Note taking is a skill that will serve you well throughout your career. Most people know this, but often do not give much thought to the process of note taking. They do not explore the different note taking techniques to see which one will work for them. Yesterday, I wrote about how to decide what’s important and unimportant information in a book. The ability to master this skill will deepen your understanding of any book. It will guide you to take powerful notes to remember more of what you read.
I’ve written a few blog posts on how to take effective notes. Additionally, I’ve also read and summarized books on taking notes. But this time, my focus is different based on new information.
Have you read?
How to Decide What's Important and Unimportant Information in a Book
Good Note Taking Techniques When Reading
Getting the Most from the Books You Read in the Time You Have
Read with Purpose to Get the Most Knowledge from Books
How to Take Powerful Notes to Remember More of What You Read: Why Use Mind Maps
Today, I’ll do a recap of what I’ve written about taking notes, but the focus will be on mind mapping. I understand the concept of mind mapping, but I haven’t spent a lot of time using it. Although I read several good books on the concept, I didn’t think it was my thing.
However, over a period of close to two weeks, I worked my way through Paul Scheele’s PhotoReading Whole Mind System. I had owned the online course for over five years and never completed it. This time around though, I went through the entire course and did the exercises. One of the assignments was to complete a few mind maps.
Because of some of the things I’d like to accomplish during the next 12 months, it was in my best interest to do the course. The instruction for mind mapping is simple and straightforward. It wasn’t difficult for me to do my homework. I also found that using this form of note taking forces you to take powerful notes to remember more of what you read because you have to unpack the book to create the mind map. You cannot create a mind map of any book without understanding it. It’s good for memory and recall.
With a mind map, when you want to remember what the book is about, all you have to do is look at the diagram. If you have done a good job creating the mind map, you’ll have no problem remembering what the book is about.
Thoughts on Note Taking
- Note taking is a form of learning.
- To take powerful notes when reading a book, you need to distinguish between essential and non-essential information.
- Note only the essential information.
- Summarize what you’re reading in your own words.
- When you’re reading, tie the new information to what you already know.
- Review your notes after you finish reading the book.
How to Take Powerful Notes to Remember More of What You Read: Curve of Forgetting
Every day in the media, you hear about the mega-successful who read books with the intent to learn. Some of them will even share their note taking strategies when reading books. This gives you a sense that it’s important to take powerful notes to remember more of what you read. I know that you’re smart, but don’t rely on remembering the important points in a book that you read. Memory will fail you when you least expect it.
In fact, according to the curve of forgetting, you’ll forget 50 percent of what you learn within an hour. Therefore, you need to have a way to capture important points. Then you must make time to review the information. An important Steve Jobs quote has stuck with me. And it also demonstrates why it’s important to take powerful notes.
“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
Therefore, you cannot connect the dots unless you have a record of important text from the books you read.
How to Take Powerful Notes to Remember More of What You Read: Take Notes by Hand
It’s also best to take notes by hand. Doing this, forces you to paraphrase what you just read. This increases your understanding of the text. I’ve tried many note taking methods such as the Cornell Note Taking System. And most of the times I used the Livescribe 2GB Echo Smartpen
. I lost my pen and refuse to buy another because it costs close to $200. To use the Livescribe pen, your writing has to be legible. The technology that powers this pen allows the user to convert her handwriting to digital text.
I’m researching the Notability app because it allows you to take notes by hand on your iPad using the stylus. It also allows you to convert your handwritten note to text. And on top of that you can annotate PDFs.
Another option is to create a mind map by hand. There are a lot of things going through my mind as I write this. I think that I would take notes by hand using the Notability app then convert it to digital text. The next option would be to create the mind map using MindMeister.
Right now, I’m taking notes by hand then reading my notes while the Live Transcribe app is open. Although the app is close to 100 percent accurate recognizing your voice, I cannot tell it to create a bulleted list and other formatting. The app wasn’t created for what I’m using it for, so I need to go in and clean up my notes in digital text.
How to Take Powerful Notes to Remember More of What You Read Using a Mind Map
Reviewing the PhotoReading Whole Mind System and Mind Mapping for Kids by Toni Krasnic. There are two different ways to mind map a book for increased learning and retention.
Method One
- Write the name of the book and author in a circle in the middle of the page.
- Branch out with writing the sections of the book.
- Branch out from each section listing its chapters.
- Branch out from each chapter listing the main points/key ideas/key takeaways.
Method Two
- Write the name of the book and author in a circle in the middle of the page.
- Branch out using the main theme in the book and key ideas.
- From each key idea branch out with the supporting ideas and sub-points.
- Make sure that the information you’re noting aligns with your purpose statement – your reason for reading the book.
How to Take Powerful Notes to Remember More of What You Read: Common Themes
Do you have problems identifying the themes in the books you read? Or is this something that’s easy for you? In the Great Courses, course, Life Lessons from the Great Books, Professor J. Rufus Fears shares six common themes. Although these themes are for fiction, some of them apply to nonfiction books as well. These days, some nonfiction books read like fiction.
- The Unconquerable Human Spirit
- Youth and Old Age
- Romance and Love
- Adventure and Courage
- Laughter and Irony
- Patriotism
I’ve listed the themes above to get you to start thinking about themes when reading a nonfiction book. Understanding the theme/themes in a book, can help you to nail down the main and secondary ides. Doing this will help you to take powerful notes to remember more of what you read.
Final Thoughts: How to Take Powerful Notes to Remember More of What You Read
There are a few effective note taking methods that you can try. But a mind map allows you to see at a glance what a book is about. It is a great tool for learning and retention. In an age where workplace changes can overwhelm you, having a powerful note taking tool can make a difference for you. And having a purpose for reading as well as previewing a book before reading can go a log way.
Below, look at an excerpt of a section from the PhotoReading Whole Mind System. I thought this is good information to share with you.
“Mind mapping allows you to tap into other types of intelligences. It represents information in a form other than words in a sentence. Rather than linear logic, it duplicates the way the brain organizes information, using a branching pattern of association.
Mind mapping can be used to outline information ad organize thoughts in a succinct way to enhance long-term memory. Using key words, you eliminate 90 percent of unnecessary note-making, improving your writing and note-taking speed by as much as 10 times.”
Do you think a mind map will help you to take powerful notes to remember more of what you read?
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