3 Subtle Note-taking Techniques that Makes All the Difference

Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash

So, you’ve read an actionable, insightful book. You learn visually by highlighting the key points and underlining the keywords.

Or maybe, 5 minutes later, if you’re like me, you try to tell your loved ones, friends, or family about all these fantastic things you’ve learned.

But there’s that awkward pause…

Why can’t I explain what I just learned? What was that idea again?

This happens to the best of us. It’s called the illusion of competence.

The gist is that all that underlining, highlighting, and note-taking gives us the illusion that we’re learning something new while our brain relaxes like a potato.

So, how do we fix it?

The answer lies in taking smart notes, a technique championed by brilliant minds throughout history, including Leonardo da Vinci and Niklas Luhmann.

Three core principles that make smart notes — SMART!

1. Active Engagement with Your Notes.

The first one is that smart notes are active, meaning they’re not passive highlights, underlines, and notes that follow the author’s flow. Instead, it’s about actively restructuring other people’s thoughts into your structure.

You might ask, “Well, what is my structure?”