Writing down an idea feels like a detour

At first glance, writing down ideas or thoughts seems like a waste of time. If you have an idea, act on it. If you have something to do, do it!

When it comes to to-do lists, we’ve all learned the value of them (and the satisfaction of crossing off items), and the same should be true of other ideas that come to mind. In his book “How to Take Smart Notes“, author Sonke Ahrens says:

“And while writing down an idea feels like a detour, extra time spent, not writing it down is the real waste of time, as it renders most of what we read as ineffectual.”

Not only is note taking not “a detour”, but it’s essential. I’ve mentioned many times on here my disappointment with my past self for not taking adequate notes from previous books I’ve read (most anything before 2020 or so), leading to me saying things like “Yes, I read that book. I remember thinking that it was great, but I can’t really tell you much about it.”. There’s not much value there.

If you’re reading for pleasure, then you should absolutely kick back and just enjoy the ride. However, if you’re reading to help make a change in your life, the reading will be largely ineffectual if notes and processes don’t go along with it.

Those processes are up to you to figure out (and I’ve shared many on this blog that you’re free to steal), but if you have some great tips please leave them in the comments below.