Have you ever been frustrated when you read a book that made you think, but it was hard to explain what you learned to other people? You're not alone.
The name for this is "illusion of competence."
Even though we underline, highlight, and take a lot of notes, we often can't explain the main ideas we came across. But don't worry, there is a way out: take good notes. In this piece, we'll look at three ways to take notes that go beyond the usual ways and can help you become a strong thinker while helping you remember important information.
To get past the feeling that we know what we're doing, we need to take notes in a more active way.
Smart notes are not just remembering what an author said; instead, they involve putting the author's ideas into your own words.
Imagine that when you read a book or article, you consciously look for these three things instead of just highlighting and underlining. This method became famous thanks to Georgetown University professor Cal Newport.
It helps you find the main ideas in any text, no matter how the author wrote it. Mark questions with dots and proof and examples with dashes as you read. This will help you see how ideas are related.
When planning how to organize your notes, don't just make one big document like most people do. Use atomic notes to your advantage.