The Note-Taking Ecosystem
This ecosystem represents my personal approach to managing information and knowledge, evolving from a basic habit to the architecture of complex systems. Rather than a rigid manual, each piece functions as an independent module that can be consulted as needed.
The Manifesto
The core of this system is understanding that writing is not merely recording facts, but an extension of thought that helps organize ideas and identify logical flaws.
- A escrita como processo mental: Why we write and how it reduces cognitive load.
Core Pillars
The ecosystem is organized into different levels of maturity and technical application:
1. Habit and the Self
Focused on stress reduction and creating an honest, direct writing routine.
- Note-Taking I - Habit and Mindfulness: How to begin “crawling” in the kindergarten of notes, focusing on the quantified self and daily habits.
2. Tactical Execution
Guidelines on what, when, and how to capture information in your daily life.
- Note-Taking II - Tactical Execution: Differentiating between quick notes, meeting notes, and the development of complex ideas.
3. Architecture and Design
Principles to ensure your system is sustainable, organized, and tool-agnostic.
- Note-Taking III - System Architecture: Outcome-driven design, the use of metadata, and the importance of using your own words.
- How I handle attachments to my notes in Obsidian: A deep dive into managing non-text files, leveraging local storage benefits, and using CSS/Callouts for advanced image formatting.
- Managing time in notes: A technical framework for consistent date and time metadata, enabling powerful filtering, grouping, and long-term data analysis.
- Using properties in Obsidian: Technical implementation of YAML and Front Matter, treating your vault as a structured database.
- Two Obsidian bases tips: Advanced techniques for data cleaning and accessing sub-properties within Obsidian Bases.
- Vault evolution and changes: A philosophy of incremental change, explaining how to evolve your folder structures and templates without friction.
4. Personal Workflow
A look at how these pieces come together in a real-world workflow, including the use of visual tools and AI.
- Note-Taking IV - My Personal Workflow and Insights: Behind the scenes of mental structuring, using Excalidraw, and managing AI-generated content.
Connectivity and Intelligence
A note system only becomes an “external brain” when information begins to converse with itself.
- Connecting information and notes: The vault's topology—how folders, tags, and links create different levels of connection.
- Semantic linking: The advanced level—defining specific logical relationships (support, opposition, causality) between notes.
Practice and Applications
Real-world implementations and specific guides for capturing knowledge from external sources.
- Taking class notes: Tailored strategies for different academic levels—from undergraduate to post-graduation—and specialized corporate training.
- Taking notes about books: A dual-note methodology (Pristine vs. Opinionated) designed to process heavy reading loads efficiently while maintaining original data integrity.
- Current Events - Starter Kit: A structured process for tracking world events and corporate movements through cyclical reviews.