Zettelkasten: Addressing Your Notes

In the world of knowledge management, the Zettelkasten method has gained significant popularity for its effectiveness in organizing thoughts and ideas.

While digital tools and other productivity apps offer convenience and organization, they may not always be the best fit. Creating an analog Zettelkasten can be a rewarding journey into the world of knowledge management, allowing you to capture and connect your thoughts in a tangible way.

One of the key elements to making this system effective is developing a clear addressing method for your notes. This process not only helps you organize your ideas but also makes retrieval effortless when you need to reference them later.

When starting your Zettelkasten, it's essential to choose a numbering system that works for you. A simple sequential approach (1, 2, 3) is easy to implement but can become unwieldy as your collection grows. To create a more structured system, as shown in the video below, consider a hierarchical numbering method. For example, you can assign the main topic "Economics" the number 1, with subtopics like "Microeconomis" (1.1) and "Macroeconomics" (1.2) following beneath it.

Additionally, incorporating letters for subcategories (e.g., 1.1A, 1.1B) allows for further organization, making it easier to locate specific notes. This structured approach transforms your notes from a random assortment into a well-organized library of interconnected ideas, as depicted in the graph below.

This Zettelkasten addressing system can be effectively implemented using our Index Card Notebook. At the top of each card, the header has space for a custom address, such as 1.1 or 2.1.

This structure not only organizes your notes effectively but also offers clear context for each idea. To maintain this organization, be sure to populate the master index or table of contents provided in the notebook's preamble.

Digital

Digital Zettelkasten systems offer the convenience of easy access, searchability, and integration with other digital tools, making them ideal for tech-savvy individuals.

At the end of the video, we presented a straightforward digital solution utilizing a single master Typst document (available here) that incorporates subdocuments from subdirectories numbered 1, 2, 3, and so on, mirroring the hierarchical filesystem previously described.Our Typst plugin also includes a convenient function that simplifies the creation of new topics.

The generated document displays the various sublevels of our knowledge system using increasing indentation. This makes it easy to navigate through the content and understand the relationships between different topics.