The Power of Automation: Taking Effective Notes with Apple Shortcuts and Bear

The Power of Automation: Taking Effective Notes with Apple Shortcuts and Bear

"I finally figured out how to take notes!" After much exploration and experimentation, I came across a game-changer in the form of Apple's Shortcuts app. This app, available on iOS, iPadOS, and MacOS, allows you to automate actions between various apps. And let me tell you, it has revolutionized my note-taking process.

One of my primary requirements was the ability to tag my notes. I wanted to be able to track important details such as the date, attendees, key topics, and easily search for notes based on these tags. Furthermore, I needed a seamless way to create action items and be able to quickly check what tasks I still had pending. Simplicity was key for me – I wanted to jump into a meeting and have my notes ready to go without any hassle.

To my delight, I discovered that combining Apple Shortcuts with Bear, a note-taking app, fulfilled all these requirements and more. With a shortcut that creates a meeting note and another that opens or creates a daily "scratch" note for non-meeting notes, my note-taking process became streamlined and efficient.

But what sets Bear apart from other note-taking apps in my workflow is its exceptional TODO management feature. At any point in any note, I can effortlessly create a TODO item. This manifests as a list item with a checkbox, similar to GitHub's TODOs. The beauty of this functionality is that it helps me stay on top of my tasks. I no longer drop the ball on action items assigned to me during meetings, and people don't have to chase me for updates as often. This not only makes me feel more organized and in control but also improves overall collaboration and satisfaction among my colleagues.

Interestingly, the concept of collective intelligence, or the wisdom of the crowd, aligns with my newfound note-taking strategy. The idea behind the wisdom of the crowd is that the collective opinion of a group of individuals often surpasses that of a single expert. This phenomenon is attributed to the integration and augmentation of knowledge among participants. Just like how my notes benefit from the integration of various apps and automation, the wisdom of the crowd emerges from the diverse perspectives and insights of individuals.

In fact, there are numerous non-human examples that illustrate the power of collective intelligence. Take the Golden Shiner fish, for instance. A single Shiner struggles to find shady areas in a body of water. However, when in a large group, they become much more efficient at locating shade. This example highlights the advantage of collective decision-making in finding optimal solutions.

Scientists at MIT's Sloan Neuroeconomics Lab and Princeton University have developed a fascinating technique called the "surprisingly popular" method. This technique involves asking individuals two questions: what they believe the right answer is and what they think popular opinion will be. By averaging the difference between these two responses, researchers can determine the correct answer. This approach harnesses the collective wisdom of the crowd, leveraging the diversity of opinions to arrive at the most accurate outcome.

However, it's important to note that for the wisdom of the crowd to flourish, the crowd must be both independent and diversified. Independent thinking ensures that a variety of answers are present, canceling out extreme responses and allowing the wisdom of the crowd to take effect. Additionally, diversity in perspectives enhances the collective intelligence, as different individuals bring unique knowledge and insights to the table.

Interestingly, individual cognition may be subject to stochastic noise, meaning that our own thinking processes are influenced by random fluctuations rather than consistently producing the best answer based on all our knowledge. This insight suggests that asking ourselves the same question multiple times doesn't necessarily yield superior results compared to seeking input from others.

Furthermore, research has shown that the average of a large number of judgments from the same person is only marginally better than the average of two judgments from different people. While averaging can help eliminate random errors that affect individual answers differently, it doesn't account for systematic errors that influence the opinions of the entire crowd similarly. Cognitive biases, for example, cannot be compensated for solely through the wisdom of the crowd.

So, what actionable advice can we glean from these insights?

1. Embrace Automation: Explore tools like Apple's Shortcuts app to streamline your note-taking process. By automating repetitive tasks, you can focus on capturing essential information and maximizing productivity.

2. Leverage Collaborative Platforms: Consider using note-taking apps that offer features like tagging, TODO management, and seamless integration with other apps. This way, you can easily organize and retrieve your notes, ensuring that action items are not overlooked.

3. Embrace Diverse Perspectives: When seeking input or making decisions, actively seek out diverse perspectives. The collective intelligence of a group can often lead to more insightful and robust outcomes than relying solely on individual expertise.

In conclusion, the power of automation and the wisdom of the crowd can significantly enhance our note-taking practices and decision-making processes. By leveraging tools like Apple Shortcuts and apps like Bear, we can create a seamless and efficient workflow. Additionally, by embracing diverse perspectives and incorporating collective intelligence, we can tap into the vast pool of knowledge and insights available to us. So, let's embrace these approaches and unlock our full potential in the realm of note-taking and beyond.