hear your thoughts. If not, I think you should give it a try… ??? Chris
BTW, it looks like your comment input area doesn't display Chinese characters, hence the question marks.
This one blog post and all of the comments are the reason I have spent 3 months building a new product around this. It truly changed my life and the day I stopped being a consumption whore I started building awesome stuff to point at. One notebook, one blog, changed my life and I can say that with honesty. I also bought every person in my family a notebook for Christmas and asked them to create, write, inspire others to do more, and they did. I had people say "that was the best idea ever," – Brother "I wrote another page in my book!" – Grandma… and many more. I was then able to give $250 to St. Jude instead of blowing it all on Christmas. It is not about buying 1 notebook, it is about buy 10 and enabling your family and friends to do more, build more, and create. The simple things in life. The product will be launching soon and it is a mix of the 1 to 1 non-profit model, why buy 1 when you can buy 10, and community will have a voice in the hard copy of the book. The entire book will be pre-indexed, Tim Ferris style, and I am talking to publishers now. Again, thank you Tim. People read your book with so much words of wisdom and yet it was this one post mixed with your book ideas on running a business that have led me to help others. I would love to talk with you sometime to share the idea and get your thoughts around the product launch. (we will be using shopify and diving into the contest as well.) Thanks, Shane Mac @shanemacsays 309-453-8175
Tim on your note taking I really need some advice here. It seriously pisses me off that evernote and one note, the best programs to take notes in lack a user friendly equation editor. I have been trying a similar technique for years and I prefer to take notes by hand but it pisses me off because each class is different. A lot of classes today are literally all power-point's and professors even leave blanks so that you will go to class. How do I put all of this together without using a binder. I hate binders. How did you deal with these class types? Either you need to worry about printing everything, which is a huge hassle if you need to print 30-50 pages for one day of classes, or you need to worry about scanning all of your hand written notes. The day that Evernote comes out with a good native equation editor, excel integration, and export ability is the day that every student will be using it to take notes.
Dude, So Im replying a little late to this post as you wrote it 3 years ago, but you don't need to refer to the people in India as your slave labour, I'm just saying.
Ok, Tim, I thought of this as a challenge…I went out and tried to find a notebook just like you described and couldn't…so I created it. I would have called it the Tim Ferriss journal, but I didn't want any legal issues so I've called it MyThoughtPad. It has everything you mentioned and then some: index pages on front and back covers, numbered right-hand pages, graph pages, vertical-lined pages, a box in the lower right corner for things like random silliness, nice thick paper to write on, super heavy chipboard cover, oh and a little envelope in the back for miscellaneous knick knacks. There's even one with your name on it (literally!), no strings attached, if you're interested. -Nicole
Seeing your writing style really inspired me man. I really dig your detail-oriented style with things, especially writing. Thing is, I have been going through this for a long time now. Teetering on the edge of the, somewhat, whimsical usage pattern of what we know as, "Taking notes with your computer". It is seriously this thing that people I feel like CAN NOT figure out what to do! Should they take a note using a notepad for 1 thing and a computer for a diff? Should they just throw out all paper and docs on the comp for todos and just use Post-its? Whatever it is, people are confused by it – and often a few have stood out of the crowd saying we will use these tools only (E.g. Write on the computer only for everything .. (down to the purists who would only use one txtpad for EVERYthing) but also the ones who write all on physical paper- and everything in between. Anyway, point being – I was in this teeter as I have been 'experimenting' with different styles of note taking for seriously probably 10+ years, and I'm only 22 – yeah I was one of those kids. I was super into physics and particularly quantum/theoretical physics as a young young young kid – for whatever reason. It was intense to the point where I had, what was at the time, binders and binders of notes that were totally unorganized – BUT now, in this present moment, I have somewhat perfected it I think. Interestingly enough, it loops right back around to where I'm back to paper again. I kind of got inspired by your post to re-examine my situation, and it came as somewhat of a sudden realization that this is something that more than just me goes through (Doy, I know). Well, so basically now I have a setup somewhat similar to yours or ANYONE who is embracing a slight minimalism in their life to de-clutter the BS to focus on the points that stand out from the rest of the Universe. 