6 principles when creating a personal knowledge management (PKM) system

I follow these key ideas when building a personal knowledge management system!

1. Keep it simple - I have tried making complex systems to capture notes. However, this created friction when I wanted to use it regularly. Keeping it simple lets me focus on the notes.

2. Focus on the essentials - It’s pretty easy to fill your PKM system with all the content you consume, hoping you will use it one day. But in reality, there is a lot of filler within the content. Taking time to extract essential knowledge will make it easier to use.

3. Define your goals - The PKM becomes a dumping ground for content without a goal. If you have a goal, you learn to pick out the knowledge you need from the content.

4. Decide on the structure of your system - A good structure means processing content and converting it to knowledge is easier without thinking about the workflow.

5. Choose the right tools  - There are many tools to try. Find one and stick with it to build up a PKM.

6. Share and publish your knowledge. Once you have built it, it’s essential to write up what you know and share. By sharing, people will comment and give feedback to improve their knowledge.