I built an automation workflow that syncs my Substack Notes to Notion every month. Then I intentionally search for questions and posts on Substack and try to respond using my previous replies and thoughts. It’s a way for me to train my “memory muscles.”
My personal feeling is that only when some of your earlier notes have been truly thought through do they become solid and profound. Once that happens, you can begin adding new thoughts to the vessel you’ve already built.
I share your belief that our notes are only as valuable as the amount of thoughts that’s gone into them. I'd also add that the more modular a note is and the more other notes depend on a certain note for their relevance, the more valuable that specific note becomes as a node/hub in our personal knowledge management network.
Writing notes on paper has been a most rewarding experience for me, but I also do use some form of digital note capturing system especially when i’m in the field. I just try to keep each note brief, modular, and tagged. And active recall is a Renaissance Man and Woman's best friend.
The line about knowledge being a spider's web instead of a vault hit differently. I've been guilty of hoisting every interesting article, video, and newsletter into my notes app thinking I'm "building a second brain," but honestly it's become more of a second graveyard. This distinction between Mode 1 and Mode 2 is exactly what I was missing. I never realized that by writing full essays before actually processing the ideas, I was skipping the messy, non-linear thinking that makes knowledge stick. Started drawing my first shitty mind map this morning for a book I've been stuck on for months. Already on iteration 3 and it feels like my brain is finally catching up. Thanks Craig 🙏
The hyper correction effect takes place when you're proven wrong on something you're very confident about. Mindmapping something when you know you're wrong, doesn't have the same effect.
But your underlying idea, learning from errors, is solid. Something that I personally use -
1. Before reading any learning material, I quickly skim through and i write 10 questions that I think that particular article, or podcast etc will answer.
2. I then use all of my existing knowledge to try and answer it. Sometimes I'm wrong but other times I'm actually right!
3. Then i read through the material. But this time my mind is focusing where I went wrong so comprehension is much higher.
4. Articulate properly on my obsidian (in my own words without looking at the material) or teach it to someone or write a few more questions and answer them myself. Can't do it? Learn more.
5. Most importantly, I see how I can integrate it into my existing knowledge - application in my business or how it connects to other concept I know or what new thing I can make from it. Can't do it? Trash it.
I pride myself on the connections my brain is able to make between abstract topics, people and information - it’s a big part of my job! But I have never properly considered the value of writing these linkages down before. Nor have I considered iteratively testing and redrawing those connective webs for new ideas. Thanks, this has opened up a new tool that I can use to not just think but visualise critically.
There’s real neuroplasticity behind this. Try this: grab a pen and paper, or iPad and pen, and write down your current thoughts and feelings. Write for 10 minutes, don’t stop, don’t check your grammar or spelling. Keep writing until the alarm goes off.
Read it back a week later.
How do you feel? What new actions will you promise to align?
Love this - I am a licenced mindmap instructor , one of five in England :) I teach is the neuropsychological way (or the actual way) lol. Life changing isnt it.
I did this just the other day Tina. I was forced to actually as I was in the field and away from my smartphones and laptop. I got a sheet a paper and pen, and decided to just write—without editing anything—until I got to the end of the page. AND I DID!
I dare say the experience was rewarding mentally, emotionally, and even physically. I felt lighter. And it's something I intend to do more and more of again. I haven't reviewed my notes since I wrote it, but I will soon. I can't wait to see what I'd find.
I always learn something new whenever I read your newsletter, which is something in can never thank you enough :)
Thank you for this and I will try it for my next reading.
And a quick question if you may, how can I come up with keywords? Sometimes I’m reading or watching something new and I’m not sure what to keywords would be there?
Ask AI to give you keywords based on the topic. How you relate them yourself is more important, that process itself (by mind mapping) is what gets the right cognitive processes going :)
Craig, OT but ... when I log into your substack on my Mac it correctly shows that I have a paid subscription, but when I join on my PC it doesn't. Any help is appreciated.
Great job on this post. I agree with your rejection of the 'Empty Vessel' theory of education, where teachers just pour facts into students, and with you identifying knowledge as a verb—an action one performs on information.