'Where's Waldo' status. I really appreciate the inspiration man and just wanted to say keep killing it. I pre-ordered the book can't WAIT to get it – am getting to a point in my life where physicality is becoming a main focus in my mind/body connection. It is perfect timing for the flow of my life and I am stoked as hell and am just grateful that you keep on with the writing. You have a lot ta share mate, which I'm sure you're aware of – but you may even have more than you would think at first. You have a philisophical side man, you should seriously write a book like that. Wayy down the road I know, but all I'm saying is when you're like 80 (we won't live that long but just if) you get to like 80 and have a huge white beard and long white hair you must write a philosophy book as sort of an ending memoirs. "Letters from Timothy". Haha dude I'm totally pulling a hippy glenn here, let me just finish this. Take care Tim. PS – I would d-i-double-g the cover if it had the shiny meditative guy – but I can see your worry, is it too flashy gimmicky for a meditative Buddhist position. Realistic concern! Honestly tho, I really think it would just look more 'official' with the shiny attributes. It wouldn't be scammy – but PSS on the 'scammy note': You sure are a running with that title. Just remember, the play goes 'Run out .. hook in. Run out… hook in. Haha 😉
On note taking: I use index cards. I usually carry around 3 to 5 in the back pocket of my jeans. Very easy to put in order, rearrange or simply file them in a box 😉
Ok, so I didn't read all the comments, but: I am a student in public health at a semi-prestigious university, and I need to say that, for qualitative research, this is GREAT. When you are doing research, it is extremely important to document the process of your thoughts, but it is very herd to do so in a way that will help you later. Cheers to this process!
This whole Wikileaks fiasco is pretty crazy. You should check out http://voteonwikileaks.com. It's a recently launched website that seems to be going viral. They got something like 50,000 visitors in the first 24 hours of launch. It's sort of like a crowdsourced collection of arguments against and for Wikileaks. As a blog owner, you'd probably find some of the opinions there a good read.
Hey Tim, could you clarify the notetaking of books like AJ Jacobs'? Are you simply indexing the book, so when you need the info you grab the index and the book (or the index alone triggers recall), or is the index created in addition to notes for the book? Thanks!
Tim, Great post. I second Josh's request. It's the HOW I'm interested in. What do you do when you take notes? Is there a book or URL that you can recommend? Thanks and Cheers, Steve
Hey Tim, One small point about all of this that I think your overlooking (note: assumption) is something which my mentor pointed out to me and many people stuggle with, is taking notes for "post scanning" … if you watch most people they write at all angles across the page, in different directions, sizes etc. Whereas, if you make the choice to write either vertically (or horizontally, as applicable) down/across the page it makes it a lot more easier and quicker to scan and re-read at a later date, which is not the case when you write otherwise. You can increase "scanability" by using set spacing between text, set margins, bullet points etc. In the past I did it. Now, it makes things a LOT easier and you will notice a distinct impact on your mental and emotional state – you feel less "cluttered" more present, clear minded and certainly "stress free" which is created in a majority of cases (esp. in a digital world) by being overwhelmed by information. Glenn
Hi Tim, I've reread this post 10 times in the last year and have found many of the suggestions very practical. I'm still struggling to understand your indexing (for example – AJ Jacobs book). Is it an index of the topics & pages in the book where you can find them OR an index of your notes on those topics from the book and the pages to find your notes on the book in your notebook? Thanks so much for taking the time to respond … it's the one lingering question that is confusing me.
Tyler, my intrepretation of Tim's writing is… "an index of your notes on those topics from the book and the pages to find your notes on the book in your notebook?" Hope this helps.
As a non-profit Man Coach I dream about Dates alot.. There is just one thing i'm looking for.. the woman and in what kind of Environment her beauty shines best.. I really love! to hijack woman.. they have alot of stuff to handle.. alot of responsibility.. I love it to give them a space where time seems to hold still and they can just go with theyre deepest emotional states what ever it might be.. 1. I'll grab the woman right away from her workplace arranging it before with her chef. 2. As working in fashion business i'll give her a little handpack and bring here to the airport.. 3. Let her close her eyes and show with the finger to last-minute destination on a map 4. fly there with her and prepare during flight the perfect hotel or if it would be in Croatia where im actually from, i'll talk with old people having the best appartements you can imagine.. 5. I'll cook for her or take her to the restaurant, depends on the woman.. and then let me inspire me true her.. i love to take pictures to let the woman see true my eyes.. or to dance tango with them.. everything where i lead and they can just relax and be who they are.. On the last i'll take a black pen and go with her in the almost empty street and write the first sentence of a love story on a public place.. lead her to another place and let her write the second.. Man love your question.. greetings from a former student of orlando owen btw steve p.. you know what i mean 😉
I have to say that you are so creative and fast in your way to take notes. It's a challenge to me.
