You’re Creating Content the Hard Way

Once you’ve created a Zettelkästen, you’ll never go back.

That weird German word describes a system for note-taking and writing that dates back over 300 years. It predates anything the big tech boffins at Cupertino and San Fran want us to use, too. So you don’t need to worry about Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, updates, or fancy-pad subscriptions.

I have thousands of notes inside my personal Zettelkästen. Some of my notes are no longer than a sentence or two. Others contain hundreds of words and pics. I add to my note library every morning. I usually draw ideas from other books, courses, videos, and random things that happened during the day.

It takes about 15 minutes– a daily practice, if you will. I’ve notes inside my Zettelkästen detailing…

• Future newsletter ideas
• Clickable subject lines for said emails
• Social media posts and snappy hooks
• Odd Factoids like the one about Jaak Panksepp, aka the Rat Tickler (Google it!)
• Tried and tested AI prompts
• Unusual quotes
• Stories from the front line of writing online, like the time a prison inmate wrote in
• Odd things my kids said, like when I caught my six-year-old combing his hair to cover up “a bald spot”
• Future courses and offers to create
• Analogies and metaphors
• Parables
• Fun factoids and stats

To the untrained eye, my library of notes is a mess of disconnected ideas. Some of these notes will never go further than my computer. But I usually draw a few notes together until they turn into a newsletter, article, YouTube video, course or a book chapter.

Capture an idea - Connect it to another idea - Rewrite it - Press publish.

I call this process little writing. It’s an unusual way to work, but I’ve met so many writers and creators who face the flashing cursor or publish button with dread. They force themselves to “do the work” through sheer willpower. Or they send a flare up to ChatGPT… and wonder why the results are sooo boring and generic.

Creating with a Zettelkästen is much easier than forcing yourself to “do the work”. I don’t need to spend hours in the chair, sweat dripping down my brow, willing a piece of content into existence. My Zettelkästen helped me write my last book in half the time it usually takes.

These days, when I fire up ChatGPT or Claude, I already have a draft for something I want to say. AI can help me refine it, but I don’t let it tell me what to do.

My Zettelkästen is software agonistic, too. Some days, I manage my library of notes with the latest writing app de jour. Lately, I’m using a barebones writing app that cost me a princely $15. My Zettelkästen doesn’t care what app I use. You can even try paper notes and index cards.

The Zettelkasten Method isn’t for creators looking for shortcuts or instant results. If you’re unwilling to invest 15 minutes daily in capturing ideas, your Zettelkästen is another inbox.

It is, however, ideal for creators who play the long game. For creators who want to create what AI can never generate or copy. For creators who want to stay in good company.

George Carlin, Ronald Reagan, and Anne Lamott all kept a type of Zettelkästen. You can too. If you want help setting yours up, I got you. Check this out.