Why You Should Link Knowledge to Time

Knowledge and time are closely related. What is the relationship between those and what does it imply for lifelong learners and knowledge management? Let's find out!

Why You Should Link Knowledge to Time
Connecting notes and time is valuable. It lets you recreate the story of each piece of knowledge in your Personal Knowledge Management system.

In this article, I want to discuss the relationship between learning, knowledge and time.

Introduction

Whatever you decide to learn increases your knowledge about the world. Properly "managed", that knowledge can prove a valuable asset over time. But what do I mean by managed? And what is the relationship between knowledge and time? Let's explore those questions one by one.

How not to manage your knowledge?

The main thing that schools teach students is to memorize as much as possible. Memorization is supposed to be the "holy grail" of learning. That would be great if our brains were more reliable. Unfortunately, human memory works in mysterious ways. Storing new information requires a lot of effort. Even with advanced techniques such as Spaced Repetition, retaining a lot of information is tough, and retrieval remains pretty random over time.

Not only that, but the information you manage to retrieve is often far from its original/purest form. Memory adds subjectivity, a lot of randomness/noise, and requires interpretation and assumptions.

If you only count on your memory to manage your knowledge, then you're missing out. You will always be limited by your brain's capacity to retain and retrieve information at the right time and in the right "state".

So what should you do instead?

To manage your knowledge, start by storing it properly

When you take or make notes, you take information/knowledge out of your head and into a way more reliable storage system. If you write on paper, then it's easy to make copies of that paper, to put it in a safe place, etc. Retrieval will "just" be a matter of going through your notes. Assuming those were safe from harm, you will be able to retrieve the information in the exact state you stored it.

And if you take digital notes, then there are a ton more ways to save/backup information/knowledge and efficiently retrieve what you need when you need it.

The main drawback of taking and making notes (whether analog or digital) is that the information is not in your head anymore. At least not all of it. But the mere act of taking or making notes actually helps a ton with memorization. In practice though, most of the time, all you need to keep in your head are cues towards the information you need (i.e., I know how and where I can find what I need) and mental models. For instance, I know quite a lot about software development, but I never try to memorize what I learn. I only focus on capturing the information that matters in my Personal Knowledge Management, and building better mental models. And I use the same approach for whatever I learn.

I prefer digital to analog for various reasons, and use as few applications as I can for storing my knowledge. Currently, my note-taking application of choice is Obsidian. To help me use it as best as I can, I've created the Obsidian Starter Kit. It's basically a 1:1 copy of the system I use for myself.

Obsidian Starter Kit
Jump straight to stress-free note-making with Obsidian

By properly storing, organizing and tagging my knowledge, I get to create a valuable Knowledge Base. Over time, its value is compounding. Among other things, the relationships between the concepts, ideas and thoughts I store in my so-called Second Brain are highly valuable. Each link I create helps me strengthen my understanding, build better mental models and uncover more creative solutions to the problems I face. I strongly believe that the links between my notes are as valuable as the notes themselves. Knowledge graphs have emergent properties.

Capturing the historical context of your notes has a ton of value

That's also why I'm now working on the Knowledge Worker Kit, a knowledge base about Personal Organization, Personal Knowledge Management and productivity. In it, and with the associated community, we explore how Knowledge Workers can improve the way they learn, think and work. And there's still a ton to explore 🚀

