My Zettelkasten note types (AKA templates)

I use some templates/note types with Zettelkasten. I will update it as I improve my workflow. To set note type need just to apply note type tag.

All new note have a - inbox tag, this allowing to use spaced repetition system to continuously review and work with notes.

I configured SilentVoid13/Templater plugin with some predefined templates. To create new note need to use M-n shortcut (create new note with template).

The types will be described below.

Fleeting notes

I not use fleeting notes, instead I used Taskwarrior tasks, which support many things which I like to have. And yes you can organize fleeting notes system using it.

NOTE

Need to avoid placing ideas in fleeting system, you can just create permanent note.

Permanent note

When I have some idea, and it’s worth to store, I create permanent note. This is default note type.

This note must meet some criteria:

• Atomic, one general idea per note.
• I need to extract essence of the idea and don’t overcomplicate it.
• Write it as if you are writing for someone else or for you in years future.
• Required minimal context to understand note.
• When I add new Zettel note, I check my previous notes and answer to these questions and if many of them false, I delete or avoiding to create new note.
  • Is this relevant to my requirements/thoughts/interests?
  • How I can use this to update my knowledge and existing notes?
  • Is this information correct, solve some issue or follow my thoughts?
  • Can I combine this idea?
  • Will this idea generate additional questions?
  • Is this missing from my knowledge, does this duplicate something?
  • Do I want to explore this further?

Additional permanent notes types

TODO: add examples.

• Bridge note, to combine ideas, usually someone else and mine if they different in terms, or even very different, notes have bridge tag.
• Person note, to store someone contacts (public person), biography or some additional information, notes have person tag.
• Personal term, something what very specific to limited amount of users, local things, etc., notes have term tag.
• Log note, to store some log information, such as time tracking. Good example is 30 day drawing challenge, notes have log tag.

Literature notes

I have “rich” system to manage my literature notes. Remember, you are not simply collecting resources you need to process them.

Before you have temptation to create new note, answer following question: Is the content interesting/useful/relevant to you and/or your existence notes.

Here are some rules:

• Literature notes have research tag.
• If required research note can have linked directory, sort of dependencies (directory: YAML frontmatter variable). This can be code, assets, etc.
• Some research notes have file frontmatter variable, with link to related book/article/other resource. Usually these notes haven’t directory frontmatter variable.
• Notes are taken specifically on the content. Usually I just use annotating viewer (such as XournalPP and Xodo) to generate initial notes.
• Be selective, store useful information
• Rewrite information in your own words and make sure you understand the concept, imagine you explain it to someone else.
• Use direct quotes sparingly, don’t overuse them.

Outline or structure notes

Sort of index section from books, it’s allow to group notes by topic, concept or similarity. For example my awesome software list. These notes have outline tag.

Rules for outline notes:

• Main index note, as entry point, like website index page. For example projects note my current working projects, reflect my current interests.
• Topic note, like my art, my videos, etc.

Spaced repetition notes

Have special topics tags, used to generate interactive flashcards with spaced repetition system: base, productivity, etc.

Frontmatter variables

Notes may have this frontmatter variables:

• author: name - author of resource, usually used in literature notes
• external: https... - link to external resource, such as web-page, video, etc.
• book: <link> - link to book file
• article: <link> - link to article file
• archive: true - archived note
• date: <date> - date of creation/update, mainly used to organize my RSS with iturdikulov.com site.
• sr* - spaced repetition related variables

External links

• Types of ZT Notes
• Taxonomy of note types