How I use Roam and Notion for Personal Knowledge Management

How I use Roam and Notion for Personal Knowledge Management

After my grandfather passed away, we got access to his computer and his files. We were amazed by what we found. We knew he liked to collect notes but had no idea how much he had gathered during the last years of his life. There were hundreds and hundreds of Word documents, filled with jokes, quotes, and articles — in Dutch, English, French. A goldmine of information but without any structure and impossible to navigate. This is why organization is important when it comes to personal knowledge management.

Personal Knowledge Management is the practice of capturing the ideas and insights we encounter in our daily life, whether from personal experience, from books and articles, or from our work, and cultivating them over time to produce more creative, higher quality work. It covers a wide range of information ranging from book highlights, personal data and anecdotes, meeting notes, birthdays, gift ideas, receipts, travel details, inspirational quotes, personal goals, and so on. The goal is to have systems that make us as organized, proactive, and creative as possible.

I, personally, use a combination of Roam and Notion for my personal knowledge management. I use a light version of the productivity system Getting Things Done by David Allen in Notion. I have an inbox where I add every task that pops up in my head, no matter how small. I can immediately assign a date, or I can leave it in the inbox so I don't forget and assign a date at a later point. I can set one-time or recurring tasks and set priority levels. I also have a "Today" page where I can see what I need to do the following day, and a "Next 7 Days" view to have a sense of what is coming up and rearrange dates as necessary.

In Roam, I organize my files using the P.A.R.A. method, which stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archive. However, in Notion, I only use P.A.A. The main goal of all this collecting and storing of notes should be to have a wealth of content at your fingertips for creating whatever it is that you want to create. In my case, that would be writing articles. I don't do the actual writing in Notion, but I like to use the databases to keep track of the ideas and articles.

One of the reasons I prefer Roam over Notion for note-taking is because it follows the non-linear nature of our brains. Our brains jump from idea to idea all the time, and Roam allows me to do the same. I don't have to worry about folder structure or hierarchy, as that's not how our brain works.

To further enhance my personal knowledge management, I also use other tools like Instapaper and Readwise to capture online content highlights and newsletter/email highlights. Every couple of weeks, I go through the Readwise highlights that have been imported into Roam and engage with my notes through tagging and notes design.

When it comes to long-form journaling, I use an app called Bear. However, I transfer my writing to Roam every week because I can easily create a page for every person and location mentioned in my entries in Roam. This helps me keep track of every time I mentioned a specific person or location.

In conclusion, combining Roam and Notion for personal knowledge management has been a game-changer for me. It allows me to capture and organize my ideas and insights effectively while also providing a space for creativity and productivity. If you're looking to improve your personal knowledge management, here are three actionable advice:

1. Find a system that works for you: Whether it's Roam, Notion, or another tool, find a system that aligns with your way of thinking and organizing information. Experiment and see what works best for you.

2. Embrace non-linear thinking: Our brains don't work in a linear fashion, so embrace tools that allow you to capture and connect ideas in a non-linear way. This will help you make more creative connections and insights.

3. Engage with your notes: Don't just collect and store information. Take the time to engage with your notes, whether it's through tagging, highlighting, or designing your notes. This will help you retain and apply the knowledge you've captured.

By implementing these actionable advice, you'll be on your way to improving your personal knowledge management and becoming more organized, proactive, and creative.