Paper vs. Pixels: Rethinking How I Process Ideas in a Digital World
A reflection on digital minimalism, emotional regulation, and the art of processing information.
Journal - opened
Mini notebook - skimmed
YouTube Ambiance - Nighttime city LoFi
Objective - Review information I’ve captured and organized, run it through some filters to contextualize it, and express something meaningful.
I’m CODEing.
It’s an acronym that changed the way I interact with information.
I read Tiago Forte’s book Building a Second Brain a couple years ago, and this framework really stood out to me, when talking about the flow of information:
Capture
Organize
Distill
Express
Not every piece of information should be captured! But when it is, it then needs to be organized based on a few qualifiers such as project, area of responsibility, resource, archive. This structure, along with a better understanding of what I’m trying to do in life, gives rise to digital minimalism (for my notes, at least).
I don’t have a library of notes, I have projects that demand action, areas of responsibility that are linked to relevant content, clearly linked resources, and an archive where I can search for information I’ve used previously.
It’s hard to connect a bunch of random information siloed in an app. Unstructured data leads to information overload, which creates more problems than it solves. There must be a simple and reliable system for capturing information. I’ve tried a couple handfuls of notes apps and task management software, and I’ve found that a hybrid note-taking approach works best for me right now in my life.
I’ve been focusing on the top of the information funnel this past week. I’m changing the way I capture information. Analogue paper and pens delight my soul due to the tactile experience. It’s easy for me to work through ideas by writing them down.
I have built the architecture to run my entire life in these platforms, however when it came time to implement… I didn’t. It was too much to keep up with in addition to doing the actual work.
After info is organized, it can be distilled into contextual summaries and action items can be uncovered or created.
Then, the goal is to express that information through my own contextual perspective.
Thank goodness I’m not an information hoarder anymore, especially because info is so plentiful now!! I have plenty of journal entries (physical and digital) where I can explore my life through my own perspective. This is the thing that I’m most keen on documenting, and not info on how ethernet connections work. Not as much, at least. Now I get immediate emotional connection to my writing instead of sorting through a bland folder of facts that aren’t applicable to my development.
I’m an android user. After I dropped out of college (the first time) I picked up an iPhone. It was great! I finally had the premium product everyone else had. After 7 years of iPhoning, I wanted to try something different.
I use my phone as a productivity hub. A research gymnasium. A command center for problem-solving. iPhone can do that great, but I can’t bend the software to fit how I want to work with it.
I’m all about optimization. System works great? Let’s make it even better. Especially with new technology and use cases, it’s a priority for me to review how I’m using my current tech stack.
So, even though I think big on my phone, I’m actually simplifying. I’ve ditched Apple Notes, Notion, OneNote, etc. etc. etc. and now am using Google Keep Notes. It’s one of the cleanest and simple digital options for capturing.
Here’s my new system:
Capture
Google Keep Notes for short-term working “memory”
Physical mini notebook (back pocket) for working through concepts and ideas
Organize
I then open the app and the notebook and determine if there is relevant information to my projects or if any of it should be kept as a general resource. Next is determining in which space to put it in Notion (my current long-form content organizer with tags and projects and so many resource links).
For bigger ideas or feelings, I then transfer or expound upon the ideas in a paper notebook or in Notion. Usually paper though because that’s how I process best.
Distill
For my productivity or systems thoughts, I think through the lens of this publication, Mindscape Memoirs, and the information I put out publicly.
I summarize the information at the beginning of the note so I can quickly understand what I’m working with when I reference it later.
Express
Then, I write. This is the final step in my information loop. It helps me reflect on what I actually know and how useful the information I captured actually was in synthesis with my existing notes.
CODE isn’t just a workflow for me, it’s a systematized way to emotionally regulate by starting with the raw information and processing it into something that elevates me.
Song of the Week
The end goal of taking in new information and synthesizing it really is to become more empathetic, happier, more stable, and intellectually refined. That’s on me, and I’m taking responsibility for creating the systems that will get me there.
So, this last week I learned that I want a better idea capturing system and what I do with the info after that initial log.
I’ve also learned how frustrated I can get when I type out all my feelings and don’t feel any better.
Paper gives a safe and productive space for me to think, and software makes capturing info quick and flexible.
Stay Aligned,
Broc