As someone who’s spent over two decades dancing through the realms of education, technology, and knowledge management, I’ve seen firsthand how challenging it can be to keep our mental libraries organized.
You know that feeling when you can’t find that brilliant idea you had last week?
Yeah, we’ve all been there!
In this blog, I want to share some practical wisdom about managing knowledge in our everyday lives. And no, this isn’t another «download this app and all your problems will vanish» kind of post. Let’s get real about what actually works!
Why Should You Care about Knowledge Management?
Before we dive into the how-to’s, let me share a quick story.
Last week, I was working with a group of knowledge workers at the ETH Library, and one of them sighed, «Roman, I feel like my brain is a browser with 100 tabs open!» Sound familiar?
Having 100 tabs open isn’t just about mental clutter – it’s a symptom of cognitive overload. When we keep too many tabs open, we’re:
- Draining our brain’s memory and slowing down performance
- Splitting our attention between too many topics, reducing our ability to focus deeply
- Creating anxiety – that constant feeling that we’re missing something important
- Wasting mental energy trying to remember what’s in each tab
Here’s the thing: it’s not about opening more tabs and consuming more content – it’s about making sense of what we already have.
As someone who’s helped countless professionals, from corporate managers to academic researchers, I’ve seen how proper knowledge management can transform chaos into clarity.
Some of my routines
Here are some of my personal routines that have proven invaluable in managing knowledge effectively:
Morning capture: I start each day with a 15-minute session to capture key thoughts, ideas, and priorities in my digital workspace. Commuting in the train, on the bike or in your car can give you exactly the needed time to do that.
End-of-day reflection: Before finishing work, I spend 10 minutes reviewing and organizing the day’s notes, ensuring everything is properly tagged and linked.
Weekly knowledge audit: Every Friday, I dedicate 30 minutes to reviewing my collected information, identifying patterns, and creating meaningful connections between different pieces of knowledge.
Monthly content creation: I transform my most valuable insights into shareable content—blog posts, presentations, or internal documentation. This process helps solidify my understanding while benefiting others. If you’re not comfortable publishing publicly, consider developing a personal journaling practice instead.
Cross-platform integration: I maintain a seamless flow between my various tools (Notion, digital calendar, task manager) to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
These routines have evolved over years of experimentation and have become the backbone of my personal knowledge management system.
The Real-World Impact of Knowledge Management
Let me be straight with you – I’m not just theorizing here. Through my work with organizations like Get More Brain and various educational institutions, I’ve witnessed firsthand how proper knowledge management can:
- Save hours of time previously spent searching for information (Who hasn’t spent 20 minutes looking for that one document?)
- Reduce stress and mental load (Your brain isn’t meant to be a storage device!)
- Spark new ideas through unexpected connections
- Make learning stick better than traditional note-taking methods
So, let’s dive into the practical stuff in this blog. I promise to keep it real, sprinkle in some humor, and share actual techniques that have worked for me and my clients.