Knowledge Worker Kit and community (BETA)
Who is this for?You are a Knowledge Worker or Lifelong LearnerYou feel disorganized, unproductive, or overwhelmedYou don’t know how to go to the next levelYou want to learn from someone who’s always on top of thingsI have a proven track record of delivering at work and with my side projects. I have worked as a software developer, team leader, project manager, IT architect, information management specialist, CTO, founder, coach, and solopreneur. I have also written and published 3 books, 300+ articles, courses, YouTube videos, digital products, manage communities, and more! And I did it all with a busy life and kids. My personal system works and helps me achieve my goals consistently.You want a solid system that scalesBeing a Knowledge Worker today is much more challenging than it ever was. Getting started ain’t easy, and there are many traps to fall into. Spare yourself some time and benefit from my experience and battle-tested system. I’ll share everything I know with you: my approach, my systems, my routines, templates, guidance, and more! My mission is to help you avoid the pitfalls of Knowledge Work and empower you through technology.After you finish exploring the guide, you’ll have:Clarity in your life and an obvious path forwardSolid habits, routines, and systemsClear ideas about how to “manage” your careerAn effective approach to learning new thingsSolid knowledge management and personal organization systemsKnowledge about how to organize, plan, control, and manage projects (large and small!)A toolkit to prioritize workA system to manage your tasks at scaleEffective means to focus your attention and manage your timeWork methods that will propel your career forwardWhat is this?I’ve been passionate about information, knowledge management, learning, personal organization, PKM, and productivity for more than 20 years. As an author, blogger, knowledge worker, entrepreneur, coach, and father of 3 kids, I needed effective solutions to be and stay organized, focused, and productive. The Knowledge Worker Kit includes everything I know about these topics, and more!What’s included?WARNING: The Knowledge Worker Kit is in BETA. The content will be added and expanded over time. If you buy access now, you’ll benefit from the lowest price. The product is already available so that I can find early adopters and get as much feedback as possible in order to make it great for everyone.If you buy access to the Knowledge Worker Kit, you’ll get:The user guideAll the templates and guidanceLifetime access to the private community for support and knowledge sharingLifetime access to all community events (meetups, workshops, knowledge-sharing sessions, invited talks, etc)Ask Me Anything (AMA) Q&As with meIn addition, you’ll also get free access to all future updates. Over time, I’ll continue expanding the kit with new ideas, techniques, systems, templates, and more!What’s in the user guide?The user guide is a growing and evergreen knowledge base. It includes detailed explanations covering a wide range of topics that all Knowledge workers should explore:01. Clarity: values, behaviors, goals, non-goals, priorities, and intentions02. Habits, routines, systems, processes and methods03. Career Management and Anticipation04. Learning05. Projects Knowledge Management and Journaling06. Projects Organization07. Planning and Prioritization08. Task Management09. Focus, Attention, Time Management and Action10. Personal Development11. Control: periodic reviews, progress tracking, course-adjustment12. Personal Organization13. WorkThe user guide is a Notion space including tons of articles, how-to guides, guidance, and links to useful templates and resources.You will get to explore the content at your own pace, and to focus on what is useful to you right now, as each section is actionable on its own.Evergreen ContentThe Knowledge Worker Toolkit is going to expand over time. Day after day, week after week. Buy it once, and you will have access to all future updates.Overview of the main topics01. ClarityThis part explores key elements that help bring clarity to one’s life:NeedsValuesPrinciplesGoalsPrioritiesEach of those is important to know what matters, what has value, and what to focus on.02. Habits, routines, systems, processes and methodsThis part explores the base elements of productivity systems:Habits and routinesSystems, processes, and methodsThose are key to building an “effortless” life, requiring as little willpower/motivation as possible to make things happen.03. Career Management and AnticipationThis part focuses on career management: its importance, your responsibility, the mindset you need to acquire, and all the related ideas.04. LearningThis part shares ideas about how to…Learn how you best learnLearn more effectivelyExplore new topicsResearchFilter informationLeverage AI and LLMs…05. Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) and JournalingThis part explores how to collect, organize, and link all your knowledge and information. It explores the main concepts of PKM, note-taking, note-making, tools of the trade, and structures/tips to help you keep everything useful, manageable, and maintainable as your knowledge base grows.It also introduces journaling and how to approach it to support your whole life.06. Projects OrganizationThis part focuses on how to organize projects and their information in a way that enables you and your teams to make focused progress.It shares ideas about how to organize project information, how to document projects, how to organize backlogs, etc.07. Planning and PrioritizationThis part focuses on how to plan projects and tasks, how to deal with deadlines, and how to prioritize work using various methods.08. Task ManagementThis part focuses on task management for personal and professional projects. It explores ways to keep tasks under control, how to organize personal work, and how to make the link between your different backlogs and your day-to-day life.09. Focus, Attention, Time Management and ActionThis part focuses on how to make things happen every single day, regardless of whatever is going on in your life. It’s all about techniques, tips & tricks, and tools to help you better manage your time, focus, and attention in order to ACT.10. Personal DevelopmentThis part explores important aspects of Personal Development that can make a big difference in a Knowledge Worker’s life. A sane mind in a sane body.11. ControlThis part is dedicated to control. How to control your progress, your trajectory, your projects, etc. And also, how to adjust course when things don’t go as expected.12. Personal OrganizationThis part helps better organize yourself and your information. It shares “zen” techniques you can use to remain organized, independently of how much information you have to juggle with.13. WorkThis part is all about WORK. How to do the work, how to improve your attitude, your results, and your recognition. It also dives into how to better collaborate with others to achieve your goals and those of your company/group.

What is the relationship between knowledge and time?

Whatever you learn only represents a partial snapshot of what some people currently think or believe about something. By definition, existing knowledge is incomplete and transient. There will always be new discoveries, improvements, and changes that invalidate previous knowledge. We live in a world of incomplete information and knowledge, and it will always be that way. And that's great. But what does it mean for lifelong learners? Mainly, that knowledge is transient and that its value decays over time. Everything you learn and store or memorize is bound to become more and more distant from what the world as a whole knows and thinks. This has a deep impact on how you should learn, as well as how you should manage your knowledge.

Knowledge is thus tightly coupled with time. The things you know (or think you know) and the notes you take need to be reviewed, revisited and updated regularly. Not doing so de facto leads to incomplete, inaccurate and outdated knowledge.

For instance, what I learned about software development during my studies is now almost entirely bogus. The world has changed a lot. New technologies, techniques and tools have emerged. Those have changed the way we work and think. And it keeps happening. Not only it keeps happening, but it also happens faster and faster.

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How to manage your knowledge through time

Whenever I take or make notes, I keep track of when I learned and captured new information. This enables me to consider how outdated my understanding may be. In turn, this enables me to revisit ideas and update those to reflect the current "state" of the world. This helps me unlearn outdated things, improve my knowledge and create more accurate mental models.

Retrace your journey thanks to the association between knowledge and time

IMHO, managing knowledge through time can only be done if you properly manage your knowledge. Memory is way too weak. It does not comprehend the idea of knowledge versioning, whereas versioning analog or digital information is much easier. If I create a note about software development at T1, its very easy for me to create an updated version at T2, while keeping T1 around for reference. Knowledge versioning is a different topic, but it's very relevant for managing knowledge over time. I mentioned earlier that links are at least as valuable as the notes themselves. To that, I need to add that previous versions of notes and links are also valuable. It's always interesting to observe and reflect on how ideas about a certain topic evolve over time. This can help uncover trends, possible improvements, and so on.

Conclusion

This article barely touches the surface of the relationship between knowledge and time. I hope this piece will get you thinking, and that it will also encourage you to think more seriously about Knowledge Management ❤️