What is Atomic Note-Taking?
Atomic note-taking is a method of organizing information into independent, atomic units. The aim is to build complex ideas by combining atomic parts and make the resulting ideas reusable by breaking them down into atomic units.
To make an analogy, it’s like building a product by placing a Lego block in the right place, which has part connection information, and then dismantling the product to create new ones.
Principles of Atomic Note-Taking
The act of taking atomic notes is based on certain principles. These principles can be summarized as follows:
- One idea, one note.
- A note that is self-sufficient.
- Notes that can be linked together.
- Simple and short notes.
- Notes focused on a single topic.
- Information mapping.
- Findability and traceability (tags, keywords, timestamps).
- Quick writeability.
- Manageability (personal information systems).
One Idea, One Note
The most important feature of atomic notes is the principle of having only one idea per note. Since we will build the note around a concept like building with Legos, we start by writing the idea at the top of the note using our own notation (a custom writing system).
Let’s continue with an example:
Suppose you want to learn specific information about computer systems, but you don’t know where to start. My recommendation would be to first create keywords that describe what you want to know or learn, using just one or a few words.
To focus on one idea, we start the note by linking it to the topic. In this case, I will examine the topic of Termux.
---
Tags:
- termux
- linux
- bash
- mobile
- android
- arm7
datetime: 2024-12-07 11:24
---
> What is Termux?
Termux is a terminal emulator for Android that allows you to experience Linux commands without root permissions or special installation, enabling you to make changes on your phone.
As seen, our first note answers the question What is Termux?
Avoid writing excessive explanations.
Avoid transitioning to a second topic.
At the beginning of our note, we specify relevant topic tags (tags) to make it easier to find. After that, we add a timestamp (datetime) to our note, creating a reference for easy access. The other principles will explain what this achieves in detail.
A Self-Sufficient Note
A note should contain all the necessary information on its own. If necessary, we can add keywords to make it easier to find the note. We can also define tags that describe the related topics. After expressing the main message of the note clearly, we can include sources for further reading.
Let’s continue with our example.
---
tags:
- termux
- linux
- arm7
- mobile
- development
- setup
datetime: 2024-12-07 11:35
---
> How to install Termux?
There are different ways to install Termux. You can choose one of three methods:
1. Google Play Termux Installation
2. F-Droid Termux Installation
3. Github Termux Installation
We will prefer the second method, which is user-friendly. You can find the necessary information in the following notes and websites.
Installation Files: [F-Droid Termux](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.termux/)
Installation Information: [[F-Droid Termux Android Installation]]
As seen, all necessary information has been placed on the note. Even if no further details were given, the note still provides an idea of the topic. Also, the related topics are referenced, making the note ready to be expanded.
Linkable Notes
As mentioned earlier, notes that can be linked together will facilitate a holistic understanding of the topic. This concept will be revisited when we discuss Personal Information Management Systems.
Diagrams and mind maps play a significant role in linking notes. Therefore, I recommend using mind mapping when creating relationship diagrams. For more information on mind mapping, you can refer to my blog article on Mind Mapping.
Simple and Short Notes
Writing long and detailed notes can cause you to lose focus and generate many new questions, so it’s important to limit the length of your notes. The longer the note, the more likely it is to lose its context. Explanations can lead you to other information or new explanations, which may result in deviating from the core concept of atomic notes.
Additionally, when a note gets too long, it loses its atomicity and starts to resemble an article format, which can cause it to drift away from its purpose and practicality.
Focused Notes on One Topic
Although multitasking is often praised today, I argue the opposite: Stay focused! Focus entirely on the task at hand, in the moment, and in the place you are. Eliminate distractions and avoid attempting to do multiple tasks at once. Focus on a single topic.
If you need to address multiple ideas, break them into separate notes. Keep each idea as a separate note and revisit them when the time comes. This approach will help you clarify your ideas and address them in an organized manner.
Information Maps and Diagrams
Frequencies of questions asked deepen our understanding of a topic. The more questions you ask, the broader a concept becomes. By asking a series of 5W1H (Who, What, Where, How, Why) questions about a simple idea, you can explore and expand it further.
