Notes Are for Thinking
Good note-taking is not about recording the past. It is a tool for thinking in the present — shaping attention, learning, and judgment as work unfolds.
Editor’s note: This essay explores one of the central questions behind Cultivated’s work — how thinking clearly in real time shapes learning, judgment, and the quality of work itself.
Notes Are for Thinking
Note-taking is an essential skill very few of us are ever taught.
And in work, especially, I see surprisingly few people learning how to do it well.
That is odd — because good note-taking does something quietly powerful.
It calms the mind.
It sharpens thinking.
It helps us remember what matters.
Over time, it even changes how seriously others take us — and how seriously we take ourselves.
Done properly, notes are not just a record of the past.
They are a tool for thinking in the present.
Writing to remember now
The digital versus analogue debate misses the point.
This is not about nostalgia.
It is about cognition.
When we write by hand, we are not storing information for later. We are processing it in the moment.
We write to remember now.
The hand slows the mind just enough to ask:
What actually matters here?
Typing makes it easy to capture everything. Too easy.
And when everything is captured, nothing is understood.
Learning happens in interpretation, not transcription.
Handwriting forces a choice over what to capture and ponder. Choice is where understanding begins, and awareness and knowledge form.
Presence is visible
A notebook does something else.
It signals attention.
Closing a laptop and picking up a pen tells the room — and yourself — that you are here.
Listening, after all, is the greatest compliment we can give someone.
A screen divides attention. A notebook gathers it.
This is why serious leaders, creators, and decision-makers nearly always carry one.
Not for aesthetics.
For presence.
Effectiveness beats efficiency
Typing may feel faster.
But faster is meaningless if the thinking is poorer.
There is little point in making something ineffective more efficient.
The purpose of notes is not speed.
It is clarity.
Notes are for thinking. Systems are for storage.
This distinction changes everything.
Notes help us:
Think
Notice
Connect ideas
Stay present
Systems help us:
Store
Retrieve
Search
Act later
Confusing the two creates overload.
The rhythm is simple:
Think on paper.
Store digitally.
Making notes work over time
Most notes fail for one reason:
They assume memory will do the rest.
It will not.
Good notes survive the loss of context.
They include enough detail to make sense weeks later, when emotion and immediacy have faded.
You are not writing for today.
You are writing for future clarity. Try to keep notes 60 days proof - which means, in 60 days, the notes will still make sense.
Different thoughts need different shapes
There is no single best way to take notes.
Different thinking requires different forms:
Maps for exploration
Lists for action
Diagrams for systems
Free writing for sense-making
Notes are not decoration.
They are instruments.
Find the shapes that help your mind work well.
A quiet advantage
Good note-taking does more than capture information.
It:
Frees mental space
Improves listening
Sharpens judgment
Builds trust
Creates continuity in learning
Over time, it becomes a quiet professional advantage.
You stop reacting. You start noticing.
You move through work with more calm, clarity, and intention.
That is not productivity.
That is presence.
A final thought
Notes are not about hoarding information.
They are about becoming someone who thinks more clearly as life unfolds.
They are how experience turns into learning.
And learning, applied over time, is what quietly compounds into wisdom.
Video
Editor’s note: This essay grows from an earlier exploration in another medium. The thinking remains central, even as the format has changed.
A Worked Example: How I Apply This
What follows is not a prescription — it’s an illustration.
I use different notebooks for different kinds of thinking (images are below):
- A journal for reflection
- A learning notebook for study and growth
- Yellow pads for breaking down big ideas
- A weekly planner for focus
- A small notebook for capturing thoughts on the move
Each one invites a different mode of thought.
The notebooks differ in size and feel on purpose.
Tools shape behaviour.
You may choose one notebook for everything. That’s fine.
What matters is intention.
A Simple Labelling System
To make notes actionable, I use a lightweight legend:
- A — Action
- I — Idea
- B — Blog Writing / content
- O + F — Observation + feedback (positive or negative) - management related!
This makes processing fast and reduces mental load.
Especially in work, written observations matter. They support fair feedback, better decisions, and clearer conversations later.
Notes protect memory from bias.
Different Shapes for Different Thinking
There is no single “best” way to take notes.
Different thoughts need different shapes:
- Mind maps for exploration
- Cornell notes for structured learning
- Flow diagrams for processes and relationships
- Bullet lists for clarity and action
- Free writing when thinking is still forming
Experiment. Find what resonates.
Notes are personal. The goal is not beauty — it’s usefulness.
My Notebooks
Journaling
My journal is written into a Moleskine notebook. (aff link)
Learning Notebook
My learning notes and ideas for growth are written into a super posh Ted Baker notebook. (aff link)
Breaking out big ideas
Big ideas, brainstorming and breaking down concepts is all done on my trusty Yellow Legal Pads. (aff link)
Two images of my Yellow Legal notepads
Weekly Planning
My weekly plan is done into this funky little Inamio Planner. (aff link)
Film Making Project Book
My weekly video shots and ideas are captured in a funky little project management book from Paperchase.
Two photos of my film making notebook
Out and About Note Capture
And finally, I carry a little notebook like this when out and about.
The Index System in Action
Some photos of my labelling system for work and ideas
Note Taking Styles
