With dozens of social media apps, news portals and the ever-growing exchange of ideas and thoughts, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed with information from all sides. This is where a Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) system comes into play, acting like a powerful search engine for your mind, allowing you to store, connect and retrieve information with ease. You can think of it as your second brain, helping you achieve goals and reach your true potential.
Whether you want to write a book, organize years of knowledge, start a business, or research a complex project, here are the best tips to clear your mental space and build your own knowledge hub.
7 Define your goals
Before you start with a PKM system, you must first define your goals and purpose. Here are some of the most important questions you can ask yourself to clarify your strategy.
- What are my general goals?
- What specific problems am I trying to solve?
- What kind of knowledge collector do I want to be?
- Which sources of information will I use?
A clear purpose creates a solid foundation for your PKM system and helps you choose a relevant tool to get the job done. By envisioning your perfect workflow, you can create a PKM system that fits your natural way of thinking.
Source: Mockup.photos
This is the most important factor when building a PKM tool from scratch. After all, there is no shortage of PKM solutions, and if you end up with the wrong tool that doesn't meet your needs, your thoughts and notes in your digital closet can quickly turn into chaos.
First, you need to understand what types of information you will be working with. You may be dealing with articles, books, research papers, web pages, media files, code snippets, and more, and it's important to choose the right tool that meets all your PKM needs out of the box.
You can experiment with different tools, mind mapping software, and other solutions to find the solution that appeals to you. You should also prioritize tools that are cross-platform and aligned with your workflow and other productivity tools. Don't be rigid either; If one tool doesn't work for you, switch to another without hesitation.
5 Develop a consistent catching habit
Once you have defined clear goals for your PKM system and selected a relevant tool, create a routine to capture any information that might be useful. You can record anything: an article, a quote, or a short thought. You can speed up the information gathering process and minimize friction by using web clippers, a quick note feature (if a tool supports it), voice memos, and other integrations.
We recommend taking a few minutes at the end of each day to record any information or ideas you come across. Avoid relying solely on memory; Instead, make it a habit to record information and then determine its meaning. Ultimately, it is better to have duplicate or unclear information than to miss something important.
4 Organize your knowledge
In addition to jotting down quick notes and ideas, it's also important to organize your information in your digital archive. Depending on your tool of choice, there are several ways to structure information for clarity. You can use tags (#hashtags), backlinks, folders, subfolders, smart folders (where the system organizes relevant notes based on set rules), and more.
You can use different formatting options such as bolding and highlighting to prioritize important information, link related notes together by forming a web of interconnected ideas, use a “daily note” to capture tasks, ideas, and relevant links, and more. Ultimately, it's about actively using the knowledge you've acquired and not leaving it in a digital graveyard.
3 Create visual representations
Visual representation provides a powerful way to understand and interact with information. You can create mind maps, use countless whiteboards, concept maps, diagrams, sketches and knowledge graphs to combine text and images to achieve new levels of creativity and productivity.
An essential exercise for your PKM system, it allows you to see the big picture, improve memory and recall, increase creativity, simplify complex information and communicate ideas effectively.
2 Customize your PKM system individually
You shouldn't settle for the standard look and functionality of your PKM tool. Most of them offer a range of customization options to take your PKM setup to the next level. Evernote, for example, has a home menu that can be fully customized to suit your note-taking preferences using various widgets.
Another popular PKM tool, Obsidian offers a dedicated theme store to change the entire look and feel of the app and a robust plugin library to unlock more features in your vaults.
1 Consistently evaluate and refine your PKM setup
Your PKM system needs to be checked regularly to ensure it is running smoothly. We recommend setting up a recurring weekly, monthly or quarterly reminder by blocking time in your calendar to assess and refine your PKM setup. You can remove unnecessary notes from your PKM system, organize relevant notes for clarity, and eliminate other bottlenecks.
By regularly reviewing your PKM setup, you ensure that it remains a valuable tool for maintaining your productivity over the long term.
Build your second brain
Developing an effective PKM system is not rocket science. However, if you don't follow the above pointers, you may end up with an unproductive PKM system that creates chaos in your digital closet. What are you waiting for? Choose your favorite PKM tool, implement these tips and turn the flood of information into an organized knowledge powerhouse.