Understanding the Value of Personal Knowledge Management

I began my journey of establishing a Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) system nearly three years ago, yet it took about half that time before I truly recognized the benefits of the effort I was investing. If you're wondering what the fuss about PKM (or your “Second Brain”) is, examining the missteps I encountered might provide some clarity.

1. Lacking a Clear Purpose for My Notes

The concept of a second brain is enticing—who wouldn't want a tailored collection of notes that encompass all the information we struggle to remember? However, it’s crucial to have a defined objective when creating your notes. Collecting random thoughts may give the illusion of expanding your knowledge, but it can often lead to the opposite effect.

Your PKM should be more than just an assortment of disconnected ideas. Establishing a clear purpose will help you determine whether your system is truly beneficial or counterproductive. For beginners, I recommend starting modestly. Focus on addressing a singular need, such as:

• Taking notes on books you've read
• Compiling a collection of recipes
• Collecting your favorite quotes
• Documenting notes for a specific class

By concentrating on one area, you can easily evaluate the effectiveness of your PKM. Like any skill, note-taking takes practice, and targeting a specific need allows you to identify what works and what doesn’t.

For instance, if you’re taking notes on books, you might assess how effectively your PKM helps you describe a book to others or recall its themes compared to when you didn’t have a system in place.

2. Overloading on Information

The artist is a collector, but not a hoarder; there’s a distinction. While hoarders indiscriminately gather, artists select items they truly value. Be judicious about what you include in your PKM. Tiago Forte suggests only noting things that genuinely resonate. I would argue that perhaps only 10% of what initially seems valuable should actually make it into your system.

I utilize the Drafts app and Readwise Reader as filters for my PKM. Drafts captures fleeting inspirations—like great article ideas, quotes, or insights from podcasts. Readwise Reader allows me to highlight significant thoughts from digital content, such as books or articles.

After a few days or a week, I revisit these notes to assess their continued relevance. Often, I find that about half no longer resonate, so I discard them. I scrutinize the remaining notes to determine whether they add real value to my collection. I aim to include only the most potent insights, distilled to their essence.

3. Installing Excessive Plugins

Obsidian offers numerous core plugins right out of the box, but its appeal lies in the vast array of third-party plugins crafted by the community to enhance its functionality. In my early days, I installed over twenty plugins, thinking they would enrich my knowledge base. While they can be helpful, every additional plugin can diminish the portability of your notes.

One of Obsidian's key benefits is its foundation on Markdown files. If Obsidian were to disappear, you could still access your notes in any high-quality note-taking app. However, if many of those notes rely on third-party plugins, you may find gaps in your system when transitioning to a different environment.

For newcomers, I recommend sticking to the core plugins until you feel fully comfortable with them. Only then should you gradually explore third-party plugins to see what enhances your workflow.

4. Seeking the Ideal Tool

Let’s be clear: the perfect PKM application does not exist. While various tools are available, constantly searching for the latest app or switching platforms often serves as a distraction from the real work—note-taking itself.

Whether it’s Tana, Capacities, Obsidian, or Roam Research, all these tools require a commitment to creating notes. If you’re not willing to invest the effort, no PKM tool will prove effective for you. The best PKM app is simply the one that integrates seamlessly into your system.

5. Neglecting to Distill My Notes

I often confused familiarity with true understanding. I would amass numerous notes on a topic without forming a coherent opinion or being able to convey it to someone else. This led me to discover the concept of Atomic Notes.

An Atomic Note encapsulates a single, complete idea, akin to a Lego block. These notes are reduced to their simplest form yet are powerful. The physicist Richard Feynman famously stated that true understanding comes when you can explain a concept to a child. To achieve this, you must break down ideas into their fundamental components, allowing you to reconstruct them into a coherent opinion. This practice fosters connections between various thoughts and concepts.

6. Lacking Personalization

“There has to be an output when building a PKM. You’ve gathered so much information, so challenge yourself to articulate your own thoughts.” - Mike Schmitz. The “P” in PKM signifies “Personal,” yet my knowledge base was anything but personal. Our lives are unique, and it follows that our perspectives on topics should also be.

Accepting another person's viewpoint undermines the essence of a PKM—everything should reflect your interests and experiences. This concept is well-articulated in "The Great Metal Models (Volume 1)" by Shane Parrish, where he likens other people's opinions to a map. A map doesn't capture every detail; it reflects the cartographer's choices. Similarly, books and articles are shaped by the author's experiences.

So, while it’s fine to draw inspiration from others, don’t take their ideas at face value. Dedicate time to consider how their thoughts relate to your life, and write in a personal, reflective manner—this is where true insights lie.

7. Focusing More on Adding Notes than Reviewing Them

The idea of continuously adding notes to my PKM seemed logical—more notes equate to a larger second brain, right? Actually, the goal is to keep your second brain as streamlined as possible.

There's a significant difference between "taking" notes and "making" notes. Notes that are taken tend to fade from memory, while made notes are dynamic, continually evolving texts that remain relevant. A PKM full of taken notes resembles a graveyard, whereas one filled with made notes allows for quick access to your current thoughts on a subject and provides links to additional resources if needed.

Before adding new notes, consider whether the information can be integrated into existing ones. This approach creates a concise, powerful note on a specific topic, making it easier to find what you need when the time comes. Regularly updating notes also encourages revisiting older entries, allowing for the refinement of initial thoughts and the establishment of new connections.

One Final Thought…

Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy article; I hope you found it insightful. I’m pleased to share that I’ve organized my social presence, and you can now connect with me on Bluesky and Mastodon. I’d love to continue the conversation there. Alternatively, feel free to follow me here or give a clap if you found this article helpful. It may help others discover it as well!

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