Hello Reader,

Do you have notebooks filled with ideas, digital folders overflowing with articles, and a lifetime of experience you’re struggling to channel?

You’re not alone.

One of the challenges of working for yourself as an independent professional is establishing yourself as an authority in your field, and getting started on that can feel messy and overwhelming.

The next Wisepreneurs episode helps with this when I speak with Sönke Ahrens, author of How to Take Smart Notes, about turning this information chaos into a powerful system for thinking, writing, and activating your intellectual assets.

Guest spotlight: Sönke Ahrens on activating your wisdom

This conversation fits into two key categories I explore on the podcast: Cognitive Vitality and Relational Branding & Thought Leadership.

• Cognitive Vitality is about keeping your mind sharp and engaged by sustaining your mental agility through meaningful work and learning.
• Relational Branding & Thought Leadership focuses on shaping your legacy with authentic influence by sharing your expertise to build a lasting, meaningful legacy.

Sönke demystifies the Zettelkasten (or “slip-box”) method, explaining that it is much more than a filing system; it is your personal space to collect, combine, and develop your own knowledge.

The focus is not on passively archiving other people’s ideas, but on enriching information with your own experience and understanding.

Note taking as active thinking

As Sönke explains, this process turns note-taking into a form of active thinking. By putting your thoughts into your own words and connecting them, you are prompted to engage in “proper thinking in writing”.

He stresses how much easier it is to work on something intellectually when you have it in front of you instead of trying to remember ideas that you want to write about in your head.

The structure emerges from the bottom up as you link ideas, which sparks new insights and helps you develop the unique perspective needed to become a thought leader.

This method transforms the overwhelming task of writing into a series of small, manageable steps, allowing you to build on your intellectual assets over time.

The key takeaway is that your most valuable work emerges from the connections you make between ideas.

As Sönke states in the episode:

“I think we cannot underestimate how much easier it is to work on something intellectually when you have it in front of you instead of trying to do it all in your head.”

This isn’t just an organisational tool; it’s a fundamental part of your promotional strategy.

Building your personal brand or authority

To build a personal brand and establish yourself as a thought leader, you must continuously curate your reputation by creating and sharing valuable content. You already have the expertise and career capital. A smart note-taking system is the engine that helps you connect your knowledge, develop unique insights, and consistently generate the content that keeps you top of mind.

Micro-sprint: your first step to smart notes

If you are like me, you are probably overwhelmed by past notes. I have several thousand myself and have made the mistake of just archiving highlights from books I have read.

Sönke explains that instead of just saving highlights, you should capture one simple idea per note, written in your own words. This process allows you to truly understand and explain what you have read. Unless we have this understanding and a simple way to find the idea again, the thoughts are just lost to us.

Sönke suggests a simple approach that doesn’t involve sorting through the old mess. As you have accumulated a lifetime of wisdom, this method may just be the to unlocking it.

Try this “Brain Dump” micro-sprint to move forward today:

• Open a blank page in a notebook or a simple digital tool like Craft or Google Docs.
• Write down everything you are currently interested in exploring, thinking, or writing about.
• Group these points into a few core themes or open questions that are motivating you now.
• Use this as your starting scaffold to attach new ideas to, building momentum without the pressure of reorganising the past

Ready to transform your knowledge into influence? Listen to the full conversation with Sönke Ahrens, which will be released on Friday. https://wisepreneurs.com.au/​

Sönke has a paid online course on how to use his system using the note taking app Obsidian (free), in the show notes out Friday he is offering a 20% discount on this course, so it may be a good way to get started with digital note taking.

If you feel it’s time to build your own system for thought leadership and attract clients with your wisdom, you may like to explore how coaching can provide the structure and support you need.
See https://wisepreneurs.com.au/services/purposeful-coaching-women-60-plus/​
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Cheers
Nigel Rawlins
Wisepreneurs