24. A system for note taking (part 1)

TL;DR

Use the daily jot as the time anchor so meeting notes and journaling automatically inherit today’s date.

Briefing Cornell Notes

Briefing

A practical note-taking system in Amplenote hinges on one idea: route every kind of note through a consistent structure that automatically ties it to time, then convert raw material into reusable knowledge. Meeting notes, journaling, and reading notes all start in the “daily jot,” so entries inherit today’s date and become easy to browse later. Before a meeting, a link is added for the meeting type plus the people or team involved; as the meeting runs, notes are written under that heading. Because the notes live inside today’s daily jot, they’re automatically categorized and instantly retrievable—whether the goal is a full list of meetings or a filtered view for a specific person. When it’s time to share or clean up, the notes can be selected and “extract to note” to create a standalone page for that meeting, while leaving behind a link back to the original dated jot.

Journaling uses the same mechanics, with the “meeting” replaced by the self. Typing thoughts directly into the daily jot keeps them chronological, and using “/now” inserts the current time to preserve the order of events throughout the day. For recurring themes, linking with the “@” symbol turns journaling into a topic-based workflow rather than scattered entries. Reading notes follow a two-track approach: web highlights are captured using Ample Cap with a text-capture method, while book highlights are handled by Readwise and imported into Amplote via the Read Wise plugin. That plugin organizes imported highlights into separate notes for each book or article, which are stored in a dedicated “reading notes” folder.

To keep the system from becoming a junk drawer, most notes fall into four “buckets,” each with a tag: reading notes, reference notes, logs, and knowledge notes. Reading notes are raw and intentionally ephemeral—collected from articles or books, then later processed into tasks, reference notes, or knowledge notes. Reference notes are revisited repeatedly because they store information people don’t want to memorize, such as marketing font options, home network technical specs, or the correct motor oil name. Knowledge notes are more evergreen: distilled and formatted so they’re understandable, usable, or shareable later—ranging from school-style summaries to interior design inspiration. Logs are for topics tracked across time (like medical consultations or meetings); these notes are often left empty and linked from the daily jot so the date context remains intact.

Organization and retrieval round out the workflow. Notes are moved to an archive folder when they’re unlikely to be needed again, and once a week untagged notes are reviewed and tagged one by one. Navigation is optimized for speed: “quick open” jumps to notes by title, tag searches help locate notes when titles are forgotten, iOS Spotlight can search by title, and the desktop client’s global note lookup hotkey finds notes even when Amplenote isn’t in focus. Frequently used note/tag combinations can be pinned to the sidebar for instant access.

Cornell Notes

The system centers on using Amplenote’s daily jot as the time anchor for meeting notes, journaling, and other entries. Meeting notes start with a linked meeting type and participant heading, then get extracted into shareable standalone pages while preserving a link back to the dated jot. Journaling mirrors the same structure, using “/now” for timestamps and “@” links for recurring topics. Reading notes are split between web captures via Ample Cap and book highlights imported through the Read Wise plugin from Readwise, organized into a “reading notes” folder. Notes are then sorted into four tagged buckets—reading, reference, knowledge, and logs—so raw material becomes reusable information over time.

How does the daily jot make meeting notes easier to manage later?

Meeting notes are written inside today’s daily jot, so the date context is automatic. Before the meeting, the workflow adds a link for the meeting type and a heading listing the people or team involved. As the meeting progresses, notes are recorded under that heading. At any time, the system supports browsing all meetings or filtering by participant. When needed, selecting the meeting notes and using “extract to note” creates a separate page for sharing or cleanup, while leaving behind a link to the original dated jot so the meeting date is never lost.

What’s the journaling workflow for keeping entries chronological and organized by theme?

Journaling happens by typing directly into the daily jot. If journaling occurs at multiple points during the day, “/now” inserts the current time to maintain a chronological record. For recurring topics, the “@” symbol links the journal entry to a topic, turning scattered reflections into topic-based notes that can be revisited and searched.

How are web and book highlights handled differently, and where do they end up?

Web notes use Ample Cap with a text capture method to grab highlights from articles and pages. Book notes go through Readwise: highlights from books (such as Kindle highlights) are imported into Amplote via the Read Wise plugin. The plugin organizes imported highlights into separate notes for each book or article, and those reading notes are stored in a folder called “reading notes.”

What are the four note “buckets,” and how does each one behave over time?

Notes typically fall into four tagged buckets: (1) reading notes—raw, ephemeral notes from articles/books that later become tasks, reference notes, or knowledge notes; (2) reference notes—information revisited often because it’s not meant to be memorized (e.g., marketing font lists, home network specs, motor oil names); (3) knowledge notes—evergreen, distilled notes formatted for understanding, use, or sharing (e.g., school-style notes, interior design inspiration); and (4) logs—topics tracked across time (e.g., medical consultations, meetings) that are often left empty and linked from the daily jot to preserve date context.

What weekly and archival habits keep the system from accumulating unstructured notes?

When it’s clear a note won’t be needed, it’s moved to an archive folder. Once a week, all untagged notes are reviewed and assigned the correct tags one by one, ensuring notes remain searchable and grouped by interest areas like work, personal, health, film, or beekeeping.

Which navigation tools help find notes quickly in Amplenote?

Quick open lets users jump to a note by title. If the title is forgotten, searching by tag helps locate the note via results. On iOS, Spotlight search supports title-based note lookup. On desktop, the global note lookup hotkey enables jumping to notes even when Amplenote isn’t in focus. For frequently revisited note/tag combinations, pinning them to the sidebar provides fast access.

Review Questions

How does “extract to note” change meeting notes without losing the original date context?
Why are reading notes treated as ephemeral, and what are the typical destinations after processing?
What practical difference exists between reference notes and knowledge notes in how they’re meant to be used?

Key Points

1
Use the daily jot as the time anchor so meeting notes and journaling automatically inherit today’s date.
2
Start meeting notes with linked meeting type and participant/team headings, then write notes under that structure during the meeting.
3
Convert meeting/journal entries into standalone pages with “extract to note” when sharing or cleanup is needed, while keeping a link back to the dated jot.
4
Capture web highlights with Ample Cap and book highlights with Readwise via the Read Wise plugin, then store them in a dedicated “reading notes” folder.
5
Sort notes into four tagged buckets—reading, reference, knowledge, and logs—to prevent raw notes from staying unprocessed.
6
Archive notes when they’re unlikely to be needed and run a weekly pass to tag any untagged notes.
7
Speed up retrieval with quick open, tag searches, iOS Spotlight, desktop global note lookup, and sidebar pinning for frequent combinations.

Highlights

Meeting notes are written inside today’s daily jot, making date-based retrieval automatic and enabling quick filtering by participant.

Journaling stays chronological with “/now” timestamps and becomes theme-based using “@” topic links.

Readwise highlights import into Amplote through the Read Wise plugin and are organized into separate notes per book or article.

Most notes are funneled into four tagged buckets—reading, reference, knowledge, and logs—so raw material turns into reusable information.

Global note lookup and quick open reduce friction when titles are known or when only tags are remembered.

Topics

Meeting Notes
Journaling
Reading Highlights
Note Organization
Navigation Tips