Zettelkasten is one of the best methods for thinking and writing. It is a note-taking and Personal Knowledge Management method created by Niklas Luhmann, a German sociologist and thinker in systems theory. Using his Zettelkasten (which means ”slip box” in German), Mr. Luhmann managed to publish more than 70 books and hundreds of articles.
While the Zettelkasten method was created as an analog system, it is perfectly applicable to digital systems.
This method is at the very core of the Obsidian Starter Kit, so take your time to explore it.
Before we dive in, consider the fact that there are entire books dedicated to this method. Here, I’ll focus on the core ideas of the system and will not cover the nitty-gritty details or the fascinating story behind its creation. My goal here is to help you get started using this approach. If you want to dig deeper, then check out the references at the end.
The Zettelkasten method aims to help you forget. It aims to help you create an external mind of sorts. A second brain. A **system in which you can store everything that inspires you, your ideas, and your own creations. Zettelkasten puts the focus on connecting ideas rather than accumulating isolated pieces of information. Using this method, you can build a deep Web of knowledge. This can help you do research, explore ideas, write articles, and even entire books.
Zettelkasten is both something you create/use based on a set of guiding principles and rules (i.e., a structure) and a method/process you follow to create, maintain and organize your notes over time.
The Zettelkasten method/process describes how to capture, explore, store and organize interesting ideas/information/knowledge (i.e., inspiration) as well as your own creations.
On the other hand, the structure ensures that you don’t end up with a big ball of mud and can continue to leverage your Web of knowledge as it grows.
Together, the structure and the process will help you create a structured and deeply connected Web of knowledge.
A Zettelkasten is personal. Yours will differ from mine, and that’s normal; you are a different person.
Before we dive into the method, let’s first look at the structure and the concepts.
A Zettelkasten is composed of three parts