When I’m reading or otherwise taking things in, I can use the following criteria to determine if I want to keep something. When I keep something, I’m identifying it as a seed that might cultivate or work well in my garden. I need to be willing to work with the seeds I collect; thus a seed should meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Does it inspire me? This is something that is exciting, that causes a burst of new thinking.
- Is it useful? This is something that contributes directly to a project.
- Is it relevant? This is something that is connected—even loosely—to a project, conversation, or something else.
- Is it personal? This is something that means something to me, even if it’s not something I’m working on…yet.
- Is it surprising? This is something that Tiago Forte describes well, “Surprise is an excellent barometer for information that doesn’t fit neatly into your existing understanding, and thus has the potential to change how you think.”
Seed Source:
Tiago Forte, How to Create More & Consume Less in 2024
Over the years, I've become extremely picky with what I save. I apply the following four criteria to decide exactly which nuggets of knowledge are worth keeping: Does it inspire me? Inspiration is a rare and precious experience. Essential for doing your best work but impossible to call up on demand. You can google the answer to a question, but you can’t "google a feeling." By keeping a collection of inspiring quotes, photos, ideas, and stories you can evoke a sense of inspiration more regularly. Is it useful? Keep information that might come in handy in the future and would be difficult to obtain again, such as a statistic, a reference, a research finding, or a helpful diagram. Is it personal? Your own thoughts, reflections, memories, and mementos are some of the most valuable kinds of information to keep. No one else has access to the wisdom you’ve personally gained from a lifetime of conversations, mistakes, victories, and lessons learned. Is it surprising? If you’re not surprised by a piece of information, then you already know it at some level. So why take note of it? Surprise is an excellent barometer for information that doesn’t fit neatly into your existing understanding, and thus has the potential to change how you think. (View Highlight)