Personal Knowledge Management
Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) refers to the process of collecting, organizing, and synthesizing information for personal use. It’s about creating systems that help you capture valuable information, connect it to what you already know, and retrieve it when needed. Overall I’ve been writing for awhile in different areas, but with the launch of LLMs and AI, I’ve been working on thinking-better, and having a system around this makes a large amount of sense.
Core Principles
- Capture: Collect information from various sources
- Organize: Structure information in a way that makes sense to you
- Connect: Create relationships between pieces of information
- Review: Regularly revisit and refine your knowledge
- Share: Optionally publish and discuss your knowledge with others
PKM Methods
Several methods can be used for personal knowledge management:
- note-taking-systems like Zettelkasten
- digital-garden-concept for evolving and connecting notes
- Spaced repetition for retention
- Mind mapping for visual organization
- Outliners for hierarchical organization
Benefits of Effective PKM
- Reduces cognitive load by externalizing information
- Enhances creativity through unexpected connections
- Improves learning retention and recall
- Builds a valuable personal resource over time
- Supports creative and intellectual work
The best PKM system is personalized to your own thinking style and needs. Many people combine multiple approaches and tools to create their own system.