It is 2+ weeks since I start a Service to provide fieldnotes and cards. The first packs I sent to my friends just begin to arrive their home. I'm happy to receive emails that reports the arrival of packs and first impression :)

This week end, I reorganized packages to distribute broader. Now, new Trial pack (1 fieldnote + 1 indexcard) and Combo pack (5 fieldnote + 5 indexcard) are available to you.

The pack starts from $8. It will make much easier to introduce the fieldnote and cards. The packs are for who just want touch how the fieldnote and cards.

Now the amounts in the Indexcard Pack and Fieldnote Pack is reduced from 10 to 5. As you see, I have struggled to send the products in reasonable and simple way, from the beginning of this service. I have to think postal fee, how to pack, total price, etc. My policy is that a stationery must not be expensive since it is used in daily base. Consisting pack, as I have been doing, is the best solution for both you and me. And this way, a postal fee doesn't change even I send two or more packs to you at once.

Updated 2007.01.17 08:20 : Remove DIY, and return to Pack again. Some excuse.

A "Trackback" feature of a weblog is useful to know which article refer to own article.

We can take advantage of this feature into indexcard. And this is quite easy. I introduced how to link between cards. Just reverse of the link. I use a red pen for emphasis. If there is many trackbacks on a card, it indicates the card is useful.

This idea is originally from a comment by riclav at flickr.

The picked up cards are returned in a original position of a chronological order. This becomes hard if I pick up a lot of card at once. If it is too hard, I hesitate to pick up cards from the dock.

An easiest way to overcome this problem is to mark the positions of picked up cards. If I use post-it, however, I have to mark, say 30, every time.

I invent a a trick to use indexcard itself as position marker (picture above). When I pick up a card, raise a card just behind. The right-hand side is exposed to know the date stamp of raised card. When return the picked up cards, see the compare the timestamps, and return. This trick reduces effort to find a certain time from the sequence of card in the dock.

If this process is fun enough, it increase a chance to review cards in the dock. :)

In the PoI system, number of card increase with 10 - 20 per day. If I review cards of the week at weekend, I have to review 70 - 140 cards. It is hard to do every week for lazy person like me.

Rather, daily review become much important and easier. Following is what I have been trying.

1. When I leave office, I take out all cards I have written in the day, by using KM2P.
   
2. Before sleep, I pick them up, and remind what I wrote that day, work, life, together.
   
3. Try to remember the cards In a bed. Morning through night, chronologicaly
   
4. Next morning, review the cards again briefly.
   
5. Leave "life" cards in the "life" dock, and take "work" cards to office.
   
6. Put "work" cards to "work" dock at office.
   

This is a story I actually generate gem from stones.

I had had terrible headache for long time. It squeezed my brain. I couldn't concentrate to my work with it. But my health had no problem. I talked to a doctor, colleague, and supervisors ; and they gave same answer ; it is mental reason.

I had started reading book about brain and mental. Also I go to gym and begin swimming to overcome physically. But nothing had changed about the headache. Only progress I got was knowledge about brain and swimming skill. One day, I try to track record of the headache with my system. I had recorded about my health as daily (i.e. Record card). In terrible case, I record the condition on independent Record card. I search my Life Dock, and pick them up all.

Between the Record cards, I found interesting pattern. I had never had headache on Saturday and Sunday. Then what is different between week day and week end. It's simple : Go to office or not. Then It is really due to mental or human relationship? Nope. It seems opposite, the headache cause mental depression. Mentally, o.k., physically, o.k. ; what is the source? Then what about food and drink. A food won't be so different. I drink coffee and tea frequently both in my room, and office. Then the problem is coffee or tea itself?. Negative ; I drink same brand in both place. Then what about water? Water? But I couldn't believe a quality is so different.

Next day, I tried it anyway. Simply, just didn't drink coffee in my office. And the results is obvious. I didn't have the headache. I tried it next couple of days to confirm repeatability. And again, I didn't have headache. I finally found a solution : Source of my headache is the water in my office. But I still couldn't believe this result. A water is too usual. But it was biased by common sense. Long time I was blind due to the common sense. And only my card system knew the truth. Now I'm free from the terrible headache.

We find ; take a photo ; forget ; and remember again.

What about idea in our mind? An idea is abstract and invisible : It is impossible to take a photo.

But we have indexcard and fieldnote. We can take a snapshot of our idea with them, like taking snapshot of scene.

