If a working environment is standardized, we spend less to no resources (time, attention, concentration, and willpower) on our structure and most if not all resources on the most important task: solving the problems we are working on. This is possible because A standardized workflow lessens the number of decisions performed in a working session.
Here are ways that we can standardize our workflow:
- Use the same notebook for making quick notes (writing inbox).
- Always extract main ideas from a source in the same format.
- Always turn extracted ideas into the same format for evergreens.
Standardization is practiced in note-writing systems such as zettelkasten and talahardin. Ironically, standardization also optimizes freedom (a good workflow optimizes freedom), and flexibility is the precondition to effortless work.
To do
- Literature note. Cultivate it to become a permanent note.
References
Ahrens, S. (2017). How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking – for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.