Building My Own Personal Knowledge Management System

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Key Takeaways Up Front:

  • Effective knowledge management improves learning, retention, and application of information.
  • Regular collection and processing of knowledge from diverse sources builds a comprehensive system.
  • Customizable tools like OpenProject can be adapted for personal knowledge management needs.
  • The system should align with individual preferences and work styles for consistent use.

In our fast-paced digital age, we’re constantly bombarded with information. While access to knowledge has never been easier, retaining and effectively using that knowledge has become increasingly challenging. This is where knowledge management comes into play.

Knowledge management is the process of creating, sharing, using, and managing knowledge and information within an organization or, in this case, for personal use. It’s so crucial that there’s even an international standard for it: ISO 30401:2018, which defines requirements for knowledge management systems. The primary goals of knowledge management include improving efficiency, enhancing decision-making, fostering innovation, and preserving institutional knowledge.

Recognizing the importance of effective knowledge management, I embarked on a project to develop a personal knowledge management system. This project has transformed how I learn, remember, and apply information.

The Need for a Personal Knowledge Management System

My motivation for creating this system stemmed from several key factors:

  • Combating forgetfulness: I found myself forgetting important details from books, videos, and podcasts I had consumed. It was frustrating to know I had encountered valuable information but couldn’t recall it when needed.
  • Enhancing information retrieval: When I needed specific information, I often spent too much time searching through various sources. I needed a more efficient way to access my accumulated knowledge.
  • Improving decision-making processes: Quick access to relevant information is crucial for making informed decisions. I wanted a system that could support this process effectively.
  • Viewing knowledge as a critical asset: I’ve always believed that knowledge is one of the most valuable assets we can possess. This perspective drove me to create a system that would help me retain and grow this asset.

Scope and Content

The system I developed covers a wide range of topics that interest me:

  • Historical subjects from the earliest days of human civilization to modern times
  • Technical areas like software engineering
  • Financial topics such as investments
  • Ideas and paradigms
  • Practical subjects like forestry and physical education

I made a conscious decision to prioritize knowledge over mere information. The goal was to capture insights, concepts, ideas and principles that remain relevant over time, rather than transient facts that quickly become outdated. However, this doesn’t mean I completely avoided recording information. In fact, for some entries in my knowledge management system, I found it beneficial to structure the content around three key questions: “What” (information), “How” (knowledge), and “Why” (wisdom). This approach allowed me to include relevant information while still emphasizing the deeper understanding and application of knowledge.

Technical Implementation

After considering various options, I settled on the following technical approach:

  • Using OpenProject as the core tool
    • I created a custom “knowledge” tracker type within OpenProject
    • This allowed me to leverage built-in features like version control and custom attributes
    • For each piece of knowledge, I can link or attach the original source and any related files, providing context and allowing for deeper exploration when needed.
  • Tracking knowledge authors: When available, I note the original author of the knowledge, which helps in tracing ideas back to their sources.
  • Hosting on a personal web server: This ensures my knowledge base is accessible from anywhere in the world, whenever I need it.
  • Regular collection and processing:
    • I collect topics almost on a daily basis daily from a wide variety of sources
    • Initially, I place new information in a staging location where I jot down the most important points in short form
    • Usualy the same or next day, I write a more comprehensive summary
  • Personal touch in summarization:
    • I experimented with using generative AI tools to create summaries of videos, books, and other sources
    • However, I wasn’t satisfied with the results as the AI didn’t always prioritize points that I considered important and it omitted them
    • I realized there’s a degree of personal preference or opinion in determining what’s truly important
    • To preserve these subjective “gems” of insight, I decided to maintain a hands-on approach to summarization combined with AI assistance

Design Decisions

Few design decisions shaped my system:

  • Choosing tags over hierarchical organization:
    • Instead of a rigid hierarchy, I use tags to categorize knowledge
    • This allows for multi-dimensional categorization, where a single piece of knowledge can exist in multiple contexts
    • It provides greater flexibility in how I represent and connect different ideas
  • I opted for trackers over wiki pages because they offer several key advantages:
    • Status tracking: Trackers allow me to monitor the progress of items through various stages, providing a clear overview of their current state.
    • Customizable fields: Unlike wiki pages, trackers offer the flexibility to add custom attributes tailored to my specific needs.
    • Comments: While trackers offer a built-in commenting system that supports discussion and collaboration, I primarily utilize comments for note-taking and jotting down reminders.
    • Baseline comparisons: This feature enables me to track changes over time and compare current states against previous baselines.
    • Advanced filtering and sorting: Trackers provide multiple ways to filter and sort information, making it easier to find and analyze relevant data.

Benefits and Outcomes

Implementing this system has yielded significant benefits:

  • Faster and more efficient information retrieval: I can now quickly find relevant knowledge when I need it, saving time in the process.
  • Improved retention of important concepts: The act of summarizing and tagging knowledge helps reinforce my understanding and memory of key ideas.
  • Enhanced decision-making capabilities: Having quick access to a wide range of relevant knowledge supports more informed and effective decision-making.
  • Continuous growth of personal knowledge base: The system encourages me to actively engage with new information, constantly expanding my knowledge base.

Conclusion

Creating this personal knowledge management system has been a transformative experience for my learning and productivity. It’s not just a tool, but a new way of engaging with information that has enhanced my ability to learn, remember, and apply knowledge.

It’s important to note that there are many excellent tools and approaches available for personal knowledge management. Everyone should choose or develop a system that aligns with their individual preferences, work style, and needs. What works best for one person may not be ideal for another. The key is to find or create a system that you’ll consistently use and that effectively supports your learning and knowledge retention goals.

Whether you opt for a digital tool like I did, or prefer a more traditional approach like physical notebooks or index cards, the most crucial aspect is that your chosen system helps you capture, organize, and retrieve knowledge efficiently. As you explore different methods, don’t be afraid to experiment until you find what works best for you.

And remember to pass on your knowledge, for it’s one of the rare resources that grows when shared.

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