A few weeks ago, I came across a thought-provoking term during a conversation with Michael at 'Zettelkastenrunde 39'. We talked about 'Skill investment'. Only a short discussion, but 'Skill investment' found it's way to my Zettelkasten as a 'Fleeting Note' with no further comments.
Today, I revisited this note. I created a 'Circle Map'. The aim was to focus on this concept and my point of view. My interpretation of health and creativity is key. I added existing notes from my Zettelkasten to help me find connections to my recent ideas.
My next step was to start with an 'Exploration Map'. A Circle Map asks: 'What is this about?' An Exploration Map asks: 'Where can this take me?' Here is one of my first drafts:
For me the shift from Circle Map to Exploration Map is like the shift from looking at a photograph to stepping into a landscape. Does turning a Circle Map into an Exploration Map help you to put your insights into action?
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.
@Edmund said:
My next step was to start with an 'Exploration Map'. A Circle Map asks: 'What is this about?' An Exploration Map asks: 'Where can this take me?' Here is one of my first drafts:
For me the shift from Circle Map to Exploration Map is like the shift from looking at a photograph to stepping into a landscape. Does turning a Circle Map into an Exploration Map help you to put your insights into action?
@Edmund, this is mind-bending and eye-opening. I've entered the landscape and found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I plagiarized your mind map, and in the process, I discovered the priority for my skill development.
Here is what my Exploration Map looks like now. It is the same layout, but my data. Insight into action!
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time. My Internet Home — My Now Page
@Will said:
… , this is mind-bending and eye-opening. I've entered the landscape and found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I plagiarized your mind map, and in the process, I discovered the priority for my skill development.
Here is what my Exploration Map looks like now. It is the same layout, but my data. Insight into action!
Thank you for showing your Exploration Map with all your personal insights. I really like this way of 'learning in public‘.
Let me ask you:
What made it easy and what made it difficult for you to use such an Exploration Map?
What‘s the difference for you using an Exploration Map based on a more textual Canvas versus using a tool for concept mapping like SimpleMind?
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.
What made it easy and what made it difficult for you to use such an Exploration Map?
I split the Map into four parts. The first part is the "Core Investments," which are the essential skills that I am at various stages of learning. The second part is the "Strategies," which are the methods I use to learn these skills. Then the third part is the "Prioritized Skills," which are the skills from the "Core Investments" that shine the brightest and are the most important to me based on "Prioritized Skills." Lastly, the fourth part was to combine them all into a single map that can be used as a guide.
This process of splitting the map into parts and then combining them is a way of organizing my thoughts.
Looking at the structure notes, I added some links to my ZK notes. There is too much detail in the "Core Investments" part. This will be considered oversharing, but who cares?
What‘s the difference for you in using an Exploration Map based on a more textual Canvas versus using a tool for concept mapping like SimpleMind?
I don't understand the question. I don't understand the difference between a textual Canvas and a concept mapping tool. This is a more sophisticated distinction than I can make. This Exploration Map was created in SimpleMind. I'm not familiar with what a textual Canvas tool would look like.
Partly this was an exercise in developing the new skill of using SimpleMind to create a detailed and expressive map of my learning processes. Your maps are an inspiration.
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time. My Internet Home — My Now Page
What‘s the difference for you in using an Exploration Map based on a more textual Canvas versus using a tool for concept mapping like SimpleMind? @Will said: I don't understand the question. I don't understand the difference between a textual Canvas and a concept mapping tool.
What if your best ideas don’t come from you alone — but from the mix of conversations you cultivate around you? Here is an Exploration Map about my "Personal Communication Mix":
If you only talk to your Zettelkasten, you’re trapped. If you only talk to experts, you’re dependent. If you only talk to AI, you’re drifting. The art is in the mix.
What is your favourite recipe?
Post edited by Edmund on
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.
@Edmund said:
What if your best ideas don’t come from you alone — but from the mix of conversations you cultivate around you? ![]
What is your favourite recipe?
I started to formulate a response, but then I realized that I was defining the inputs I use in creating idea trains. I didn't want to get granular or too philosophical. Maybe I got philosophical a little. Shoot me!
