You can’t analyze and synthesize what you can’t remember. But in an era of multi-tasking, Zoom calls, and notifications, how can you sharpen core skills like note taking?
💬 Paraphrase:
No, not parrot-phrase. 🚫🦜 A parrot can repeat words without understanding them. Paraphrasing requires comprehension.
For exact quotes, rely on recordings and AI transcripts. For understanding, put notes in your own words.
💡 Ideate:
Don’t transcribe. React. Record more than what you hear, jot down ideas sparked by what you hear. Use a different color, placement on the page, or a simple symbol (like an exclamation point) to distinguish those sparks of inspiration or ideas you want follow up on.
✍️ Ditch the keyboard:
For increased focus, comprehension, and retention, create your notes by hand rather than typing them. Allow enough white space for indents, shapes, arrows, and sketches that capture the relationships between ideas. Invest in writing tools that feel great and work well. (i.e. Pick a pen and notebook you can wax poetic over.)
Alternatively take electronic notes with a stylus. Paper-like note taking devices like the reMarkable are a great way to combine the benefits of handwritten note taking with the power of digital tools.
We surveyed some of the sharpest marketers around and almost 75% use hand-written notes all of the time or most of time:
🔁 Review:
Retention is increased by reviewing your notes shortly after they are taken. With the ideas fresh in mind, expand on phrases you jotted down to preserve context that future-you will thank you for. Mark-up and highlight key takeaways.
Or type a summary of your hand-written notes for documentation and to share with your team as needed. (This is also the moment when you have the best chance of deciphering your own handwriting.😉)
Head to the Carney blog to sharpen your listening and remembering skills, too.
