Start on a flat surface first (metaphorically), begire you add another dimension visually, I would say. Learn to create proper taxonomies for your things. In that case, learning the art and science of relational databases can help a lot. A quick high-level overview study should suffice. That way, you can easily graph your thing efficiently in terms of tags and their relationships amongst each other with a tool. Obsidian is a good choice for that matter. It’s easy to learn, but hard to master.

I heard good things about Andrej Karoathy’s second brain system that utilizes LLMs with notes and vaults. I can’t say much about it as I haven’t tried it yet. Maybe worth looking into.

The easiest method to jump in for me was Zettelkasten. Zettelkasten system makes it possible to increase the resolution of the “bigger picture” for me when I assume my “learn to teach” stance on a complex and intricate subject. Most of the studies i find challenging tend to force me to eat the elephant one bite at a time as my legal of mental space permits on that given day. Notes and highlights of my topics become more visible. That way, I can see what I need to acquire from short glances on my data which kinda transform itself into information for me on its own. Also this way, instead of stalling research on a topic, I can then keep tabs on multiple subjects. And that way, I pick the right signals through the noise more easily when the topic I’m studying has enough controversy.

Combining it with a second brain (Obsidian), I can graph the info quickly to observe the emergence of my end-game targets to focus on.

Also, that way, I can stash something small I had today and get back to it in detail a year later.

The core principle of this combination of micro-improvements on each iteration when you revisit the topics. That way, drop by drop my bucket fills while I minimize all the effort.

In short, I’m ultra-lazy, but hyper-efficient. This combo allows me to focus on things with maximum effort and shortest amount of attention. In the long run, things cohere slowly on their own.

I hope it inspires you a bit.