Personal knowledge management sounds like something from a business school textbook. But strip away the jargon and it's just this: having a way to capture, organize, and find the things you learn and think about.
You're already doing it, probably badly. Sticky notes on your desk. Screenshots on your phone. Bookmarks you'll never revisit. Half-finished thoughts in a dozen different apps.
The goal isn't to build some elaborate system. It's to stop losing things that matter to you.
Why most systems fail
You've probably tried to get organized before. Maybe you bought a fancy notebook, downloaded a productivity app, or spent a weekend setting up folders and tags. It worked for a week, maybe two. Then life happened and the system fell apart.
Here's the problem: most systems ask too much of you. They require you to make decisions about where things go, how to categorize them, what tags to apply. Every piece of information becomes a small chore.
When capturing a thought feels like work, you stop capturing thoughts.
A simpler approach
What if you didn't have to decide where things go? What if you could just write, and the organization happened naturally?
That's the idea behind connected notes. Instead of filing things into folders or applying tags, you simply mention the people, projects, and topics that relate to what you're writing. The connections build themselves.
Think of it like your brain works. You don't store memories in folders. You remember things by association—one thought leads to another, which leads to another. Connected notes work the same way.
Getting started
You don't need to import your entire life into a new app. Start small.
Pick one area that feels messy right now. Maybe it's a project at work, planning an event, or researching a purchase. Create a page for it and start writing down what you know, what you need to find out, and what you're thinking.
As you write, mention the people involved, the related topics, and anything else that connects. Don't worry about being comprehensive. Just capture what's on your mind.
The three things worth capturing
Not everything needs to be saved. Focus on three types of information:
Things you'll need again. Phone numbers, account details, instructions you always forget. The stuff you currently Google repeatedly or dig through emails to find.
Things you're thinking through. Ideas that aren't fully formed yet. Problems you're working on. Decisions you're weighing. Writing helps you think, and having a place to do it means those thoughts don't disappear.
Things you want to remember. Recommendations from friends. Insights from books or articles. Moments worth holding onto. The details that enrich your life but slip away if you don't capture them.
Let go of perfection
Your notes don't need to be polished. They don't need to be organized perfectly. They just need to exist.
A messy note you can find is infinitely more valuable than the perfect note you never wrote.
Start capturing things. Make connections as you go. Trust that the structure will emerge over time.
That's personal knowledge management. No textbook required.