Writing notes whilst you read

I once told a friend about my daily pre-pandemic tube journey into work reading as much of the Financial Times as possible. I felt it was important to get a good overview of global affairs each morning and utilise the time most productivity, but admitted that on many days I wouldn't even be able to remember many of the articles by the afternoon.

I wrote last November about the value in conducting an information audit. It's an examination of the information we consume on a daily basis, with the view to reducing or cutting out those sources which could be having some negative impact, say due to wasting time or biasing our world view.

I implemented this in my own life by removing certain types of news from my day (I no longer watch any live politics and instead read summaries of key points), and reducing the number of news articles I read on a given day. I would curate a list each morning of articles I felt most relevant and interesting, and gradually read them over the course of the day. I felt I utilised my time better and retained more important knowledge.

Writing notes as you read

In 2023 I've adopted a new approach to reading the news which I wanted to share with you, as I believe it allows for getting more out the time you spend consuming any information, be that the news, a book, a podcast.

I have a word doc open on my computer and every day for each piece of financial news I read, I note the title and write a short sentence about the key point I have taken away from the piece and the most important implications. On platforms that allow reader comments, I do not read any until after writing my note.

The combination of the informational audit and this new approach to consuming news had led to me being more intentional with the information I am consuming, and improved my retention of it, as well as spending more time critically evaluating it and drawing my own conclusions and implications. Overall I get more out of the time spent reading it, for a minimal increase in time invested.

Implementation idea

Consider writing brief notes on information you consume. In the case of books and podcasts, focus on ways to implement the information in your own life.

I hope this simple suggestion leads to getting more out of the time you put in.

Best, Alex Joshi.

On my bedside table:

A new addition; I'll share interesting things I've read or listened to in the past week.

• Podcast: Huberman Lab - Improving sleep (link)

• Non-fiction: The power of words, Mariano Sigman (ES) (link)

• Fiction: Winter in Madrid, C.J. Sampson (link)

And finally, if you're enjoying this content and know people that would get value from this newsletter, please forward it on, it would also support me massively. Thank you!