Some of the high achievers I know take notes all the time, but not all. When I mentioned to some of them that I planned to put taking notes among the high-value tasks in my book, most of them gave me a wishy-washy answer. Nevertheless, it’s one of my beloved HABITS. It allows me to free my mind of the stuff I don’t need immediately, to be able to find it later when I need it.
As Stephen Covey said, “Writing distills our thoughts.” It forces us to organize information that’s in our mind. That’s right: you never REALLY know what you think about a given topic until you’ve written it down. Try it! Some go as far as to say that writing is thinking. If you want to learn how to think, learn how to write. And learn how to write right! Especially if you have a problem you want to solve.
A couple of years ago, I worked with a man who was the owner of two 8-figure businesses (a nutritional supplement company and his own investment firm). I helped him multiply the size of his businesses through external growth over the years, during which we spent dozens of hours together. I liked to work with him because he always took the time to fully understand the topic in question before coming up with creative solutions.
After a short while, I noticed there was something he did all the time: take notes. When I was talking about a tough negotiation coming up, he was taking notes. When we were talking about the right companies to contact, he was taking notes. When we were having lunch in a restaurant, he asked the waiter for a pen and paper. I myself have always taken plenty of notes, but not to that extent—which, at the time, seemed a little excessive. Especially considering that he often left his notes behind.
One day I asked him, “What will happen if you just stay still and listen to me instead of taking notes as soon as I open my mouth?” To which he replied, “Have you heard about Kidlin’s Law? I’ve been applying it for five years. It states that if you can write down the problem with accuracy, then the issue is half solved.”
I was blown away. What I thought to be a compulsive disorder was in fact a way for him to come up with a quick solution.
When we talk about taking notes, we often think of students. Why? Because they try to understand the information, to record it, to work on it, and refer back to it when needed. That’s what you do when you’re in a learning process.
If you don’t consider yourself a student (someone in a learning process), think again.
In addition, it’s very SIMPLE to pull out your phone and write down your thoughts. Use an app with folders and subfolders to store the information in the right place, and then you can easily retrieve it when you need it. Another solution: record a note in your phone and have it transcribed. There are apps for that these days, too.
Ideally, though, you should use pen and paper. According to many scientists, the pen is mightier than any keyboard when taking notes. Besides, handwriting is important for brain development and cognition. Taking notes is a subtle action that reveals much about a person’s character, long-term thinking, determination, and attention to detail. This habit also transforms your mindset: it makes you become a focused learner.
Whatever your preference, when you re-read your notes, you’ll often be pleasantly surprised by what you wrote. It’s like finding an ice-cream in the freezer you don’t remember buying.
There are multiple reasons to take notes:
Note-taking is one of the keys to success for many high-level entrepreneurs, and if you can make it a habit, you’ll increase your learning and improve your productivity. Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis said, “Always carry a notebook. Write everything down. That’s a million-dollar lesson they don’t teach you in business school.”