Hi, Hello! My name is Sarah - the writer behind redgregory.com.
My Knowledge System
I like to imagine my knowledge system as peeks and valleys with pathways in between. It encourages exploration, taking in observations and connecting other landmarks. Those landmarks transform and grow as more information is added.
Because I spend so much time at these places, the landmarks are easy to recognize. I don't need to label them (categorize) because I already know what they consist of upon a quick glance.
I explored the Zettelkasten method last week to mold this new landscape from my old note-taking system. I particularly like the loose combination of hierarchy, webbed thinking, and multiple knowledge entry points.
My landmarks are built upon a combination of smart tags and connections. I don't need to create overview notes. I really do dislike overview notes. I'd much rather build overview "hubs" from the ground up.
My focus is on history, and particularly medieval history. This research is for a book I've been working on the past year, but mostly for escapism. More on that below.
Which leads me to output.
Here's a thread on why output dictates what program/system one should use. And, of course, I'm all about what works for your you. There is no one-system-fits-all.
Output dictates needs, and Notion is the best for my needs. While researching Zettelkasten, I found that Notion still has limitations in regards to fully transferring into this method (search is still weak), but back-linking has opened a door, at the very least, to minimizing relational properties and building "idea" hubs.
... of which Zettelkasten principles rely on and I am interested in introducing.
I prepared a video to illustrate the Zettelkasten and how I use its principles inside my new landscape. It took me a long time to sit down and create with confidence. Much longer than usual. I could only manage one upload this week as a result.
My insecurities are getting in the way of celebrating this success
the following is a rant beware! 😂of which probably looks like a cry for help. These mental checks may be a new staple of my newsletters.
In addition to my last video about tagging, this is my favorite video on the channel. Hands down. Well, initially. The content is exactly what I want to convey, and It is exactly the direction I want to head in. I'm proud of it. Finally, I'm happy with the structure ... hit upload.
Then I got a fair bit of criticism about the video's structure. lol. 🤷♀️
Mostly about the quickness, and not explaining everything in the way I usually do. I flew through ideas too quickly I suppose. It's a bummer, but the video is preforming very well so I'm not beating myself up too much.
With that being said, I've been in my head the past month.
I've been volunteering lately to help me zoom out a bit, which is helping a lot. But I am deep in the fog of "what's even the point?" mentality.
Escaping into history has always been my way out, making timelines, and having fun in excel with alternate historical scenarios. Also a baseball card game called strato-matic baseball (I don't care for baseball. I just like manipulating the stats on the player cards). I've been escaping less and less but I'd like to get back into it. I'm planning on making content just about history in a different space.
Point is, making videos is really making me crazy. It takes a lot of work and there's not much mental reward short-term. Long-term, it's totally worth it and I get very excited about making the videos, but it's certainly been very hard to publish them. It wasn't this way a couple months back. I wonder why I'm so stressed now?
I need to push through this despite the mental roadblocks because I see an opportunity to grow and make something I enjoy. Yea, I could go back to just written content, expand there (I'm starting to make some coin which is sweet), and start spreading my wings across more domains.
But here's the thing. I have a track record for quitting, most notably, dropping out of school over public speaking in a poetry class (I wish I was kidding). And I've quit most jobs I've had (If you want to hire me, I am kidding about this one).
No quitting this time! I'll be more upset if I don't face my fears, hide away with my books again, and just get by with the help of my lovely mother, avoiding challenges whenever they come my way.
You ever heard of stoicism? I need to get on that. Also therapy probably.
Idea Development
I like approaching content as inspiration hits. When I open a plain document, I usually don't leave the page until the idea is realized, broken into segments with screenshots and a step by step process for a tutorial or written content. I publish immediately.
However, I want to slow down and think about what I'm publishing from now on. Quality over quantity. Here is a little setup I made a few months ago to aid idea development. I'm returning to it →
Highest Performing Tweet
I'm geeking out over this tweet. Ali Abdaal gave me a nice comment, and it brightened the dim mood I was in given the above spiral. He's a huge inspiration for my content, so life isn't all bad, huh?
My Mood Last Week
Boy, the past month has been a rollercoaster, rather a flat road of negativity, but my spirits are much higher lately.
