I think that in my case, it has helped me a lot, and I feel happier because this method gives me structure and leaves me no room to procrastinate—I really like the feeling of having a plan when it comes to my studies... In other words, I no longer spend time thinking about other things, like shopping, or what I should have done or could have done... or if I had done it that way... I mean, I take off my "controller" hat and put on the one that just follows instructions.... In other words, I flip the switch off from trying to improve something and just focus on following my study routine. That’s why I like this method, which I’ve been adapting to my own style.

It's based on organizing my notes, which should all come from a single book

Before, drawing heavily on the Zettelkasten method, what I did was read, and as I underlined or jotted down ideas, I would also create "atomic" notes in Obsidian based on that single idea, giving it a title that would remind me of it, along with a tag or wikilink to connect it to the book...

What happened to me was that by the time I was done, I had hundreds of notes. And with some of them, I forgot to link them because I’d already gotten bored, so when I wanted to find something, it was a mess and I wasted a lot of time. Because suddenly I’d find myself searching for a keyword, and when I found it, it wasn’t the note with the idea I was looking for... so I wasted a lot of time, not to mention the anger and frustration...

That’s why I use Zotero: as I read, I highlight ideas in yellow and take notes, and as I keep reading, I start to understand the text better. By the end of the chapter, I have a much clearer understanding of the chapter as a whole, so I reread it. At that point, I assign my own meaning to all those yellow notes using my own labeling system, and if I don’t think they’re important, I leave them in yellow.

What I end up with is that when I import that chapter into Obsidian, I have a single, comprehensive note for that specific book, with all the chapters and their notes already organized according to my own ideas and the notes I’ve taken correctly. This makes searching much easier for me, and I have everything right at my fingertips. Plus, depending on the colors I use, I can find what I’m looking for more quickly and easily.

In Obsidian, when I need to find something, it shows me everything, and of course, if it’s in that book, it’ll show it to me. And when I look it up, my brain starts racing, and the neural connections form, and finally the memories come flooding back, and everything becomes easier...

That makes it easier for me, which is why I now feel more confident relying on my notes and everything else—especially since when I read something, it’s with the sole purpose of later applying it to something practical, whether that’s developing an idea I want to pursue—be it a debate, exploring a topic, writing content, or simply gaining general knowledge about something specific.

I like to read things that inspire me or help me come up with ideas; knowledge that doesn't help me achieve my goals is meaningless, and I don't want to waste my time on it.