Another method is to treat every name, technical term, or concept in a sentence as a new query point. By asking questions about each term or concept, you can analyze the idea in more detail.
Let’s clarify this with another example:
---
tags:
- elixir
- programming
- developer
- oop
- functionalprogramming
- highlevelprogramming
datetime: 2024-12-07 14:01
---
> What is Elixir?
Elixir is a dynamic, functional language for building scalable and maintainable applications.
> Which system does Elixir run on?
Elixir runs on the Erlang VM, known for creating low-latency, distributed, and fault-tolerant systems. These capabilities and Elixir tooling allow developers to be productive in several domains such as web development, embedded software, machine learning, data pipelines, and multimedia processing across various industries.
Now let’s ask some questions.
What are the terms mentioned in this explanation?
- Erlang VM
- low-latency
- distributed systems
- fault-tolerant systems
- Domain
- web development
- embedded software
- machine learning
- data pipelines
- multimedia processing
- functional language
- scalable applications
- maintainable applications
- dynamic language
Why is Elixir considered a dynamic language? (Let’s deepen the topic)
---
tags:
- elixir
- runtime
- compiletime
datetime: 2024-12-07 14:10
---
> Why is Elixir a dynamic language?
_Elixir is considered a dynamic language because its type system and execution model rely on runtime behaviors rather than compile-time checks._
Elixir is considered a dynamic language because its type system and execution model rely on runtime behaviors rather than compile-time checks.
It is a dynamic structure since it is compiled at runtime and performs its checks during compilation.
For each of these points, we can create a separate note and formulate questions in pairs, as shown in the following example:
- What is Erlang VM?
- Why does Elixir have low latency?
- How is Elixir used in web development?
- How is Elixir used in embedded software?
- How is Elixir used in machine learning (ML)?
- Why is Elixir a functional programming language?
- How to write scalable software with Elixir?
- What is scalability in software?
- How are data pipelines created with Elixir?
- How is multimedia processing done with Elixir?
- How to write maintainable software with Elixir?
- How is Elixir used in distributed systems?
- How to write fault-tolerant software with Elixir?
As you can see, through a couple of explanation sentences, we can generate multiple questions and break down the topic into smaller, manageable sections. These notes are kept in an atomic system and can be used when needed.
Linking these notes with information maps and diagrams will help create a mental model of the topic and improve flexible and agile thinking. I recommend using Personal Information Management Systems and creating diagrams whenever possible. You can learn more about these systems in my related articles.
Findability and Traceability
In a personal knowledge management system, tags, timestamps, and keywords are essential for fast access to a note. Using general tags like TODO, FIX and search filters in your system will make it easy to find and retrieve information when needed.
Personally, I use Neovim and Obsidian with various plugins.
Quick Writeability
At this stage, creating specific templates for notes ensures that they are recorded in an organized and systematic way. Templates guarantee that each note has a certain structure, making it easy to access the information quickly.
For example, a template could look like this:
Title: Name of the note
Date: Creation date of the note
Tags: Key tags related to the topic
Keywords: Important terms related to the topic
Brief Description: A summary of the topic
Detailed Information: In-depth explanations about the topic
Links: Links to other related notes or resources
To-Do/Notes: TODO, progress status, or sections that need to be revised
These templates help gather all important information about a topic systematically. In tools like Obsidian and Neovim, you can efficiently work with such templates using plugins or macros.
---
tags:
- tag1
- tag2
- tag3
datetime: { { datetime } }
aliases: { { alias } }
related-topics:
- topic1
- topic2
- topic3
---
> {{IDEA}}
Explanations
## Tags
#tag1 #tag2 #tag3
## Backlinks
- [[related-note]]
- [[related-index]]
## Resources
- [weblink1](www.example.com)
- [weblink2](www.example.com)
Yes, by creating a note template like the one above, you can quickly and efficiently create new notes using the “Create From Template” feature in Personal Information Management Systems like Obsidian, Neovim, or Notion. This method brings order to your notes, provides faster access, and makes information management easier.
