3 Ways Writers Can Benefit From a Digital Note-Taking System

Picture this: You have this feeling that you had a great idea recently about something related to the essay you’re currently writing, but you just can’t remember it. But what if you had a digital note-taking system with tags, where you have kept all such ideas? It would take you mere minutes to go through the tag “essay,” and voila!

When I was in high school, apart from what was needed for studying, I didn’t take notes. It wasn’t until I was in college that I began to take notes on a daily basis. It was a downward spiral from there. 

I started to fill one notebook after another with notes of books I read, videos I watched, my own thoughts, or interesting quotes. This continued until a few months ago, when I realized something momentous.

My note-taking habit was ineffective.

Despite the many notes I took, I barely remembered what I had learned. I couldn’t recall the memorable quote and interesting story I’d written down when I needed it. Worse still, I had to start from scratch with every new writing project—research again while racking my brain for little details to back up my points. 

I took notes the same way school had taught me—that is, writing down verbatim what I learned and keeping the notes in the same place, never to look back again except for exams. Only, in real life there are no exams, so I didn’t bother to revisit the notes at all. Thus, all the hard effort went down the drain. 

I realized I had to adopt a new strategy.

In this post I’ll show you why the old-fashioned way of taking notes fails us and how switching to digital note-taking can save the day—boosting your productivity and helping you succeed in your writing goals.

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8 Writing Lessons I Wish I Knew As A Beginner Writer

I took no interest in writing during high school. The only things I wrote were literature essays and exam papers. I never imagined myself as a writer. To me, writing was a sacred job, reserved for only very creative or wise people. 

It wasn’t until college that I discovered my passion for writing. It started out more like a hobby. I would scribble some notes when I got bored, read other people’s blogs, or even, when I felt inspired, write a couple pieces myself. 

I still remember the first time I completed an entire blog post. It was effortless. I fleshed out the first draft in one go without much thinking, writing whatever sprung up in my mind. 

And it felt wonderful.

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6 Profound Benefits of a Morning Writing Routine (and How to Build One Yourself)

Some say you should write when you feel inspired. Others believe you should write every day of the week, whether you feel like it or not. Some prefer morning pages while others work best at night. 

There are a lot of arguments on the best time to write. 

I count myself as an early-bird writer. I do most of my writing in the morning, right after having breakfast. It’s when I find myself least distracted and come up with the best ideas. Once in a while, I still write at night when I can’t help putting the words down. But the result is never as good as the morning pages. 

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Why You Should Keep Writing (Even If No One Is Reading)

Finally, you hit “publish.”

The blog post you’ve spent hours polishing, making sure everything is perfect, is complete.

Now you wait. One day. Then two. A week goes by, but only one or two people have seen your post. You poured your heart and soul into that post, but the result is disappointing.

It can be disheartening when no one pays attention to your work. A few views can make you doubt your ability to write.

But you know what? Every great blogger started out like that. 

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