How I take digital, long-form handwritten notes in Notability when reading So, I find it’s best to take a deep breath, find a chunk of time to take in the information, and then also give yourself a chunk of time to synthesize that information in your own words before you move on to the next thing.

Often, authors say the same thing several different times: through an introduction, illustrated examples, a conclusion, etc. If I do that, I end up writing down way too much. I do not type notes in the book to go along with the highlights… that process is too laborious and pointless in my flow.Īfter I finish a chapter or section, I pause to take raw notes. Highlighting on the Kindle app on the iPad Mini or Apple Books app is easy. When reading an ebook, I read one chapter or section at a time, highlighting anything important or noteworthy to me. Also, in an anti-minimalist tech-head fashion, I use my iPad Mini as my reader and my iPad Pro as my notebook. Yes, I still love and prefer paper books, but borrowing a book with instant delivery works better for my schedule as a busy mom with a full-time job. Let’s take the example of reading a book.Ī personal aside: I try to use an ebook whenever I can, even when borrowing from the library. A chunked approach to taking notes while reading: Read-pause-read Just remember to cite your source when you use the information later, whether you’re writing a piece or plugging it into your personal knowledge management system. You already translated the thoughts and ideas into your own way of thinking and speaking. I do this in the book notes template I designed where I record “10 Actionable Takeaways.”īy doing so, you’ll have reusable bits of credible information where you won’t have to worry about using words that are too close to the original author’s. But let me be clear: don’t just sit there and copy quotes.Ībsorb the information and then take the time to write notes in your own words.

Best tablet for handwriting notes