It is frequently asked "what about introduce Noguchi Filing to your system?". Noguchi filing system works well to keep filing sytem dynamic. It is, however, obviously doesn't work with the PoI system, at least for me. I knew this fact empilically. I had struggled how to explain this for people, and even for myself.

After jeevs gave me constructive comments at flickr, I clearly realized why it doesn't work.

In the Noguchi filing system, number of file added in the system is, though it is largely depends on a person, couple of files per day, or even lesser. Plus, several piece of files are compiled in an envelope. It reduces number of file in the system. A review is more frequent than file addition. It can be expressed following simple equation.

Noguchi : Frequency of adding files < Frequency of review

In the PoI system, number of cards increase with the order of ten, much more faster than filing system everyday. In addition, there is nothing to compile each card ; information is naked. For review process, I do it not in constant like "week review" but when I need or just want it. The frequency is once per two weeks or even lesser. If I introduced Noguchi type review rules to the PoI system, the revised cards are easily buried by new cards (seen picture above). This situation is expressed as,

PoI : Frequency of adding card >> Frequency of review

The only difference of the two equations is the sign of inequality. But it makes huge difference between the two system. Noguchi filing system works well for the sign "<" (or "=") and not for ">>".

* : p : plain, pp : plain printable, r : ruled, rl : ruled library,
rv : ruled vertical, rs : ruled sticky, q : quadrille, c : color
** : For quadrille card

ref. : Reports by Leopard, Gregkise, John, Ayalan, and David.
and Photo @ flickr by Alina Mikadze, and by Kaj

Any additional information is welcome :)

Revised 2007.01.06 08:27 : Add grid spacing
Revised 2007.01.04 00:12 : Correction for L!fe's card after Kaj's comments.

My work on this site is licensed under Creative Commons License. You can freely distribute my works, including all text on this site as well as photo on flickr, under the license (ver. 2.0 for flickr photo).

That is, you can cite the text and photo on your blog, use for educational purpose, save on your HDD, and share with your friends without permission, unless you earn money or do business using my works. All you need is to put my name "Hawk Sugano" or "hawkexpress" somewhere together. Please read license condition for detail.

I wish this will help your intellectual activity. ;)

According to the statistics of my system, at the beginning this year, it was only 20 cards per month. But in March, it jumps to 400 cards, which records the maximum through this year.

The differences in February and March are,

• hipsterPDA format (portrait) to PoI format (landscape)
  
• Pigment pen ; black ink to blue ink
  
• implementation of four card rule
  
• implementation of Icon and Tag rule
  
• chronological order in a card box
  

From a curiosity, I wonder how many cards I wrote this year. Here I use indexcards in the "life" dock as a sample for simplicity. The card system for "work" is extended PoI and more complicated than "life".

Since it takes some time to count them one by one, I used trick to count easily.

1. Measure a weight of the cards of each month, by using a scale.
   
2. Divide the weight by 1.5, that is a weight of single card in gram (150g for 100 papers).
   

I have been preparing to provide the starter kit, and just finished. Now I'm ready to take your order. You can order Correct's indexcard, dock, and Kokuyo's fieldnote via the Service page. I accept a credit card and PayPal account for payment . For a moment, the postal fee is 10 % off. :)

Please let me know if you have question. Please use comments below, or send me an email.

I wish your merry X'mas and happy new year!

Revised 2006.12.30 00:22 : Add photo of the packs.

I call a state of my Dock like this title. I have never think my Dock as gem box. There are gems, but not all. And it's totally o.k.

See a Pyramid in Egypt. It is constructed by pile of stones. The stones is useless if it is divided one by one. But if a stone is uniform block and well organized, even though single block is useless, it is possible to become such a great construction.

Even group of several stones, it is possible to metamorphose into a gem. As Josh and Jamie wrote before (here and here), we are trying to find pattern between our individual thoughts, events around us. If we could find a pattern from several "stone" cards, the knowledge generate new "gem" card.

Conversely, if my Dock is full bunch of gems, it means I try to write and select only gem all time. It will be stressful. And the system doesn't succeed to function as capturing "any" idea.

There are tons of stone card, tiny and apparently useless ideas, in my Dock. But I don't know their true worth at the time I write them. As Steve Jobs said, all we can do is to connect dots (cards) backward. So I don't trash any single card. Rather, I keep all of them for future use.

