🌱 What is an Evergreen Note and How Can You Create One?
Could a title that's easy to reuse in other notes be considered "evergreen"?
I've been learning new things about input methods, like the Japanese "Naginata-style" input, and even borrowing a split keyboard, all in the pursuit of improving my typing efficiency. Gradually, I'm getting the hang of Japanese input.
My theme of this year is to "slowly, attentively, and gradually increase efficiency." I've been applying this philosophy to my Japanese input methods, aiming to deliver high-quality content in my newsletters, little by little.
So, continuing from my previous discussion on "Why Create Evergreen Notes?" (Read it here), I'd like to delve into what Evergreen Notes really are.
What Exactly Is an "Evergreen Note"?
Let me summarize the purpose of an Evergreen Note in one sentence:
To create and nurture memos and notes thoughtfully, evolving them into "everlasting, valuable assets."
What sets Evergreen Notes apart from regular notes is the concept of "nurturing" and the goal of making them "everlasting."
While "nurturing" may be interpreted as "constantly refining," the real challenge lies in understanding what makes a note truly "everlasting."
For instance, if you asked whether this newsletter I'm writing now could be considered "everlasting," I'd probably say it's not.
So, what exactly is an Evergreen Note? There are four principles that define it:
The Four Principles of Evergreen Notes
Atomic: Each note should represent a single idea or concept.
Conceptual: Notes should be conceptual rather than mere collections of facts.
Densely Linked: Notes should have rich interconnections.
Non-hierarchical: Instead of hierarchical structures, emphasis should be on concepts and relationships.
These principles might sound perplexing at first. To make it easier to grasp, I pondered over various pages until I stumbled upon this quote:
"Evergreen note titles are like APIs." – Andy Matuschak (Creator of Evergreen Notes)
In the world of programming, an API is like a component that responds when you ask it to do something, such as "Add 5 and 5, please." The API would return "The answer is 10." Evergreen Notes, similarly, should provide answers when you request information.
Although I started to understand Evergreen Notes a bit better, there was still something missing.
After rereading Andy's original thoughts on Evergreen Notes here and some meditation in the guise of a bath, I arrived at my own interpretation: "Make Evergreen Note titles easy to reuse elsewhere."
For example, consider my note titled "Slowly, Attentively, and Gradually Increase Efficiency." This title can be the basis for writing hundreds of words (or notes), and it may appear in other notes I write.
Could creating such note titles and "nurturing" them turn them into Evergreen Notes? I finally felt like I understood something.
If Titles Are Easy to Reuse in Other Notes, Could They Be Considered "Everlasting"?
In English-speaking communities, Evergreen Notes are often labeled with an emoji, like "🌱 Evergreen note." It finally clicked with me that these represent "everlasting" and "nurtured" notes.
Let me reiterate the four principles of Evergreen Notes:
Atomic: Each note should represent a single idea or concept.
Conceptual: Notes should be conceptual, making them easy to reuse.
Densely Linked: Notes should have rich interconnections.
Non-hierarchical: Instead of hierarchical structures, emphasis should be on concepts and relationships.
An "atomic" note can be any simple "sentence" that avoids excessive complexity. Striving for "conceptual" notes naturally makes them easier to reuse. "Densely linked" notes become more interconnected and, therefore, more reusable. As for the non-hierarchical aspect, I'm not entirely sure, but I think it works well with Obsidian.
While I'm uncertain if the title "Slowly, Attentively, and Gradually Increase Efficiency" is the best fit, I believe that notes like this, which compile "my thoughts," can potentially be combined to create longer pieces. Andy's page on "Outlines for Talks" made me realize how these materials can be pieced together effectively.
I think phrases like "Slowly, Attentively, and Gradually Increase Efficiency," which I've been pondering about, can serve as "building blocks" for writing, say, articles like "What's Important to Pursue Real Efficiency" or "Things to Be Mindful of for Achieving High Job Satisfaction." (As I write this, I feel I can reuse them 2–3 times!)
I could dig deeper into these topics, but for now, I.