You're welcome Craig, also sorry for stretching this conversation too much but is Dan Koe one of your subscriber? I am actually new to substack so unable to confirm but if it is, that's another level of flex to have🙃
This was well written and something I always think about when I’m writing, learning something new, or when I’m in deep hyper focus. I find that I’ve been going to AI instead of writing everything, but what’s funny about it all is I used to always write everything out.
When I was in college completing my senior capstone project for my film degree, I outlined, researched, and wrote a feature length screenplay. I dint use any AI. Just my brain and feedback from my professor and classmates. I think about that time in my life a lot because as a creative, it is essential you use your brain and write down everything. However, it’s been two years and I have not had an original thought that wasn’t generated by Chat GPT.
Nevertheless, after reading this newsletter and taking a step back and watching YouTube videos about this very topic, I feel myself wanting to get away from using AI or any kind of automation, in order to research, learn, and write whatever I’m thinking about. I feel like there needs to be more awareness on this topic especially during the age of AI because now more than ever we need thinkers. We need creatives. The process you just described through the two modes and what other authors and thinkers did, can’t completely be replaced by AI.
Thank you for putting this out there for others to read and absorb. Great job!
I built an automation workflow that syncs my Substack Notes to Notion every month. Then I intentionally search for questions and posts on Substack and try to respond using my previous replies and thoughts. It’s a way for me to train my “memory muscles.”
My personal feeling is that only when some of your earlier notes have been truly thought through do they become solid and profound. Once that happens, you can begin adding new thoughts to the vessel you’ve already built.
Very interesting!!
This one was automatically put behind a paywall by Substack settings, but I just turned on free access so anyone can read it if you are interested.
It’s actually part of a small series. I’ve also saved them as embeddings in a vector store so I can search them by semantic meaning later (optional).
Here’s the link: https://xianli.substack.com/p/how-to-sync-substack-notes-to-notion
I share your belief that our notes are only as valuable as the amount of thoughts that’s gone into them. I'd also add that the more modular a note is and the more other notes depend on a certain note for their relevance, the more valuable that specific note becomes as a node/hub in our personal knowledge management network.
Writing notes on paper has been a most rewarding experience for me, but I also do use some form of digital note capturing system especially when i’m in the field. I just try to keep each note brief, modular, and tagged. And active recall is a Renaissance Man and Woman's best friend.
It's nice to bump into you again Xian. Tschüss
The line about knowledge being a spider's web instead of a vault hit differently. I've been guilty of hoisting every interesting article, video, and newsletter into my notes app thinking I'm "building a second brain," but honestly it's become more of a second graveyard. This distinction between Mode 1 and Mode 2 is exactly what I was missing. I never realized that by writing full essays before actually processing the ideas, I was skipping the messy, non-linear thinking that makes knowledge stick. Started drawing my first shitty mind map this morning for a book I've been stuck on for months. Already on iteration 3 and it feels like my brain is finally catching up. Thanks Craig 🙏
Slight addition to your idea -
The hyper correction effect takes place when you're proven wrong on something you're very confident about. Mindmapping something when you know you're wrong, doesn't have the same effect.
But your underlying idea, learning from errors, is solid. Something that I personally use -
1. Before reading any learning material, I quickly skim through and i write 10 questions that I think that particular article, or podcast etc will answer.
2. I then use all of my existing knowledge to try and answer it. Sometimes I'm wrong but other times I'm actually right!
3. Then i read through the material. But this time my mind is focusing where I went wrong so comprehension is much higher.
4. Articulate properly on my obsidian (in my own words without looking at the material) or teach it to someone or write a few more questions and answer them myself. Can't do it? Learn more.
5. Most importantly, I see how I can integrate it into my existing knowledge - application in my business or how it connects to other concept I know or what new thing I can make from it. Can't do it? Trash it.
I pride myself on the connections my brain is able to make between abstract topics, people and information - it’s a big part of my job! But I have never properly considered the value of writing these linkages down before. Nor have I considered iteratively testing and redrawing those connective webs for new ideas. Thanks, this has opened up a new tool that I can use to not just think but visualise critically.