In spite of reagular reading your blog I was very excited after seeing a blog post that I have missed somehow and that is something I truly like doing – notes. Imagine my reaction when I got to the end of it and the only thing I can say is "well, sounds like me". First blog post here that merely described my so far experiences. It either proves you're a human or that those methods "really" kick ass ;)) I learned how to take notes from my biology teacher in high school. Man was crazy, he could present 20pages-long material of difficult words and schemes in the regular lesson and the grades were mostly B (or 4/6 in the Polish system)
Tim, I'm guessing you've heard about this already since you're one of Evernote's investors (maybe it was your idea?), but the new Moleskine for Evernote combines two of your favorite things: http://blog.evernote.com/2012/08/24/the-new-evernote-smart-notebook-by-moleskine/
Tim and his blind date walk into a talent agency. Says to the talent agent, "we've got a great act." Talent agent says, "I usually don't do 'blind date' acts, they're a little too cutesy." Tim says, "We know when you see our act, you'll love it. Please can we show you our act?" Talent agent says, "Okay, fine." With a smirk Tim says, "I wouldn’t be one to kiss and tell. Some things are more fun left unexplained". (takes an immediate and pronounced bow) Talent agent says, "That's a hell of an act, what do you call it?" "THE ARISTOCRATS!"
Great article – I just moved from using a tablet with keyboard back to page a day diary. The act of taking notes is great for re-enforcing memories & I learn more by doing this.
Thank god I thought I was the only one with the " Notemania Disorder" I have notes about everything-pregnancies 2- food, random observations everywhere I go, I left Moleskin notepads for my Iphone Notes. Thank you for making my day. Have a notefunfilled day, Naima
Very good write-up. I absolutely appreciate this website. Continue the good work!
At some point, I realized that I totally misunderstood the Moleskine Daily Planner. I was thinking of it as a — wait for it — daily planner (with a vertical calendar in front), when it's REALLY a general-purpose notebook with the following attributes: — 370-page ruled Moleskine (the largest Moleskine by far); — idiosyncratic page numbering scheme, but that's okay, because it matches the built-in index pages in front; — each page has a big area at the top for subject and/or metadata; and — it can often be found at a discount starting mid-January.
yes and some people take drugs recreationally these are the people who do not take notes. I thought your comment was funnyso I thought I would try and match your wit.
Favorite pen?
On note taking also try here… http://bulletjournal.com There's a whole community. Dream date: – My Wife. – Wake up early and review to do list (naw just kidding!) – Walk to the Welsh Rugged Coastline and a four mile trek to the Pub. – Lunch and catch the bus back (Don't drink and drive.) – Change and off to the theatre in town. – Hotel with late drinks. Simples…
Great article! I'm really trying to get into consistent note taking. It's something that has come up as a theme in recent books I have read (The Miracle Morning, Steal Like An Artist). I have mainly used Evernote for Journaling/Note taking but I'm trying to make the transition to paper. I'm not sure if anyone has asked this already but I'm a little confused on how the index works. "Whenever you complete a page, put the page number in an index on the inside cover (front or back) and a few words to describe the content." Does this mean that you create an index entry for each page (I'm assuming that you don't)? And if you don't, does that mean you just index things you feel are particularly interesting? Also, it would seem that as you get deeper in to a notebook it would get increasingly difficult to determine whether to create a new index entry or go through the other entries to find out if they are of the same topics. Any strategies for doing that? or does is not as much of a chore as it seems? Thanks again for the article. There is always great content here. You are an inspiration! – Ryan
To create an index on the cloud, you could photograph / scan the index pages and save these to evernote (or similar). If you write with block caps, they will be searchable. If you don't, you can get someone to type them up. Nothing stopping you doing that with the entire notebook of course.
