Keeping a to-do list is already quite difficult. Moving between apps, getting the todos done, adding new ones, organizing them. Setting up the setup itself can easily derail me from doing the actual, thing, the todo itself. Now I have a more or less consistent way of taking care of my todos.
While reading a book yesterday, I wanted to write a note from the book. I did have no place to do it. I quickly searched for dusty memory pieces of mine about where I used to write my daily stuff. I have used few techniques in the past.
Latest note-taking activity I have had was the “reflection” notes on Notion. I have a Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Reflection categories with template for each category that I copy to write. It is a very simple idea with a very simple template. Nonetheless, I could not manage doing it consistently (every day). I could not make it a daily routine.
Coming back to yesterday, I wanted to take few notes from the book I was reading. Then I opened a new page on Notion, called it “OneLog” and just started writing a simple note. It starts and ends with ***. The first line is the date and then comes whatever I want to store there.
***
02.03.2024
#reading:
'''
A truth might be rejected at a point, and accepted at a later point. It does not change its characteristics of being the truth. It is a matter of Zeitgeist. For example, in Italy Giordani Bruno and Galileo announced the existence of other worlds. They suffered a lot for this heresy. But 50 years later in Holland the Christiaan Huygens held the dame belief and was honored. Huygens did invent many things. (Reference: Cosmos by Ann Druyan)
'''
#thought:
'''
Beauty arose as a strategy in the competition in reproductive services. For example, flowers evolved into having different colors and fragrances to attract bees in competition to other flowers. Birds also have evolved into colorful body and furs and even dancing to attract their mates. Humans do the same.
'''
The last one became also the topic of a blog post. It opened up a new realization. Beauty of the “OneLog” is its simplicity. No more categories, no more multiple pages or sections to navigate through. It was all right there, in one continuous, easy-to-scroll document. The idea of “OneLog” is akin to the old-fashioned diary or journal, but digital and without the frills.
If you want to start doing it, the process is quite simple.
- Choose your platform: Any text editor or note-taking app that you find reliable and accessible across your devices will work. I chose Notion because it syncs across all my devices and has powerful search capabilities.
- Set up your file: Create a new page or document and title it “OneLog” or whatever you prefer.
- Get into the habit: Pin the file to your start page or bookmark it. The easier it is to access, the more likely you will use it.
- Start small: Don’t pressure yourself to write essays. A few words or bullet points are all you need to capture a thought or task.
I suggest the following category tags to start with:
- #ToDo: For tasks and action items.
- #Reading: For notes on books, articles, and other reading materials.
- #Reflection: For journal entries, daily reflections, and introspective thoughts.
- #Work: For professional-related notes, including meeting notes and project plans.
- #Learning: For educational content, courses, lectures, and skill acquisition.
- #Idea: For brainstorming and capturing creative thoughts and potential projects.
- #Meeting: For notes on discussions, meeting outcomes, and action items.
- #Travel: For travel plans, itineraries, and travel experiences.
- #Quotes: For saving inspirational or significant quotes.
- #Misc: For a variety of miscellaneous notes that don’t fit into other categories.
I will try to keep updating the OneLog as regularly as possible. At least a daily reflection paragraph I will try to keep there. Let’s see how it works.