There’s real neuroplasticity behind this. Try this: grab a pen and paper, or iPad and pen, and write down your current thoughts and feelings. Write for 10 minutes, don’t stop, don’t check your grammar or spelling. Keep writing until the alarm goes off.
Read it back a week later.
How do you feel? What new actions will you promise to align?
I’ve been doing this for 2 weeks now, but with mind-mapping. Absolutely life changing in terms of actually processing emotions.
Love this - I am a licenced mindmap instructor , one of five in England :) I teach is the neuropsychological way (or the actual way) lol. Life changing isnt it.
Insane! That's so cool
I did this just the other day Tina. I was forced to actually as I was in the field and away from my smartphones and laptop. I got a sheet a paper and pen, and decided to just write—without editing anything—until I got to the end of the page. AND I DID!
I dare say the experience was rewarding mentally, emotionally, and even physically. I felt lighter. And it's something I intend to do more and more of again. I haven't reviewed my notes since I wrote it, but I will soon. I can't wait to see what I'd find.
Thanks for sharing Tina.
And I think you are the absolute legend. Thank you
Legend!
Hey man loved your prespectives on learning (this one but more on learning in the arena)
I spent a lot of time learning how to Learn under justin sung (3 years). Mostly tanzeer tho (search him up he's awesome)
There are a lot of ideas i can think of discussing with you. Would you be open to having a catchup?
Love Sung, and I will have to look into Tanzeer.
Feel free to shoot me a DM🫡
This kind of content works really well in VisuallyMind (iPhone app). The circular layout and fast generation just make it click.
Thank you so much Craig, I will apply that now with my Design Patterns course 😀
I always learn something new whenever I read your newsletter, which is something in can never thank you enough :)
Thank you for this and I will try it for my next reading.
And a quick question if you may, how can I come up with keywords? Sometimes I’m reading or watching something new and I’m not sure what to keywords would be there?
Thanks you again
Ask AI to give you keywords based on the topic. How you relate them yourself is more important, that process itself (by mind mapping) is what gets the right cognitive processes going :)
Craig, OT but ... when I log into your substack on my Mac it correctly shows that I have a paid subscription, but when I join on my PC it doesn't. Any help is appreciated.
Great job on this post. I agree with your rejection of the 'Empty Vessel' theory of education, where teachers just pour facts into students, and with you identifying knowledge as a verb—an action one performs on information.
Thanks for reading Michael! I’ll take a look on my end to see what the story is with the paid subscription.
Ordered your course! Excited to get started 😊
Let me know how you get on!!
Thanking for writing this.
Thanks for reading :)
It is useful for me. Thanks
🔥 🙌
Legend ;)
As always awesome job man, btw how old are you?
22 :)
Well you are wiser than your age, keep going:)
Thank you Satish :))
You're welcome Craig, also sorry for stretching this conversation too much but is Dan Koe one of your subscriber? I am actually new to substack so unable to confirm but if it is, that's another level of flex to have🙃
This was well written and something I always think about when I’m writing, learning something new, or when I’m in deep hyper focus. I find that I’ve been going to AI instead of writing everything, but what’s funny about it all is I used to always write everything out.
When I was in college completing my senior capstone project for my film degree, I outlined, researched, and wrote a feature length screenplay. I dint use any AI. Just my brain and feedback from my professor and classmates. I think about that time in my life a lot because as a creative, it is essential you use your brain and write down everything. However, it’s been two years and I have not had an original thought that wasn’t generated by Chat GPT.
Nevertheless, after reading this newsletter and taking a step back and watching YouTube videos about this very topic, I feel myself wanting to get away from using AI or any kind of automation, in order to research, learn, and write whatever I’m thinking about. I feel like there needs to be more awareness on this topic especially during the age of AI because now more than ever we need thinkers. We need creatives. The process you just described through the two modes and what other authors and thinkers did, can’t completely be replaced by AI.
Thank you for putting this out there for others to read and absorb. Great job!