The percentages are a bit arbitrary, but I think they reflect where my ideas come from. Ideally, I want to increase the percentage of ideas that come from experts and uncertain primordial silence. I'm thinking that I need to expand on what I mean by "experts" and "uncertain primordial silence."
This has got me thinking about exploring the idea of what sort of ideas I am letting in and how I am following through with them.
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time. My Internet Home — My Now Page
@Will said:
... I was defining the inputs I use in creating idea trains.
Yes, it's just another perspective on Zettelkasten, but it's an interesting one. But aren't there any books for input, I wonder?
This has got me thinking about exploring the idea of what sort of ideas I am letting in and how I am following through with them.
Great idea for exploration. I want to think about that too. Which filters do I use? How do I ensure that my Zettelkasten remains efficient and effective to support my future self?
Post edited by Edmund on
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.
@Will said:
... I was defining the inputs I use in creating idea trains.
Yes, it's just another perspective on Zettelkasten, but it's an interesting one. But aren't there any books for input, I wonder?
Listing books as a source of input opened up a rabbit hole of detail for me. If I were to list books, I would also have to include journals, videos, articles, lectures, symposia, and other similar resources. The map became cluttered with detail, obscuring the ideas being sought. Books and all these other inputs are included in the "Expert" category.
This has got me thinking about exploring the idea of what sort of ideas I am letting in and how I am following through with them.
Great idea for exploration. I want to think about that too. Which filters do I use? How do I ensure that my Zettelkasten remains efficient and effective to support my future self?
This is where exploration mapping comes in. Formalizing the filtering process is a way deeper into the Zettelkasten process. This doesn't happen without introspection and attention to the process.
Next up, what to exclude from the zettelkasten exploration map.
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time. My Internet Home — My Now Page
@GeoEng51 said: @Edmund Thanks for this post about AIDA - it captures a process that we experience multiple times a day, yet I had never really thought about or recognized it. I'm still thinking about how it relates to writing zettels. There must be an additional element in there about "staying power" - is the idea sufficiently enticing that we pursue writing one or several zettels to a mature state?
The additional element is other than interesting. Whatever I'm adding to the ZK has to be important enough. Not all of those important things are interesting. The AIDA model suggests marketing your own zettels to yourself if they happen to appeal to you. Provided something appeals to you if and only if it is important, that model can work, though it strikes me as accidental.
@GeoEng51 said: There must be an additional element in there about "staying power" - is the idea sufficiently enticing that we pursue writing one or several zettels to a mature state?
And for our Zettelkasten overall, we need some driving purpose(s) to motivate our continued involvement in creating and growing it. Yes, growing our Zettelkasten has its inherent rewards. However, over the long term, I believe we need some higher level purpose to keep us going (at least, I do)
@GeoEng51, let me expand on your idea: Imagine Zettelkasten is a game and think about how that would change the way you approach it.
The Zettelkasten Game - An Infinite Sandbox Adventure
A Zettelkasten is an infinite sandbox adventure game: You design the world, play inside it, wander without pressure, but sometimes choose quests that give direction and meaning.
Six ideas that had already been posted helped me to explore this unknown territory:
@Edmund:
I love this! The notion of building with a bent toward gaming hits home. You've beautifully captured the tension and excitement of creating a zettelkasten in a way that can be sustained for a lifetime. Mining, crafting, exploring, and building are levels that can be gamified in a way to level up your knowledge work.
In this map, there is a node called "Zettelkasten Adventure 2024.08.03". Does that refer to a specific map?
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time. My Internet Home — My Now Page
AIDA for Zettelkasten - Selective Attention Filters
The biggest challenge with Zettelkasten is not collecting information, but filtering it. This is where the AIDA model and selective attention come in.
Let's apply Elmo Lewis's (1872–1948) AIDA marketing model to our Zettelkasten. Each stage of the model can be seen as a filter that prevents information overload. Cognitive science tells us that attention is not neutral, but selective. Let's borrow its models to design better Zettelkasten workflows.
My Exploration Map clearly shows the path our ideas should take. Attention, Interest, Desire and Action are familiar concepts from the AIDA model. Now, we will connect them with familiar cognitive filters:
Early filters help us to block irrelevant sources. For example, with Broadbent's Filter, we don't capture information from low-trust inputs. The Spotlight Model helps us to focus our capture on a single domain or project.