Division of an indexcard and fieldnote can be easily understood through a metaphor on computer.

brain = CPU / Fieldnote = Virtual Memory (HDD) / indexcards+Dock = HDD

Main use of the fieldnote in the PoI system is temporal idea capturer. Almost all topics on the fieldnote will be copied to indexcard and stored in the dock later. Simple to-dos, buying toilet paper for example, are processed on fieldnote without copying to indexcard.

The fieldnote reduce an effort to remember/remind stuffs. It helps to increase one's brain usage as Central Processing Unit (CPU). Our brain could work as vaporous, if we have reliable virtual memory and HDD behind.

ref. : Cunfucius, The Analects, Translation by Hawk
ref. : Shibusawa Eiichi, Commentary on the Analects, 2004.
ref. : Beautiful calligraphy by flickr user Kanko*

Cunfucius (in Japanese, Koushi) is great chinese philosopher in 2,500 years ago. This quote is one of his famous superb in "The Analects". There are many interpritation for the original golden words seen in the picture. For example, worship own ancestors, warm up old friendship, learn from history, etc. (Shibusawa, 2004). Here, I interpret and translate it according to my experience on indexcard.

Same rules with indexcard are applied for the fieldnote.

• Chronological order : Write everything in order it emerges. Life, work, complicated idea, simple idea.
  
• Four Icons : Record, Discovery, GTD, and Reference.
  
• Time stamp : I put date stamp on top of every page with rubber stamp. Time stamp is made sometimes. I interpolate time when I copy to indexcard. Again, accuracy is not so important. Rather, uniqueness is a key to define absolute name.
  

• it uses indexcard in portrait (vertical). This is troublesome not only for writing format in this system, but also when storing in the Dock. Conversely, it is difficult to use hPDA in landscape (horizontal) because It doesn't fit for hand.
  
• it is impossible to write better letter on hPDA. In this system, an indexcard is data which consists a database. It means we should write in better letter for good visibility.
  
• it is dissipative. It hold just with a single clip. But I really don't want lost my cards. Also, I used to wash hPDA together with shirts...
  

Field note (野帳, Yacho) is mainly used by surveying engineer, field scientist etc. for long time. Kokuyo, a Japanese largest stationery company, sells fieldnote in several format with sketch book (quadrille), level book, etc. Of course, I use quadrille one. It seems the Kokuyo's fieldnote is the only solution in Japan.

Umesao and Kitagawa, according to their books, seems to use this kind of fieldnote since they are field scientist. I have been using the fieldnote on my job, too. Through my experience, I found I can use it not only for field work, but also personal idea capturing media.

I hack the fieldnote by adding elastic band as you see in the picture above. It enables to put a pencil between current writing pages. I use a pencil itself as bookmark. I open current page in a second.

I use other things to enhance this sytem. The main contributer for the support system is a Fieldnote. This is used as temporal memory. The another is Moleskine Memo Pocket. It is modified to carry an indexcard.

I decide to start "tiny business", smaller than "small business", to provide Japanese indexcard and dock for someone who really want this system in hand. This is highly motivated by my experience in U.S ; it was enough shocking to push me to move. Also, it seems the Correct doesn't responds to email from abroad.

Now I export the Correct's product personally to you, using my spare time. I provide "Starter Kit" with,

* 5x3 size, quadrille
** The amount you will consume in 1.5 - 3 months

I guarantee a quality of the products. I will ship to U.S., Europe, Asia, everywhere in the world. Let's share experience. ;)

Revised : 2006.12.21 21:03 I bought scale today. I found the postal fee must be corrected. Especially for Dock. It will be much higher. :/ I will update this article with new price table.

News : 2006.12.23 09:06 I have been preparing new order page.
News : 2006.12.26 20:01 New "Service" Page available

What is surprise for me with quad (short for "quadrille") card in U.S. is, as Lepard and Gregkise pointed out, the cut is not associated with the grid. As a result, if I see the card's edge from top, the grid is totally random. This quad card could not be use for the PoI system, especially for "tag".

Another difference is grid spacing. For Office Depot's : 6 mm each, and for Correct's : 5 mm each. Since I have been using 5 mm grid, the Correct's one looks more tight, tense, and compact for me.

I have never imagine how different the quad card in U.S. and Japan. I realize that how difficult to obtain quad card like the Correct's. Long time I had thought indexcard like the Correct's is easy to get even in abroad ; but it's not.

Summarize various reports from my friends (Leopard, Gregkise, John, Ayalan, and David) and my research, only the Correct achieve this marvelous, state-of-the-art work. And I realized that my method won't be achieved without the Correct's products. This is one large key of the PoI system.

