Last week, I talked about John Locke’s method of indexing a journal and how Emerson abandoned it in favor of something simpler. đź“šEmerson kept three main types of journals: Pick one to three key topics you’re most passionate about. I’ve chosen Philosophy and Writing. Then create a topic-specific journal for each. Finally, get one journalContinue reading Learn to Journal like Ralph Waldo Emerson (Week 4 of 6)
A good index is a beautiful thing. Flip to the back of a nonfiction book and you’ll find every topic discussed, along with the page numbers where it appears.​Here’s a shot of the index from The Mind on Fire, a biography of Emerson’s life. Okay, what do we have here? On the very first page ofContinue reading Learn to Journal Like Ralph Waldo Emerson (Week 3 of 6)
First, let’s get some semantics out of the way. I prefer the term “notebook,” which to me sounds like a working tool for thinking. However, Emerson referred to them as “journals,” so we’ll stick with his terminology throughout this series–even though “journal” reminds me of my grandmother, who wrote about the weather in her “journal”Continue reading Learn to Journal Like Ralph Waldo Emerson (Part 1 of 6)
When you look at your home library, do you see books that you’ve read, loved, and COMPLETELY forgotten? I’m talking about the life-changing books that filled you with ideas and are now collecting dust on your shelf. What happened? When I forget books, it’s because I stayed at level 1 of reading comprehension – aContinue reading Do You Forget Books? Try This When You Read.
I just finished a great book, and now the real work begins! I love this part. After reading slowly, the next step is to take notes. All of my favorite passages have been marked. Now I get to go back, review the best ones, and make notes I can use throughout the rest of myContinue reading When I Finish a Great Book
Decide to Be a Note-Taker Let’s assume you want to make notes when you read. How should you go about doing it? First off, it’s important that you decide to take this venture seriously. No more casual notes on loose sheets of paper or random ideas saved to your phone. You need a system ifContinue reading How I Take Notes When I Read a Book
I just got back from a work trip to Chicago, and now I’m staring down the barrel of a week’s worth of emails, to-do list items, and chaos. I had a small panic attack this morning until I remembered my thinking ritual. It’s a morning routine that keeps me out of anxiety land. If youContinue reading Create a Thinking Routine
If you look at your bookshelf, do you see a wall of forgotten books? These might be books you’ve read and possibly even loved, but now you can’t remember what they were about. While you may be able to tell someone the general idea of a book, you struggle with the thought of teaching aContinue reading A Wall of Forgotten Books
When you read a book, you can approach it passively, letting the words wash over you without leaving a lasting impression. Alternatively, you can engage actively by starting a note-taking system. The distinction between making notes and taking notes isn’t originally mine, but it’s a concept worth exploring. If you’re new to this idea, here’sContinue reading Making Notes vs. Taking Notes
I’ve been thinking a lot about my role as a reader. When I spend time with a book, it’s clear that what I get out of it mirrors what I put into it. The more effort I put into my notes, the more the book reveals its secrets. Then I thought, what are the mostContinue reading 3 Questions to Ask When Reading