Graded filters let us keep weak signals alive while staying efficient. The Zoom-Lens Model uses wide scan when exploring, narrow focus when extracting meaning. With Treisman’s Attenuation we keep everything in some form, but scale effort. We use detailed notes for strong signals, fleeting notes for weak ones.
Semantic filters are related to importance and coherence. According to Feature Integration Theory, forming a coherent, permanent note from fragments is the filter itself. In Late Selection, we choose only the ideas that truly matter.
Balanced filters, such as Guided Search, facilitate both top-down (project-driven) and bottom-up approaches by influencing how we connect notes.
Our Zettelkasten is like a second brain. So why not give it the same selective attention strategies that our first brain uses?
Post edited by Edmund on
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.
Comments
A few weeks ago, I came across a thought-provoking term during a conversation with Michael at 'Zettelkastenrunde 39'. We talked about 'Skill investment'. Only a short discussion, but 'Skill investment' found it's way to my Zettelkasten as a 'Fleeting Note' with no further comments.
Today, I revisited this note. I created a 'Circle Map'. The aim was to focus on this concept and my point of view. My interpretation of health and creativity is key. I added existing notes from my Zettelkasten to help me find connections to my recent ideas.
My next step was to start with an 'Exploration Map'. A Circle Map asks: 'What is this about?' An Exploration Map asks: 'Where can this take me?' Here is one of my first drafts:
For me the shift from Circle Map to Exploration Map is like the shift from looking at a photograph to stepping into a landscape. Does turning a Circle Map into an Exploration Map help you to put your insights into action?
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.
@Edmund, this is mind-bending and eye-opening. I've entered the landscape and found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I plagiarized your mind map, and in the process, I discovered the priority for my skill development.
Here is what my Exploration Map looks like now. It is the same layout, but my data. Insight into action!
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
My Internet Home — My Now Page
Thank you for showing your Exploration Map with all your personal insights. I really like this way of 'learning in public‘.
Let me ask you:
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.
Into the weeds we go.
I split the Map into four parts. The first part is the "Core Investments," which are the essential skills that I am at various stages of learning. The second part is the "Strategies," which are the methods I use to learn these skills. Then the third part is the "Prioritized Skills," which are the skills from the "Core Investments" that shine the brightest and are the most important to me based on "Prioritized Skills." Lastly, the fourth part was to combine them all into a single map that can be used as a guide.
This process of splitting the map into parts and then combining them is a way of organizing my thoughts.
Looking at the structure notes, I added some links to my ZK notes. There is too much detail in the "Core Investments" part. This will be considered oversharing, but who cares?
I don't understand the question. I don't understand the difference between a textual Canvas and a concept mapping tool. This is a more sophisticated distinction than I can make. This Exploration Map was created in SimpleMind. I'm not familiar with what a textual Canvas tool would look like.
Partly this was an exercise in developing the new skill of using SimpleMind to create a detailed and expressive map of my learning processes. Your maps are an inspiration.
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
My Internet Home — My Now Page
With textual Canvas I meant this type of Exploration Map:
https://github.com/groepl/Obsidian-Templates/blob/main/Assets/Zettelkasten-Exploration-Map_2025-07-21.pdf
Used as mark down template as well: https://github.com/groepl/Obsidian-Templates/blob/main/Templates/5_Exploration Template.md
Thank you, that means a lot!
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.
What if your best ideas don’t come from you alone — but from the mix of conversations you cultivate around you? Here is an Exploration Map about my "Personal Communication Mix":
If you only talk to your Zettelkasten, you’re trapped. If you only talk to experts, you’re dependent. If you only talk to AI, you’re drifting. The art is in the mix.
What is your favourite recipe?
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.
I started to formulate a response, but then I realized that I was defining the inputs I use in creating idea trains. I didn't want to get granular or too philosophical. Maybe I got philosophical a little. Shoot me!
The percentages are a bit arbitrary, but I think they reflect where my ideas come from. Ideally, I want to increase the percentage of ideas that come from experts and uncertain primordial silence. I'm thinking that I need to expand on what I mean by "experts" and "uncertain primordial silence."