Manageability — Personal Information Management Systems
Personal Information Management Systems (PIMS) are a set of tools and strategies aimed at optimizing the processes of gathering, organizing, storing, accessing, and reusing information. These systems are used to prevent information overload, speed up learning, and increase productivity. PIMS covers many areas, such as note-taking, task management, idea organization, project planning, and even tracking daily life.
While there are various PIMS systems available, you can find information about the tools I use to organize my writings — Neovim and Obsidian — in the related article series on my blog.
Conclusion
I have shared the basic concepts of the atomic note-taking technique. You can explore more information on these topics through my related articles.
Also, you can find information in English about these systems through the following links:
Looking forward to meeting you in new articles.
Stay safe!
Top comments (9)
I appreciate your methodical explanation of the system you have built! how long have you been using this system?
I used to do something similar in Vim and I had some JS I used to compile them into Markdown books. it was kinda useful but also over-engineered 😂 nowadays I just have a Notion doc where I keep an outline and then each month I move to a new doc so it is self-archiving 🤓
I discovered the first principles of this system in this YouTube Video:
But still, I needed to customize it to suit my mindset. So I started to prune unnecessary items from these ideas. Jumping from Editor to Editor wasn't a solution. So I started to minimize my notes by using templates.
I am writing about a specific topic (for instance, "#termux") whenever I learned new information or get a new idea. And merging my notes regularly, inspires me to create new tech articles. For example, every weekend I am merging my notes about a topic such as bash, Termux, rust, project-ideas, new technologies etc.
And also I am using the voice recorder (smartphone and voice recorder device) with the format like this:
This keeps me on the target although all the madness of life in my country and living around.
Control is an illusion but staying on the road is everything. All the productivity stuffs focus on the "life control". I focus on clarity, simplicity, and persistence. Nothing will be perfect, but I will be still on the road until I reach it.
Nobody wants to waste their times to try to understand complex and long articles. People just wants to learn new information and ideas in the simplest and quickest way. So break apart the complex ideas into smaller atomic parts is the best way to learn. When I assemble these small parts, it brings out the product I wanted to create.
Love this!
Haven't come to decide to write anything to enhance my similar approach. But I just use a notepad++ doc to do something very similar. The notes are topical but also timeline bound.
My work is such that I may need to do something twice over the course of a year and it won't be the same both times. Something about the process will change.
So I keep topical notes over time on daily work and reference material is created from that using automation. I use simple markdown syntax and switching a file to ".md" will instantly provide highlights for the sections.
Automating the tags for related data from different dates is a goal I have. So topics can have a timeline, notes can be taken without ever searching for them later because related notes will be married.
I think my point is, I get what you're doing. I was doing similar but with some caveats, without writing any code. Mainly because I was still trying to figure out what works best for my situation over time.
While I like the idea of atomicity, it's not something that fits my use case. And would be problematic when beginning on a complex project. I think it could be really good for learning, which is your example.
Large and complex buildings are built from small bricks.
To write a telegram bot using Rust, you can break the work down as follows:
rust-telegram-bot
libraries
regular-expressions
regex
data-handling
sled
sqlx
json-response-handling
serde
http-request
reqwest
telegram-api
teloxide
API
Reddit-api
STRAW
blog-apis
meduim-api
dev-to-api
daily-dev-api
news-apis
hacker-news-api
Social-apis
facebook-api
instagram-api
telegram-api
Infrastructure
Cloud Service
AWS
GC
DigitalOcean
VPS
Database
SQLite
POSTGRES
If you work on one topic at a time, one library at a time, you will have a fully working telegram bot at the end of the project. If you don't know how to put it together you'll just end up with a pile of bricks lying around.If you put a brick in the right place every day, you will eventually build a building. If you run the project simultaneously, you will spend more effort to fix the project at the first mistake. This is one of the disadvantages of distributed systems.If you know what you are doing at the beginning, you can complete your project in a short time by focusing only on the error when an error occurs.Of course, these are all recommendations from friends.
Great explanation of your note-taking system! I do something similar with my Obsidian vault, which I use as my "second brain" to store everything I learn. Breaking down notes into small pieces is a smart way to stay organized and helps connect ideas later on. Thanks for sharing this.
"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. -Henry Ford" 🍏
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