Guidelines for Maintaining a Digital Zettelkasten - flengyel/Zettel GitHub Wiki

  1. Edit Old Notes Before Importing Them

    • Rewrite or edit old notes to match your understanding before adding them to your Zettelkasten.
    • There is no pressure to document everything; e.g., I only take notes on amateur radio if I plan to splurge on a rig, recall obscure commands, etc.

  2. Choose and Stick with a Consistent Note Format

    • Establish a standard note format early to avoid reformatting notes later.
    • Update older entries to conform to this standardized format to ensure software compatibility with, e.g., Obsidian, The Archive, Zettlr, etc.

  3. Organize Projects and Tasks

    • Pick one specific keyword or tag for project notes, such as "Log," or "CLOG" (Bob Doto's abbreviation for "catalog" or "creative log"), or create your own [@doto2024].
    • Track non-project tasks in periodic notes (daily, weekly, etc.).
    • Store periodic notes in a dedicated subdirectory to minimize clutter.

  4. Write Outside Your Zettelkasten

    • Ahrens writes, "... there is no reason not to work as if nothing else counts than writing" [@ahrensHowTakeSmart2022, pp. 34-35].
      • Ahrens writes "work," not "live," though some fanatical writers live like this.
    • Ahrens' maxim has some consequences:
      • Writing is more important than your Zettelkasten.
      • Draft your notes outside of the Zettelkasten system. This is not a hard-and-fast rule, though I tend to work like this.
      • Daily or other periodic notes and project notes are an exception.

  5. Rewrite and add notes as your understanding changes

    • Expect to relearn your subject, which means revisiting, rewriting, or adding notes. See Learn and relearn your field.
    • Add a note if revising one note changes the existing note linking.

  6. Efficient Reference Management with Zotero and Better BibTex

    • Use Zotero with the Better BibTex plugin to manage references and generate consistent citation keys.
    • Rename PDFs using these citation keys for organized and easily retrievable files.
    • Use the Zotero Connector extension to save web pages with a consistent citation format.
    • Create and rename PDFs of web pages using the Better BibTex citation key.
    • Attach the renamed PDFs to citations in Zotero.

  7. Physical Setup Considerations

    • Use a smaller secondary monitor to work with your Zettelkasten.
    • A smaller monitor forces you to be brief.
    • Copying content requires effort, which acts as a natural filter.
    • The physical setup creates beneficial friction.