This has got me thinking about exploring the idea of what sort of ideas I am letting in and how I am following through with them.
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
My Internet Home — My Now Page
Yes, it's just another perspective on Zettelkasten, but it's an interesting one. But aren't there any books for input, I wonder?
Great idea for exploration. I want to think about that too. Which filters do I use? How do I ensure that my Zettelkasten remains efficient and effective to support my future self?
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.
Listing books as a source of input opened up a rabbit hole of detail for me. If I were to list books, I would also have to include journals, videos, articles, lectures, symposia, and other similar resources. The map became cluttered with detail, obscuring the ideas being sought. Books and all these other inputs are included in the "Expert" category.
This is where exploration mapping comes in. Formalizing the filtering process is a way deeper into the Zettelkasten process. This doesn't happen without introspection and attention to the process.
Next up, what to exclude from the zettelkasten exploration map.
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
My Internet Home — My Now Page
The additional element is other than interesting. Whatever I'm adding to the ZK has to be important enough. Not all of those important things are interesting. The AIDA model suggests marketing your own zettels to yourself if they happen to appeal to you. Provided something appeals to you if and only if it is important, that model can work, though it strikes me as accidental.
AIDA from Glengarry Glen Ross
GitHub. Erdős #2. Problems worthy of attack / prove their worth by hitting back. -- Piet Hein. Alter ego: Erel Dogg (not the first). CC BY-SA 4.0.
@GeoEng51, let me expand on your idea: Imagine Zettelkasten is a game and think about how that would change the way you approach it.
The Zettelkasten Game - An Infinite Sandbox Adventure
A Zettelkasten is an infinite sandbox adventure game: You design the world, play inside it, wander without pressure, but sometimes choose quests that give direction and meaning.
Six ideas that had already been posted helped me to explore this unknown territory:
Here is the full story presented in an exploration map:
Think of it like Minecraft for ideas: You mine, craft, explore, and build. But instead of blocks, you use thoughts.
We don’t need to treat Zettelkasten as a rigid system but as a game we get better at playing, one “level” at a time.
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.
@Edmund:
I love this! The notion of building with a bent toward gaming hits home. You've beautifully captured the tension and excitement of creating a zettelkasten in a way that can be sustained for a lifetime. Mining, crafting, exploring, and building are levels that can be gamified in a way to level up your knowledge work.
In this map, there is a node called "Zettelkasten Adventure 2024.08.03". Does that refer to a specific map?
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
My Internet Home — My Now Page
Yes. It's the link to https://forum.zettelkasten.de/discussion/2990/a-zettelkasten-adventure It's a map, but without a detailed gaming concept.
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.
AIDA for Zettelkasten - Selective Attention Filters
The biggest challenge with Zettelkasten is not collecting information, but filtering it. This is where the AIDA model and selective attention come in.
Let's apply Elmo Lewis's (1872–1948) AIDA marketing model to our Zettelkasten. Each stage of the model can be seen as a filter that prevents information overload. Cognitive science tells us that attention is not neutral, but selective. Let's borrow its models to design better Zettelkasten workflows.
My Exploration Map clearly shows the path our ideas should take. Attention, Interest, Desire and Action are familiar concepts from the AIDA model. Now, we will connect them with familiar cognitive filters:
Early filters help us to block irrelevant sources. For example, with Broadbent's Filter, we don't capture information from low-trust inputs. The Spotlight Model helps us to focus our capture on a single domain or project.
Graded filters let us keep weak signals alive while staying efficient. The Zoom-Lens Model uses wide scan when exploring, narrow focus when extracting meaning. With Treisman’s Attenuation we keep everything in some form, but scale effort. We use detailed notes for strong signals, fleeting notes for weak ones.
Semantic filters are related to importance and coherence. According to Feature Integration Theory, forming a coherent, permanent note from fragments is the filter itself. In Late Selection, we choose only the ideas that truly matter.
Balanced filters, such as Guided Search, facilitate both top-down (project-driven) and bottom-up approaches by influencing how we connect notes.
Our Zettelkasten is like a second brain. So why not give it the same selective attention strategies that our first brain uses?
Edmund Gröpl
100% organic thinking. Less than 5% AI-generated ideas.