I guess I would take advantage of the false attribution error and do something really exciting. the idea is to escalate slowly and gradually come back to normal 1. having dinner in a teppanyaki restaurant involving a lot of open fire and knife throwing 2. leave the restaurant and grab a cab to a nearby airport (no questions allowed) 3. go into a plane and get ready for parachuting 4. jump out of the plane and land on an open field located near a outdoor cinema 5. let the evening come to an end while watching a movie together out of a car old-fashioned style 🙂
You state that you do not use digital note taking tools. However, I recall on many of your podcast recommending Evernote. Do you use Evernote?
My dream date by Christian the Great: • With a beautiful Norwegian girl with a stereotypical Scandinavian side braid in her hair. • In the city of Berlin at Umami in Prenzlauer Berg, eating super fresh Vietnamese rice paper rolls and drinking Moscow Mule cocktails made with their house made brown rice vodka • Afterwards head to the mysterious Tausend bar under a bridge, knock on the non descript door and talk our way past the super German bouncer and proceed to consume more delicious beverages among the beautiful people of Berlin. • And finally: Go home and read the 4 Hour Workweek together while looking deep into each other's eyes 😛
I'd give the money to Jamie Foxx and ask him what he could organise with a 25% bigger budget than he had for one of the greatest parties ever held.
You should really consider Microsoft OneNote for note taking. It's searchable, so you don't have to wade through 8 feet of paper to find your info. I wish I had it in college!
My dream date is that I'd wake up from a nightmare. Laying next to me is Charlize or even Michelle Pfeiffer (love older women). She wakes up and we…I don't kiss and tell either.
48 Hours in Rio: 1. Base Jumping off Christ the Redeemer 2. Ayahuasca journey 3. Scuba diving/snorkeling/water skiiing 4. Viewing the sunrise or sunset on the water. 5. Possibly schedule dates to experience the carnival or New Years there. 6. Meditate in Jardim Botânico 7. Sneak into the 2016 Olympic games.
Dream Date – We would start by going to Alinea for dinner. Probably have to be a Thursday night for budget purposes. – After dinner we would have over to Longman & Eagle to enjoy the vibes and chat over some bourbon. – Before we left longman I would buy a bottle of bourbon and sneak into Adler planiterium. Once we are in, we would enjoy bourbon and the best view of the city. – Good eats, Good Vibes, Good Bourbon
I'm split between using steno pads because of their dual columns and size and Noteworthy on the iPad for a paperless option. My biggest issue is taking that data and acting on it. With multiple meetings I've yet to find a good way to make sure I go back to that data and it just doesn't sit on a shelf. That could be a better use for the digital side, to index the indexes into actionable items. "Create Article on sleep: Book 5, Page 10.5".
Link exchange is nothing else however it is simply placing the other person's webpage link on your page at appropriate place and other person will also do same in favor of you.
Hi Tim, I have a fuzzy memory of a picture of you writing in a giant composition notebook. Did I imagine this? If not, where can I get one? If anyone else knows where I can get giant notebooks, say 16×20, I'd be grateful… –Danny
City: Angkor, Cambodia. Dream date: visiting Angkor Wat and learning about the lifestyle of ancient Cambodians whilst admiring the architectural design of the temple. Afterwards, dinner at a fancy restaurant and a night of relaxation at the hotel room.
Dream Date: It will be in NYC, where I live. Begin on a Sunday morning with a shower together and laughter (priceless and free). Perhaps get into a small pillow fight. Morning aerial yoga class ($30) together followed by guided meditation. Share a tea and a great conversation ($15). Try some vegan lunch? ($50) Walk around Soho, hold hands, kiss… Buy something for $180. Walk into Strand Book Store and spend a whole hour in an unfamiliar section. Exploring what we don't know. Choose books for each other. ($40) Pop into a fortune teller or a psychic shop together (agree not to take it seriously though) ($50). Go to a spa for a foot massage ($100), watch a movie at Lowes Union Square. Buy groceries at WholeFoods and head home. Make a healthy dinner together. Candles, quiet music (he will pick) and true connection. Read our books to each other (1-2 pages), scratch his back and fall asleep hugging.
