2026-02-12 Upcoming Morning Project and Habit Book
The result of my exploration is an article draft (or rather: a rough outline) for an article for the site that ties the probabilistic element to skill and workflow.
I restarted my work on my habit book by allocating some slots of my week to it. I really feel the old habits being activated. A real asset for my work. Just a little warm up and I'm deep into the topic again and have an easy time to navigate the respective areas of my Zettelkasten.
A long time ago, I wrote an article on how to write a book without trying hard. Since I am not 100% sure about attacking the habit book, I wondered which books I could finish before. Currently, I have ~25 books that are half to three-quarter finished (the draft). I even have more than enough material on dog training to write a very comprehensive (compared to the books I read) book based on my research for my own dog. Just by constantly writing-to-think this is the output of raw material. Publishing is the true bottleneck for me.
My current theory is that I gravely lack the skill, which means that I need to practice. Smaller projects than the habit book would be the way to go.
I am figuring out to align my work better. I am reconnecting with my old ideas on how to create and publish. That means I will be more rigorous on focussing my efforts towards publication.
The primary book project will be the basic training protocol, the novella version of my core book on training. I reviewed my outline and there only medium nuts to crack like designing specific training plans for different use cases. Here, I will try to move to publication quickly.
Fun fact. The outline for my fantasy source book has now 14k words.
I am also creating the new slides for the new iteration for ZK101.
First, I have to finish processing a paper on habits. Sadly, it is a very useful paper. So, it might take me some hours.
Currently writing with Typora and not Writer because of the heavy use of images and tables. I will test writing in a specifically set up Obsidian vault.
I will have to cut out a lot because I want the book to be much closer to a how-to and a training manual then the reference-laden core book of my main project. So, a lot of calculations that take quite some time will be cut and saved for later.
The specific set up is not perfect but quite good already for writing which confirms my suspicion of Obsidian's nudging. Perhaps, I'll have to go through another row of testing the classical apps for the Zettelkasten Method to update my knowledge.
You’ve mentioned multiple times in both a few articles and posts/comments on the forum - for example in the article on the 6 building blocks on knowledge - that you have/were working on a “larger project on creating a pattern language for knowledge.” I’ve found this a very philosophically/academically intriguing idea.
Are you still working on this project and what exactly does/did it entail? Might we ever see a book about it?
@RowanDee said:
You’ve mentioned multiple times in both a few articles and posts/comments on the forum - for example in the article on the 6 building blocks on knowledge - that you have/were working on a “larger project on creating a pattern language for knowledge.” I’ve found this a very philosophically/academically intriguing idea.
Are you still working on this project and what exactly does/did it entail? Might we ever see a book about it?
Yes, I am still working on this project. It is basically a collection of methods and techniques to work with knowledge wrapped in my hybrid-theory of knowledge. It is hybrid because I don't have a clean academic theory of knowledge like a philosophical work, but rather a cyborg-esque theory based on both the philosophical underpinnings and practitioner approaches (I hesitate to mention him because I have a bipolar relationship to him) like de Bono's.
While the Zettelkasten Method book will focus on the bigger picture of building and using a thinking environment, this book (or course?) will focus on the material and the methods themselves.
Basic training protocol now at 21.1k words. Still moving quickly.
I have to watch the size of this beast. 21.1 words with the amount of tables and illustrations typical for such a book can already mean 150 pages.
Way behind the comments. Thought that I could resolve the comments last week. Family came first. But one mighty push in the morning should bring me up to speed.
The current plan is to finish the first draft within the next weeks (plans always work out...) and then move quickly to the next book which likely will be (working title) "Why we feel so bad today", which is a fairly short non-fiction book on the mechanics behind the modern phenomenon of people on average feeling worse and worse (which will likely continue).
The idea is to have a couple of drafts in the pipe to keep multiple publications moving to take up the actual text production up a notch.
Long articles like the PARA post and the Atomic Note-Taking Guide could be expanded into small books with little effort. I wonder if it is worth shooting such material out into the world via the blog.
Personally I miss articles that explain key concepts of your method in a short and concise manner. One idea per article, with just enough context to make it understandable.
I wonder if it is worth shooting such material out into the world via the blog.
If you want to test the material with readers, why not?
Comments
2026-02-12 Upcoming Morning Project and Habit Book
I am a Zettler
2026-02-21 Executing Projects?
I am a Zettler
This is sad news for me, but I understand why.
If I tackle the smaller projects well, I will be available to make my life-time's research available much early in multimedia (books included).
I am a Zettler
2026-02-23 Some Projects, but more order
I am a Zettler
2026-02-25 Moving quick
I am a Zettler
2026-02-26 Moving quick 2
I am a Zettler
2026-03-03 Rinse and Repeat
I am a Zettler
2026-03-06 Writing a book is fairly easy if...
I am a Zettler
You’ve mentioned multiple times in both a few articles and posts/comments on the forum - for example in the article on the 6 building blocks on knowledge - that you have/were working on a “larger project on creating a pattern language for knowledge.” I’ve found this a very philosophically/academically intriguing idea.
Are you still working on this project and what exactly does/did it entail? Might we ever see a book about it?
Yes, I am still working on this project. It is basically a collection of methods and techniques to work with knowledge wrapped in my hybrid-theory of knowledge. It is hybrid because I don't have a clean academic theory of knowledge like a philosophical work, but rather a cyborg-esque theory based on both the philosophical underpinnings and practitioner approaches (I hesitate to mention him because I have a bipolar relationship to him) like de Bono's.
While the Zettelkasten Method book will focus on the bigger picture of building and using a thinking environment, this book (or course?) will focus on the material and the methods themselves.
I am a Zettler
2026-03-10 Writing
I am a Zettler
Have you considered the opposite?
Personally I miss articles that explain key concepts of your method in a short and concise manner. One idea per article, with just enough context to make it understandable.
If you want to test the material with readers, why not?