A commonplace book is a central resource or depository for ideas, quotes, anecdotes, observations and information you come across during your life and didactic pursuits.

Some of the greatest men and women in history have kept these books. Marcus Aurelius kept one–which more or less became the Meditations. Petrarch kept one.

“We should hunt out the helpful pieces of teaching and the spirited and noble-minded sayings which are capable of immediate practical application–not far far-fetched or archaic expressions or extravagant metaphors and figures of speech–and learn them so well that words become works.”

Read widely. Read about anything and everything and be open to seeing what you didn’t expect to be there–that’s how you find the best stuff.

Mark down what sticks out at you as you read–passages, words, anecdotes, stories, info.

take notes while you read. It’s what the best readers do, period. it’s called “marginalia.”

You can also see some of Mark Twain’s fascinating marginalia here. Bill Gates’ marginalia is public on a website he keeps called The Gates Notes. It’s a way to have a conversation with the book and the author.

A commonplace book is a way to keep our learning priorities in order. It motivates us to look for and keep only the things we can use.

It doesn’t have to just be material from books. Movies, speeches, videos, conversations work too. Whatever. Anything good.

being able to shuffle and move the cards into different groups is crucial to getting the most out of them. Ronald Reagan actually kept quotes on a similar notecard system.

The information I personally find is what dictates my categories. Your search will dictate your own. Focus on finding good stuff and the themes will reveal themselves.

So many of my notecards are just things that occurred to me, notes to myself in essence. It’s your book. Use it how you want.