Notes are a means to an end

Notes are a means to an end, or telos. The ‘end’ might be visualized by either a concrete object or a formative experience.

Concrete Telos

Most note-taking is for the purpose of a deliverable. A thesis perhaps, or some other concrete project. Note-taking that has no end in mind lacks a context and is in danger of what Baldur calls “an intimidating database of opaque words and alien ideas” (The Different Kinds of Notes). Without an end, notes lose direction. But a note corpus is invaluable for a project as a way both to collect and understand your work.

Formative Telos

Note-taking is usually for a concrete telos, but why not for a formative, like becoming a person who is skilled at programming, or who can recall and apply historic events? Because good note-taking both collects and integrates knowledge, the process doesn’t only shape your final project, it shapes you.

Outside the collection approach, note-taking can also be used to catalog and reflect on habit development. Sometimes it blurs the line between formation and project, as when an action review is written about a completed project.