As a simple solution for this problem, I decide to provide "Starter Kit" to you in abroad.

Revised 2007.01.02 12:01
Revised 2006.12.22 08:25 : Added photos and description about grid spacing.

I have been to San Francisco to attend meeting. In my spare time, I walked around Moscone Convention Center. I tried to look for an indexcard.

I found a stationery store close to the SFMOMA. The indexcards occupy a corner. There are 5x3, 6x4, and larger index card available. What is curious for me is there are a lot of colors, blue, yellow, red indexcards. I could find plain and ruled indexcard. Same time, I disappointed that I couldn't find quadrille card in the store.

I found Office Depo, too. I could find indexcard with "Office Depo" brand. The price is relatively cheeper. This time I could find quadrille card from the "Office Depo" brand. But it is enough to make me surprise.

Last sunday, I went Shinjyuku, Tokyo, to survey how many indexcards are sold in stationery store there. I went to the Sekaido (世界堂), one of the largest stationery store in Shinjyuku. And it is close from a subway line that I use to go office.

It is 5 to 6 floor building, all with stationery and art goods. The indexcards are settled at the first floor in Sekaido. I could find name card size, 5x3 size, 6x4 size, B6 size with plain, printable, section (quadrille), 6 mm ruled, and 8 mm ruled. Also, Dock, index (separator), and purse are available. I still couldn't find such a plenty of indexcard goods ever in Tokyo. In fact, I only found B6 and 5x3 card, two kinds each in another larger stationery store "Loft" @ Shinjyuku Mitsukoshi. The Sekaido is rare case.

When you come to Tokyo, you should come to Sekaido. This is a "Macca" for indexcard geek ;)

ref. : Website, Sekaido (in Japanese)
ref. : High resolution map @ Yahoo! Japan, Sekaido

David Lainer kindly gives some more information about Moleskine.

"Here are some other sites to purchase Moleskines, and related products:

• http://www.moleskines.com/

• http://www.moleskine.co.uk/

• http://www.moleskineus.com/ "
  

• @ Amazon.com
  
• @ Amazon.co.uk
  
• @ Amazon.de
  
• @ Amazon.fr
  
• @ Amazon.co.jp
  

Contents -> Icon -> Title -> Tag -> Time stamp

After writing contents, I have some time to think what icon and title of the card should be. It avoid discrepancy between title and contents (it sometimes happen!).

I name digital files using absolute name as I do for indexcards. In the picture, I show how to make time stamp with UNIX command to make time stamp name like " , as example. Kevinmarsh kindly introduced me there is an application called "TextExpander" which enable text expand "ymd" to the time stamp. Using the absolute name of digital file, I can link the file to an indexcard, like

ref. : PDF 2006.11.02 Thu 18:02

Same as link between indexcard, year, month, date and week is omitted if it is made in same day : then it become "ref. : PDF 18:02". To find a digital file on computer, which referenced in a indexcard, search with "20061102Thu1802".

I usually link only from digital file to card, and not from card to digital file. It is enough for me because the card system is center of information in my system.

• How to reduce cards : I don't know what happen if I use this system for 2 years or more without reducing cards. Discard, or I should keep everything. How to write, how not to write.
  
• Time stamp for GTD card : I have been thinking ver. 2 still have problem. Which time stamp should be used, a time it was written or a time it is accomplished.
  
• How to search a card quickly : As number of card increase, it become more and more difficult to search a card I want. Or I should quit search.
  

As this blog do, implementing the "analog" PoI system to "digital" blog system is easily done. Feature of the PoI system is,

• Icon and Tag (Record, Discovery, Reference + GTD)
  
• Title and contents
  
• Date and Time stamp
  
• Chronological order
  
• Link between cards
  
• Revision Rule (Capability of modification)
  
• Capability of Reorganization
  
• Star system
  

1. Reduce Tag to only 3-4 kinds (Record, Discovery, Reference + GTD)
   
2. Make title exact and short
   
3. Write the contents piece by piece
   
4. Allow revision/modification of the contents (revised time should be recorded)
   
5. Link between card and card, to external world, by using hyperlink
   
6. the blog should/must be private
   

Ref. : Stanford University Commencement address by Steve Jobs,
CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios,
delivered on June 12, 2005.

For me, the indexcards I write day by day is something like the "dots" that Jobs says.

