A note on 'Double Notebook Zettelkasten' - An analog thinking tool
I announce, rather propose the creation of a new organisation system for notes. A system that I now call 'Dual Notebook Zettelkasten.' At the outset, I would like to dispel any notions that one may have regarding the futility of such an exercise. Writing is the process through which one thinks, as Feynman once incidentally observed. For him, his primary tools of thought were his notebooks. I myself have remained fascinated with creating a nearly perfect system for thought though my temporary escapades with systems and apps lead to primarily towards disappointment. I was often asked to mould my primal note-taking instincts into a system that felt alien. Zettelkasten for instance required me to mould my thoughts into 'atomic' sizes on index cards (on which I never personally enjoyed writing), which was always a very difficult exercise. I never also understood the concept of Literature Notes, Fleeting Notes and Permanent Notes, terminologies that Ahrens introduced to this space. So, fatigued by the constant changes that I had to bring to my note-taking system, I set out to create by own system, going back to the basics, to do what once Luhmann so famously attempted. The following is a short note on this hybrid, borrowed system that I have moulded for myself.
A zettelkasten taught me that retrieval is essential to the task of note-taking. If you invest time into writing something, ultimately not being able to locate it nullifies its effect. Thus, at this core the system functions through an organiser notebook a slim short and small notebook that serves an an index, for all the notes that exist within the system. Any note begins as an entry into this system with its own unique ID. This ensures that all the notes could always be categorised and retrieved later. The unique ID consists merely of three identifiers
- Serial Number
- Category
- Year or any timestamp
The benefits of this system are:
- It helps ensure that none of the variables are rigid. Paper sizes, note sizes or other variables depend on the kind of notes that one takes.
- The organiser notebook concept ensures even if working with various notebooks, or stray pieces of paper there is a way to organise them into a centralised system. This reduces the friction of note-taking, making it organised
- The Unique ID system in this system is stripped down to its very basics. There is nothing that can not be a part of this system, and it can be made as complex as possible. Though I would not recommend that.
- It is also completely analog. This is a benefit over all the complex systems which exist on digital platforms. In my personal experiance nothing beats the experiance of writing on paper, and it continues to remain a rich medium for learning and self-expression, free of distractions from the 'Attention Economy'.