How the Barbell Method of Reading and Note-Making Saved My Life.

Will

When I started my ZK in 2018, I adopted the Barbell Method of Reading as my note-taking workflow. I've made only minor tweaks over time. Today, I still adhere to the core idea of reading freely, quickly noting everything that captures my interest, and then revisiting and processing those notes before adding them to my ZK, connecting them with existing ideas.

This is my second processing of @Sascha's article. Thank you, Sascha, for the clear coaching on the simple idea of the two stages of note-making that got me going.

Critiques welcome.

The Barbell Method of Reading [[202408290600]]

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UUID:      ›[[202408290600]] 
cdate:     08-29-2024 06:00 AM
tags:      #proofing #refactoring #reading-strategies #the-archive 
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# The Barbell Method of Reading
Subatomic: True reading consists of deep refactoring, thinking, and writing on what I have read and interconnecting it with what I already know.  

Source: @Sachsa  

- Bar Bell Reading [[201811121628]]

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Reading is central to knowledge work. Developing reading skills optimizes knowledge transfer.   

Books should be read with the intensity they require. Some are read lightly, and others are reserved for thorough scrutiny. The challenge is to determine where the current book lies and how much intensity to apply.  

Reading a lot creates a high influx of information. Matching the intensity and level of attention with the quality of the writing is a skill that can be developed.  

The Barbell Method is a phrase coined by Nassim Taleb. He used it to define his ideas about having most of your investments safe and a small amount in risky investments. This puts a floor on potential loss while still being open to large gains.   

We invest time and effort in reading a book. This time feels free, but opportunity costs show us that the level of investment affects the quality of knowledge work. We can turn the dial on the amount of effort we apply to finetune the level of interest we apply to a book.   

The Barbell Methond of Reading
1. Read, highlighting anything that sparks interest, no matter how obscure.
2. Reread the highlights. Take notes and link them to your previous notes using the Zettelkasten Method. Reflect on what you've read. Create mind maps, sketches, and bullet points—anything that helps you think more clearly.  

The time and effort invested reflects the quality of the writing and its relevance to current projects.   

A text consists of four different types of parts:

1. Useful and difficult to understand.
  - This is the meat you are after.  

2. Useful and easy to understand. 
  - This reinforces understanding and should be heavily processed.   

3. Not helpful but difficult to understand. 
  - Avoid spending time processing these. Once I've discovered that a text is not useful, I mark that as a learned experience and move on.   

4. Not useful and easy to understand.
  - Ignore these.  

This note-taking method is a two-pronged approach. First, I read and note or highlight anything that interests me. Second, I reread the things that interest me and make notes from these snippets. This second reading lets me concentrate on the interesting aspects of the writing.   

Mental Training
**First**
Pick inspiring, useful, yet easy-to-understand texts with a positive, uplifting message. When something is useful and uplifting, it is an opportunity to produce and go with the flow. Write a lot!
**Second**
Sharpen your mental teeth on texts that are difficult to understand.  

True reading consists of deep processing, thinking, and writing on what I have read and interconnecting it with what I already know.  



  Only the three parts combined, reading, thinking, and writing, produce an actual change in your brain and make you a better thinker.


I am the sum of my habits.  



  Produce an archive that consists of actual knowledge, not just a collection of half-understood bits of random points. Learn to think deeply and thoroughly by making it a habit to practice it.


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## See Also
- Read Above Your 'Level' for Knowledge [[202306091955]]
     * Push above what you think is your "reading level" to achieve knowledge. You have to read books that contain bigger ideas to understand bigger ideas.

- Taking knowledge work seriously [[202207030716]]
     * Practice basic skills with intention.

- Metacognition And The Adult Reader [[202112091728]]
     * Developing metacognition develops reading skills.

- Acquire Knowledge From Readings [[202311042102]]
     * The purpose of taking notes is to gain a deep understanding of what you’ve read.

## References
- The Barbell Method of Reading
        - bear://x-callback-url/open-note?id=54371013-F698-4752-9B49-E8EF6990BEFE


  

ZettelDistraction

@Will said:

A text consists of four different types of parts:

1. Useful and difficult to understand.

   • This is the meat you are after.

2. Useful and easy to understand.

   • This reinforces understanding and should be heavily processed.

3. Not helpful but difficult to understand.

   • Avoid spending time processing these. Once I've discovered that a text is not useful, I mark that as a learned experience and move on.

4. Not useful and easy to understand.

   • Ignore these.

This is a variation of the Eisenhower matrix.

Sascha

If you like to have long(er) notes, I'd add some structure in the form of subheadings.

But I'd refactor the note:

• The core note should be a very condensed manual for yourself on how to apply the Barbell Method of Reading.
• All the auxiliary information like the justification for the method can be done on separate notes:

Then you can add this note to your personal tool box that you can review from time to time to update your current work flow.

Will

Thanks for the suggestion/reminder. This note is ripe for atomization.
I'm going to approach this by adding subheadings, which I'll use to create a 'retrograde outline.' The outline will point to ideas wanting a separate note.

I felt so comfortable with this part of my reading workflow, it hasn't changed in years.