I’ve tried many ways of taking notes at work over the years.
Different tools. Different structures. Different levels of detail.
What stuck wasn’t a system — it was an intention.
I don’t take notes to capture everything.
I take notes to think clearly, reduce ambiguity, and avoid forgetting what actually matters.
Over time, my note-taking has become simpler, not smarter.
What I Write Down (And Why)
Most of my notes fall into a few buckets.
First, decisions.
Not discussions. Not opinions. Just what we decided and why. Decisions age better than conversations.
Second, open questions.
Things that don’t need an answer immediately, but shouldn’t disappear. Writing them down helps me notice patterns — what keeps coming back unresolved.
Third, assumptions.
Especially the ones we’re quietly making. Writing assumptions down has saved me more rework than any checklist ever did.
Very little of this is polished. These notes are for clarity, not presentation.
What I Don’t Write Down
I don’t try to capture everything that’s said in a meeting.
If something can be re-read in a doc or found in a ticket, I usually don’t duplicate it. If it’s important, it will resurface. If it doesn’t, that’s information too.
I also avoid writing notes that are purely reactive — venting, frustration, or half-formed opinions. Those tend to lock me into a viewpoint before I’ve thought things through.
Notes are most useful when they leave room for change.
Where AI Fits In (And Where It Doesn’t)
Lately, we’ve also started using an AI notes taker for calls. It captures the raw conversation and drafts a rough set of notes that I can refer back to later or search through if needed.
We’re using a tool like Granola for this, and it’s been helpful — not because it replaces thinking, but because it removes the pressure to document everything in real time.
Knowing that the conversation is captured lets me stay present, listen better, and focus on what actually matters. My own notes still hold the things that require judgment: decisions, assumptions, and unresolved questions.
Notes as a Thinking Tool, Not a Record
One shift that helped me was seeing notes less as a record of the past and more as a tool for future thinking.
A good note answers at least one of these:
- What did we decide?
- What’s still unclear?
- What might break later?
If it doesn’t help with any of that, I question whether it needs to exist.
This mindset keeps my notes lightweight and revisitable.
Where I Keep Them Matters Less Than How I Use Them
I’ve stopped obsessing over the perfect tool.
What matters more is:
- Can I find the note when I need it?
- Can I update it easily?
- Does it encourage clarity instead of clutter?
If a tool makes me write more than I need to, it’s usually a signal to simplify.
The Real Value of Notes
The biggest benefit of taking notes isn’t memory.
It’s attention.
Writing things down forces me to slow down, listen better, and notice gaps in understanding. Often, the act of writing is what reveals what I don’t yet know.
That’s usually the most valuable part.
A small closing thought
My notes aren’t impressive.
They’re rarely shared.
But they help me think — and that’s enough.