"note taking is—in my experience—one of the most important skills for converting excessive information into precise action and follow-up." -Love that. Added to my quote list.
Tim, would love to see an update on this (e.g. how your notetaking has/hasn't evolved in the context of Evernote-type options, etc). Love your work, man!
I love to take notes with my surface pro 4 (onenote). You should try it 🙂
Ideal date? Here's how it would go: Barcelona, Spain. The afternoon is a hodgepodge of excitement: the rival football team, Real Madrid, is in town for a match tonight. My lovely date and I, along with the city at large, prepares in the traditional fashion with food and drinks for an hour or two beforehand. This of course leads us to making a few friends before, and(with language skills augmented by your process, Fluent in 3 months, and Duolingo) we can really appreciate the food and culture and the excitement. The game begins and it's tense- Real Madrid starts up. They barely lose in the last minutes of stoppage time. The crowd(along with my date and I) go nuts! We go out for dinner and more drinks to celebrate the fun, and it's my first taste of Catalonian cuisine-perhaps some seafood dish? I might be even more daring and ask the waiter to bring us his choice off the menu.. When dinner's done we'll take a walk through the beautiful city and talk about the success of the night…and possibly continue that success back at the hotel 🙂 but to take a leaf from your book, I'll end the story there.
Nicaragua. Yoga on the beach for breakfast. Playing in the ocean for lunch. Salsa dancing for dinner. DMT under the stars for dessert.
Ok nuts ? We meet at my vehicle of choice for the evening: a Saturn V space rocket, then fly to the ISS to have a dinner prepared by … maybe Jiro Ono? (i really love sushi, and i think it might be a good zero gravity meal) Of course we are having dinner in front of a big-ass window, because you need some romantic vibe at a date, and try to beat that sky full of stars! Maybe also have some music from the cinematic orchestra (arrival of the birds) Yes, that sounds really good for me.
How are things working out with your shrink ?
Ah… We'd end up in Paris. As I had my wedding anniversary last Monday, I might end up executing this one a few weekends down: We go to the Musee d'Orsay to spend some time looking at Monet's waterlilies and a few other paintings we like. Then on to our favourite restaurant there, which is a fabulous walk 1.5 mile along the bank of the Seine. The restaurant is called L'AOC. We'll eat freshly made homemade terrines and other cuisine du terroir based great food. Then we stroll to a hotel nearby. We'll both be extremely happy and fulfilled. Gas $100, tickets $40, dinner $200, Hotel $150
Hello Tim! My dream date would be set in Osaka. Dressed in comfortable clothing, equipped with coins, we would visit a suitable gaming arcade and rotate through the selection of dance dance revolution-, FPS- and classic videogames. Fuelled by japanese sweets and drinks neither of us want to know the actual content of, we would spend a couple of hours here before making our way to a nearby bathhouse. One that allows men and women to go in together. After relaxing, maybe getting a massage and getting dressed, we would head to a small, local diner or bar that serves simple dishes and bar-snacks. Here we would spend the night drinking umeshu and eating and talking to the locals in broken Japanese. Of course, this bar is also a karaoke bar and when the time is right, we take turns with the other guest singing our hearts out (again, in broken japanese…). Everyone is having a lovely time and new friends are being made. After shutting the place down, we would take the long walk home to experience Osaka by night (and also, to sober up), before heading to our separate hotells. And the next day, we would do it all over again. それはいい夢ですねえ ^_^
Seriously It works!! Great to know, thanks for your tips 🙂 mate!!
