Cannot work without taking notes

[B_Naz]

I've noticed that whenever I work, I take a huge amounts of notes.

Now I know that note taking is a good thing, but I'm starting to feel scared that if I don't take notes on anything, I will forget and never learn it

This is mainly a problem when it comes to personal development. I can't read a book, listen to a podcast, or watch a video without taking notes

I can see it as a good habit but it drains a lot of energy out from me...

Any suggestions? Should I carry on?

[kieranperez]

Has this been a problem for you in terms of practical results or is this coming from your mind as an anxiety of you maybe just doing something wrong just because it might not be "the right way"? It really depends man. I don't think this is one way answer. My main thing I'd throw out there is not to confuse note-taking with understanding and learning. Note taking is great for facilitating those things and making sense of theory in a way that you can comprehend conceptually. If it helps you remember what you're taking in, it's facilitating your growth, understanding, and overall learning then I'd say keep doing what you're doing.

I say this because this is personally what I need more of in my own life. I'm very very very good at understanding things non-linearly and thinking and contemplating things very abstractly but am horrendous at these concrete skills such as note-taking. As soon as I get in front of OneNote, I have no idea how to structure and congest non-linear abstract deep insights into limited language and note-taking systems. That's like me pulling my own teeth. 

Edited January 16, 2019 by kieranperez

[B_Naz]

@kieranperez It isn't really practical. I can give some examples

If I wanted to read a book in public, like on a train, I would have to take a pen and paper

If I wanted to listen to one of Leo's MP4 audios, I would again feel like I need to take notes

Whatever I listen to or try to take in MUST be written on something, otherwise I  won't feel right and won't go in my head..

There could be so many things in my day where I'm not doing anything particular but if I fill that up something to read or learn, it drains my energy BECAUSE of the note taking? If that makes sense? I would happily watch Leo's videos but I feel like I can't watch them because I would have to take notes and that demotivates me

But I guess that's how it goes... It's hard work to try and conceptualise everything

 

[kieranperez]

Yeah that's where it get's tricky. You have to find that balance. Personally, I think note taking is helpful to a very good degree. I think some people take it over the top in terms of how neurotic they get with it and how detailed everything needs to be but also over the top in how important they think it is. Which is not to say note taking isn't important. It is. Just put it in it's proper place. 

How hard is meditation for you? Can you relax that need to conceptualize things? If that's hard or your answer is a downright no, I'd say spend some time doing the do-nothing meditation and practice dropping that need to do something and that need for conceptual control. 

It's like dropping a smartphone addiction. How do you drop something that has almost become a necessity this day in age and also can be used for something beneficial? Not like some alcohol addiction where you can just drop alcohol all together. I still struggle with this same similar addiction with my phone. I cut Facebook (deactivated) out and also Instagram (for the most part) and Snapchat (deleted) but also use YouTube now more than ever and am always listening to stuff. I wish I had a better answer for this. 

[B_Naz]

@kieranperez I do feel like it's becoming more of an addiction. I wouldn't say I have a problem of not being able to stop conceptualising . I don't feel like I need to know absolutely everything as well but in some cases this does happen to me and I can't stop taking in all the details. But this isn't a huge problem with me because it's kinda rare now

I realised that I have anxiety of forgetting and wasting time.

If I learn something, I want it to stick with me and not be lost, and hence for my note-taking exaggeration. However it comes to a point where it's starting to demotivate me. Is it a problem of de-motivation?

The main reason for the de-motivation itself is because it's tedious to take notes

Edited January 17, 2019 by B_Naz

[CreamCat]

Shining awareness on your exhaustion will reduce your tendency to take note.

Perhaps, you should take notes after listening to at least half of a video. After being exhausted by taking notes, I take notes less often.

I try to take notes of only the essence. To extract essence, you should refrain from taking notes of everything. To extract essence, recall facts afterwards.

• If you think a video is not important, take notes after watching a video or decide to not take notes after watching it
• If you spot an important insight in a video, take note of it.
• Be more choosy about what you take note of.

Edited January 17, 2019 by CreamCat

[B_Naz]

@CreamCat I'll give this a go, and I can see myself taking notes on everything, so... I'll put more awareness onto that