PKM is like a game with goals, rules, participation, and feedback loops that make it engaging and effective.
Treating PKM as an infinite game allows for continuous learning and personal growth, as it enables the development of a compounding knowledge base.
Deep dives
Aiden's Journey to Personal Knowledge Management
Aiden Helpont, a college student, shares how he discovered personal knowledge management (PKM) and how it transformed his learning. He highlights the impact of Tiago Forte's Building a Second Brain course in his decision to shift his addiction from video games to a more productive game of improving his information organization skills. He equates PKM to a game and discusses the goals, rules, voluntary participation, feedback loop, and gameplay loop that make PKM engaging and effective. Aiden also emphasizes the importance of treating PKM as an infinite game, where the goal is to keep playing and continually develop a knowledge base that compounds over time.
The Conceptual Connection: Games and Personal Knowledge Management
Aiden explores the analogy between games and PKM, focusing on the similarities in goal-setting, rules, voluntary participation, feedback mechanisms, and gameplay loops. He clarifies that while some games may be competitive, PKM is more like an infinite game that you play to continue growing and building your knowledge base. He highlights the power of PKM in creating connections between seemingly disparate ideas and the concept of connected knowledge. Aiden also discusses the distinction between finite and infinite games, highlighting the benefits of treating PKM as an infinite game that enables continuous learning and a record of personal growth.
Applying Personal Knowledge Management in Practice
Aiden shares how he applies PKM in his studies and content creation. In his psychology major at Cornell University, Aiden uses his digital note-taking system, Obsidian, to take conceptual notes and connect ideas between classes and even across semesters. He explains his modified version of the Zettelkasten system, which involves creating maps of content and concept notes to see how individual notes fit into a larger whole. Aiden also discusses the value of using PKM in projects and meetings, enabling him to capture and connect information for better understanding and future reference. He concludes by inviting listeners to explore his YouTube channel and blog for more insights into his PKM journey.
Aidan Helfant is a college student who’s using personal knowledge management (PKM) to improve his learning. He’s also sharing his methods and tools to help other college students succeed. In this conversation, we unpack Aidan’s approach to note-taking for learning.