My dream date starts off in a helicopter where we soak up an aerial view of the city. Cruising high above the hustle and bustle of people and low over the serene waters where the dolphins playfully poke their heads above the surface, we weave below bridges and above skyscrapers until the colors are a blur and the topography is indelibly imprinted on our minds. Then we proceed to a stunning maison on a hillside overlooking the water where a chef waits to design and create a gastric delight *with* us. We prep, cook, learn and then dine on a warm outdoor patio overlooking the water with mischievous birds begging to steal a bite. The laughter and dialog flows freely as does the "yummms and ahhhhs" at nearly every delectable bite. After dinner we stroll down to the beach and walk as long as we desire before deciding how we want to end the evening. P.S. I would loooove the Tools of Titans book instead… just sayin'. 😉
Thank you for this wonderfully interesting article. Ready for THE Dream Date ? I mean, really ready ? Ok, let's land in Switzerland, in Geneva to be more specific. Don't forget your swimsuit as we will be swimming in the wonderful Geneva lake by this late summer afternoon. Then, let's have a paddle board tour [30$]. The lake is still, serene, cristal clear and the landscape is amazing, the blue sky contrasting with the everlasting snow on the Alps. After our tour, we will have a drink at the UN (United Nations) beach [20$], watching the sunset on the Mont Blanc, before heading to the Bain des Pâquis, to eat one of the best and unforgettable cheese fondue with local wine [80$]. You will see, the ambiance here is wonderful, it's like all happy people living here gather there to spend time with friends. After this, we will enjoy a wonderful classic movie screened outside, close to the beach, while comfortably lying on a deck chair under a warm and cosy blanket [0$]. And we will be laughing, knowing that we have 370$ left for many other unforgettable evenings 😉 Didier.
Really cool blog post. I had to read it a few times through to catch all of the information. Thanks!
I'm surprised to find not a single reference to evernote here. Then again, I'm not.
Bring back dream dates please!
San Fran this June after "escape from Alcatraz" triathlon. First trip in a long time without kids with none other than my beautiful wife as my travel partner. Did I mention without kids…. I'll be exhausted but exhilarated and proud by accomplishing one of my to do list life items. I imagine it will take just a few sips of whatever drink comes our way and I can already feel the 'relax' coursing from my neck to my toes. It seems to me, a drink is always best when it's earned. I'm getting really good at enjoying the now, whether it lasts four hours or just a few minutes and San Fran at the start of summer…excitement and energy whatever direction we turn. Cliche'd maybe a bit but true nonetheless, my wife and I can easily make this a perfect date In a great city after a magical day.
Hey Tim! I noticed some notes with Biblical references and theology and always thought it would be really interesting to have you put Tim Keller (Redeemer Presbytarian, NY) on the podcast. He's highly intelligent and makes it a point to avoid using "churchy" language. At the very least, he might provide you with some well articulated insight on the topics you're researching. I think you guys would get along.
This will decrease the weight of items to become moved and reduce the cost of move. It would seemingly take a moment, settling in as a family inside new settings. These packers and movers companies also provide services for international relocations.
This is a comment on the "How to Take Notes Like an Alpha-Geek " part of this post… Id be interested in how you use technology with your note taking. It seems with a good indexing or classification scheme you could use Evernote or something like that to quickly take and organize notes. Then retrieving information becomes much quicker. Plus you get the added benefit of all the metadata/statistics on your notes such as quantity of notes on a topic over time, relations to other topics (in the sort of "Freakonomics" way). But the crux is coming up with the system that works with Evernote (or whatever note taking app you use). You could have someone transcribe your notebooks into the new system then do some data analysis to discover, perhaps, topics for which you have a lot of information but maybe have not yet taken the opportunity to develop a bloggable story around. Could be interesting.
Tim, I am curious about why you number your journal pages using "1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, etc." – do you start "new" subjects on the 1,2,3… pages and leave the back of each for follow up notes? Also, for your index, do you reserve a fixed number of pages at the back or work backwords? Finally, how do you get your finished pages into an Evernote type system? Do you rip out pages and put into a scanner or just take snapshots of each page with your phone? Does Evernote OCR work well on handwriting? Does your penmanship reflect that you will need to scan it eventually? Thanks!
Pretty rusty at this: married 32yrs: previous a dream date was any night that the kids went to bed and stayed there! But here it goes: Full Moon weekend – spring through fall: Brunch in Detroit at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) Kresge Court and then wander around a bit and take in what ever special exhibition they have at the time. Drive over to Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters (south and more downtown) for a coffee/expresso then out to a favorite restaurant Loya Organic (Mediterranean) in West Bloomfield for an early dinner. Then over to the Heavner family's Canoe rental at Proud Lake Recreation Area in Milford to participate in the Moonlight Paddle: paddle west into the sunset on the Huron River into Milford (about 60 minutes of easy paddling), leave the canoe in central park, walk into town* for fries and then ice cream or frozen yogurt. After sunset and as the full moon is rising paddle back to the livery without any lights…under the moonlight. There is usually a pan flute player entertaining along the way from an unseen position. If the weather cooperates and the evening chills a bit you will get mist rising up of the water…magic. Bonfire afterwards always. Note*: precious are the few towns do not flinch at a hoard of people traipsing though town wearing PFDs and carrying dry bags! : -) NOTE: no where near $500 required. A dream date need not be complicated.