As Rick mentions in the reference above, writing manual of the "PoI system" is an example of the PoI system itself.

Each article corresponds to a single indexcard. Same as analog system, I use title, small number of tags (3 = Record, Discovery, Reference - GTD), timestamp, link, and piece by piece contents. They are random in contents, but keep in chronological order in the "Blog" page. Writing article in the Blog page is kind of stress-free because I don't need worry about the order. It is nothing but the indexcards in the Dock in analog system. Thanks to the HTML and blog, the idea of analog system is easily connected to the digital system.

For tracking newer contents, the "Blog" is o.k. For sharing with people, however, it is more convenient if the articles are reorganized and classified, as we see in a usual books. This is a purpose of the "Selection" page. The articles are reorganized to construct a manual of the "PoI System". Even after such classification, it is easier to insert new article/chapter since the articles are piece by piece like LEGO. This manual is growing.

Perhaps we can write a book from indexcard in this way :)

Three partitions made from wood are attached to the Correct's Dock. I made a big single sequence in the dock without the partition. I use index (separator made from paper) as indicator of a month, though. As a number of card increase, I skipped review process. Perhaps I felt difficult to break the big single lump of cards.

I realized a "partitioning" become more important according to a growth of system. It gives high accessibility to the system. Different from HDD on computer, a partitioning of the dock is easy even after constructing the system.

At this moment, I have two docks in my room. The most frequently accessed card should be close to me according to law of accessibility. I made partitions like in the picture above. From front of left dock to the end of right dock,

• Left Dock : Today / This week / Last week + Last 3 months
  
• Right Dock : Older than Last 3 months / Older than Last 3 months
  

A date and time stamp is putted for all indexcard in this system. It defines absolute name, and plays a key role when link between cards. Then putting stamp is kind of routine work. What about I use rubber stamp for indexcard?

In fact, I have been using a rubber stamp for the fieldnote and other documents, but not for the indexcard. The reason is simple : I can't find rubber stamp that match my requirement. My requirement looks like,

2006.11.22 Wed

I think an information about "the day of the week" is important. Because our life is based on the week system. It is easier to remember what I did on last sunday, than just a sequence of number like "2006.11.19".

I have been looking for such rubber stamp for long time, but I still can't find it (sigh). At this moment, the best is done by hand. The hand written stamp is quick and exactly what I want.

Every single morning, I feel difficulty with start writing. Consciously or subconsciously, whatever. I used to spent long time to start writing with thinking "what I should write...". In terrible case, I couldn't write even single card.

One day, I found there is a tip to overcome it. The answer is simple : just start writing. Anything is o.k. All I need is just pick up a pen and card, and start.

But same time, if I say "let's start writing", I feel a certain resistance. Rather, I say for myself "let's start from diary". More precisely, I start from a weather of the day, like "Fine", "Cloudy" etc. In Japanese, it is just two or three letters (晴れ or くもり). Then record what happen in the morning, say "got up 7:00" "arrive at office 8:30", on the same card. It's not difficult, too. Just describe without thinking. That way, I fill a first card of the day. And it's enough to start avalanche of writing.

ref. : Noguchi Yukio, Cho Seirihou, p. 177,
translation by Hawk

Moving from 0 to 1 takes much effort than 1 to 2. Noguchi used a metaphor of "inertia" in physics to express the difficulty of the start writing.

The Second-Draft is originaly proposed by Josh DiMauro (see the ref. above). I have been trying the second-draft using indexcards I wrote before to reproduce higher and denser knowledge. This time, I used a set of indexcards (task force) I picked up for making Keynote.

I found B6 size quadrille card from the Correct. To tell the truth, I bought it before, a lot, for pre-PoI system. But it was slept in a closet for long time since I switch to present 5x3 indexcard. Now I have a way to use the B6 card :)

There is about forty cards in the task force. I compiled them into about ten second-drafts. I use B6 card in not in landscape, but in portrait, because the width is almost same as 5x3 card then ; it's just comfort for me.

I just implemented revision rule on the PoI system. It's simple. If the card is useful, I put a mark (star) on right-top-edge of the card. If I use a card again, I give one more star. Then it is clear which card is useful even after returning all cards in the Dock. After giving a star, the used card is now safely return to the Dock.

In practice, I found that if I use red pen, I always have to take two pens, blue and red. I think the system always must be simple. So, I decide to use blue pen as usual for the star, too. The star should be small mark if I think putting 2 or more stars in future. See example below.

