Richard from Writing Slowly commented on my bookmark about messy notes with a post of his own called “When it comes to writing notes, how much mess is just enough?”. It got me thinking about my own approach to note-taking and the fine line between structure and serendipity.

The Single Idea Dilemma

One of Richard’s “rules” for his notes is that “Each note is a single idea.” I can certainly see the appeal of this tidy approach. After all, the goal of note-taking is to capture and organize our thoughts, right?

However, I’ve found that my own note-taking style doesn’t always align with this principle. Sometimes, a single note of mine will contain multiple interconnected ideas - for instance when I’m mapping out a content strategy or working through a content framework. Trying to split these notes into atomic, single-idea chunks doesn’t always feel like the right solution for me.

The value of holistic notes

The way I see it, the value of these more comprehensive notes lies in their ability to capture the bigger picture. By allowing myself to jot down related thoughts and concepts within a single note, I can preserve the natural flow and connections between them. This, in turn, helps me better understand the overall context and see the bigger patterns emerging.

Sure, I could break these notes down into smaller pieces. But then I’d risk losing that holistic perspective and the serendipitous insights that can arise from having all the pieces in one place.

Finding the right balance

At the end of the day, I think the “right” approach to note-taking is the one that works best for you and your unique thought processes. For some, the single-idea rule may be a helpful constraint. For others, like myself, a more flexible, interconnected style might be the way to go.

The key is to experiment, reflect, and find the sweet spot between structure and serendipity - the perfect amount of “mess” that sparks your creativity and helps you make meaningful connections.