This is great. Thanks Tim. Any thoughts on doing an updated version on YouTube? Would love to know how you use tech to keep track of all your notes and how you organise your digital life.
Awesome post and just what I needed. I was also wondering, as a few others are, about more detail on your system of the actual note details such as the bottom right corner showing a list of follow up names, the rectangles around the "To Do" items, etc. Thank you!!
I use paper for my morning pages, a white board and photos for brainstorming, but regular daily notes go into my phone, often in gmail. My handwriting is uber illegible, even to me and often moreso with wine or beer. Notes from a lecture or class go in the laptop. I can type way faster than I scrawl. YMMV
Simply impossible to read anything on those photographs. Did you, Tim, use your toothbrush to take those photos? =)
I know you said that you don’t do digital note taking. I prefer not to as well. Instead I e found a work around that allows me to keep all of my notes and “notebooks” without driving my wife crazy with the sheer amount of them: the Rocketbook. It allows you to take notes on paper just as you would normally, then you can scan them in, erase the pages, and start again fresh. There are of course cons to it such as leaving it in a hot car will erase or fade the pages but if you take care of it and the pens, you can definitely get more than bang for your buck. I have a notepad sized one that fits in my back pocket, a day planner style that has note pages in it, and a regular 8×11 sized notebook with both graphing and lines pages.
I am always interested in learning better ways to take notes especially for self help books (biographies etc.) and then finding better ways to log them in notebooks and then index to find them in other books. Is there any chance you would put together a YouTube video or a video and go more in-depth into your system?? If you can do it through a book great (I'll buy it), but if not a video would work for me and I would even pay to learn from system. As others say why try reinvent the wheel, go to the expert And learn from them. Thanks. Brook
Hi Tim, I'm in the US but used to live Melbourne, Australia for a few years. I think a great first date would be to donate the money to a wildlife or firefighters organization to help with the current crises they are experiencing, and then take my date to help volunteer. I think this act shows the kind of people you are. It sounds great on paper, but when it's time to roll your sleeves up and get dirty you can tell a lot about the person. This way you get to help, learn and connect with your date on a deeper level and it gives you great stories to chat about later but opens up possibilities to other interesting dates. The point of dating is to find some great who is someone you want to share your life with and being comfortable with them when you are outside of your comfort zone. PS – I own all your books (and have read most of them in their enirety) except for The Four Hour Work Week. I have yet to read, but it's definitely on the list. Thanks for sharing your process.
I'm actually on Fonzie's low information diet and I think I like it. Dripping coolness, slow and easily wins the day. Just chill. I would like to see the same circus with Tim on psilocybin. I'm another hypergraphical notetaker from way back, on the path to enlightenment. I don't know what Tim sells. I know he's exceptionally good at it, though. I don't believe he'll ever see this. I'm one of the trivial many. And I'm okay with that. Shine On, Tim. – I See You!
Pathetic and stupid? There is no place for rudeness here. Constructive criticism is fine, but rudeness and ridiculing other commenters (as you did on one other comment) don't have a place here. Thanks for commenting, but play nice… Tim
Hi Tony, I still use paper, but I also scan the notes to www.evernote.com for searchability and indexing. I love it. It was introduced to me by commenters like yourself! All the best, Tim
*hard
Hello Nicole..! where can I see some pictures of it?
I'm also an avid note taker, both on paper and using Evernote, but with the system you described here I would imagine that old (physical) notebooks soon fall off the radar. Is scanning the notebooks into Evernote your solution to this problem? How do you go about it? What did you do prior to Evernote?
John, You can view some photos here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/55469892/mythoughtpad-a-notebook-inspired-by-tim Enjoy! Nicole 🙂