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Two Questions about Zettel Structure and MetaData
I am reviewing the structure I use for my zettels, mainly to provide some agnosticism in the software I use to read and edit them. I have two questions about this and would welcome comments from forum members. 1. Important MetaData Several years ago, after reading through comments on this forum, I settled on the following… -
Multiple Dates in One Zettel
I'm getting to the point in working with my ZK that I have re-visited certain zettels several times - whether that is just to read the zettel or to "finish" it (if it was still in rough form, having the tag "#unfinished"), or to add information from new sources. There could be numerous reasons. My point, though, is that I… -
Tracking Unfinished Notes
Does someone have a good way of tracking unfinished notes? As my ZK gets larger, I don't want to resort to stepping through each note to see if I've finished it off or not. This situation arises when I have an idea for a particular note or for a series of notes, get started on it (or them), but then get sidetracked on some… -
Re: Please share the ideas you're grappling with - June 9, 2023
Perhaps. You will find that what goes on each zettel (or "atomic note") is usually quite simple and also, hopefully, simply stated. One zettel might contain two or three sentences or it might contain a list or a short outline. A typical word count seems to be about 100 to 400 words in my ZK, but I have the rare zettel that… -
Re: Being stuck with the conception of permanent note
Really good comments from those who have already posted replies. I have a simple (~400 note) ZK, in which I accumulate notes slowly, (I've been working on this for 3+ years). To fit my pace of writing and needs, I also have a simple workflow. I use @Will 's Keyboard Maestro macro to create a note, whenever I have an idea I… -
Re: Share the ideas dancing in your ZK with us. February 17, 2023
@AWomanThinking Welcome to the forum - I hope you find much to read and digest here, in addition to anything else you are reading. I've been a Zettelkaster for about 3 years and have found the discussions and suggestions on the forum to be very useful in working on my ZK. I agree with @Will that an essential element is… -
Re: Feeding the Beast
Welcome! First, let me say that "feeding the beast" is NOT a Zettelkasten requirement. I work on my ZK almost daily but I process only 1 or 2 ideas most days. There are other things to do in life besides just work on a ZK. Be careful of "ZK burnout". Be patient, work slowly and steadily, and you will find that your ZK… -
Re: When your Zettelkasten is a mess !
To be honest, I don't use that many structural notes. They do have a place but I feel that overusing them creates too much "top down" organization in your ZK. But everyone has their preference about the use of structural notes - some people really like them. I agree that all zettels are to some extent unfinished. The… -
Re: When your Zettelkasten is a mess !
Thanks for your comments. The way I see it, a Zettelkasten is meant to be give the illusion of an unimportant tool during its infancy. Multiple orphan notes, etc. In a sense, the Zettelkasten reflects the infancy of its author with respect to his field of expertise. But with patience and perseverance, both the Zettelkasten… -
Re: When your Zettelkasten is a mess !
@ulver48 One minor point that hasn't been touched on yet is the importance of performing "maintenance" on your ZK. Part of your feeling of messiness might actually be related to a feeling of lack of control of what is in your ZK. Regular maintenance of your ZK is essential. It will include things such as adding tags (if…