Example

A good workflow can easily turn into a virtuous circle, where the positive experience motivates us to take the next task with ease, which helps us to get better at what we are doing, which in return makes it more likely for us to enjoy the work, and so on.

Any attempts to trick ourselves into work with external rewards are only short-term solutions with no prospect of establishing a positive feedback loop. Feedback loops are not only crucial for the dynamics of motivation, but also the key element to any learning process. Nothing motivates us more than the experience of becoming better at what we do.

If you choose a topic for your paper and work according to the linear model, you will only learn if your choice was wise after multiple stages of research. The same applies to the question of if you understood what you read and if your idea for an argument makes sense. Following a circular approach, on the other hand, allow you to implement many feedback loops, which give you the chance to improve your work while you are working on it.

Reading with a pen in the hand, for example, forces us to think about what we read and check upon our understanding. It is the simple test: We tend to think we understand what we read — until we try to rewrite it in our own words. By doing this, we not only get a better sense of our ability to understand, but also increase our ability to clearly and concisely express our understanding — which in return helps to grasp ideas more quickly. If we try to fool ourselves here and write down incomprehensible words, we will detect it in the next step when we try to turn our literature notes into permanent notes and try to connect them with others.

The ability to express understanding in one's own words is a fundamental competency for everyone who writes — and only by doing it with the chance of realizing our lack of understanding can we become better at it. But the better we become, the easier and quicker we can make notes, which again increases the number of learning experiences.

The same goes for writing permanent notes, which have another feedback loop built-in: Expressing our own thoughts in writing makes us realize if we really though them through. And the best thing about this is that while we learn and become better, our slip-box becomes more knowledgable too. It grows and improves. and the more it grows, the more useful it becomes and the easier it will be for us to make new connections.

The slip-box is not a collection of notes. working with it is less about retrieving specific notes and more about being pointed to relevant facts and generating insight by letting ideas mingle. The more content it contains, the more connections it can provide, and the easier it becomes to add new entries in a smart way and receive useful suggestions.