The revision rule of Noguchi filing system sounds quite useful to keep system "alive". I think there is another way to implement it into the PoI system.

For example, when you pick up an indexcard from the dock, mark the top edge with a color pen, say red, then return to it's original position the dock. The order is unchanged. When you use the indexcard again, you put one more mark. Like a star for soldiers. Consequently, there are many mark for indexcard that you use frequently. Then you'll clearly see which card you used before.

I must say that a chronological order in Noguchi filing system is not a simple one. For example, in Noguchi filing system, if one pick up a file from a shelf, it is returned to the one side, right end for example, of the shelf. If you use certain file frequently, it stays at the right end. Same time, a file you don't use will slide to the other side of the shelf. The system is always revised. File you uses frequently only survive in the shelf. A chronological order plus this revision rule is the key point of Noguchi filing system. The chronological order is relatively "loose". It is possible because a number of files in the system may not exceed a thousand ; it is in control even if with such a revision rule.

On the other hand, a chronological order in the PoI system is more "strict" one. For example, when I pick up a certain card from the dock, I must return it where it was originally. You see there is no revision rule in the Indexcardins system. This is why I can't say that this system adopts exactly same chronological order as Noguchi's file system. In fact, it is difficult to change an order of cards in the system because a number of cards easily exceed 1,000 ; a unit of information is smaller than file. If I introduce same revision rule, the system will be totally out of control and easily corrupt. In other words, only the "strict" chronological order can keep a consistency and rigidity of the PoI system.

ref. : discussion at "Divergence, convergence" on flickr

source : Self Help, by Samuel Smiles, (1900?)
(digital text at Project Gutenberg)

I have been preparing for a presentation next week. I have tried to do this task with my indexcards. This is the next stage of the PoI method.

1. I scanned and reviewed last four months' indexcards in the Dock (for work). I picked up about forty indexcards related to the title of presentation.
   
2. I make small piles of common topics as seen in the picture. Each piles is consisted by one to four indexcards, but no limitation. A chronological order is not important now.
   
3. I put memo, correction, etc. for past indexcards with red pen. I write new indexcard to interpolate between topics.
   
4. Each piles are compiled into slides of Keynote (or Power Point :P). Besides Keynote, I use Adobe Illustrator, Omni Graffle, LaTeXiT, gnuplot and GMT.
   

• It must be simple !
  
• It must be fun !
  

For example, when I upload new photos, they appear in the top-left of the page, where people view first and frequently (that is, V=1, x=t=0 -> A = 1 = maximum). Older photos are pushed down down down to the bottom of the page. This looks like I put indexcards I just write on card stand or box where I can see all time.

For classification, flicker basically doesn't need classification. Just upload first, and sometime later, classify them for convenience. This makes us free from a load of classification at very first stage of photo sharing process.

# Did you notice that? I hadn't notice at all!

Revised : 2006.11.26 Title is changed

I mentioned there are only two kind of job : want to do, and must do. We cannot escape from 'must do' kind of job in daily life. Here is a small trick to change your mood.

Just replace 'must' to 'want to' in your mind, even you don't want to do it so much. The title of this article means a replacement in 'sed' command on UNIX. It works as filter like,

• I must go to city hall tomorrow. -> s/must/want to/ ->
  I want to go to city hall tomorrow.
  
• I must finish this paper work until tomorrow. -> s/must/want to/ ->
  I want to finish this paper work until tomorrow.
  

Ref. : Lyric of 'Return to Inoccence' by Enigma @ Sing365.com

This is a lyric of my favorite song 'Return to innocence' by Enigma.

Notice that there are only two kind of job : you want to do, or you must do. If you feel you want to do something, you are happy. Like when you are working on your hobby. If you must do something, on the other hand, you feel like torture.

• Indexcard 5'x3' section (C-3532) : 294 yen (about $2.6) per a pack (100 papers)
  
• Card dock (C-153DF) : 3,150 yen (about $27) per box
  

Ref. : Stanford University Commencement address by Steve Jobs,
CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios,
delivered on June 12, 2005.

This is quite important when you write indexcard. Listen and pick up your inner voices, write them down on the indexcards. Any ideas you have in your brain, mind, heart. You don't need hesitate at all.

Ref. : Mother Teresa @ Wikiquote

• If a stuff is far from me, I don't access (dependency on spacial distance)
  
• I easily forget about a stuff (dependency on elapsed time)
  
• Frequency of access drastically decrease with space and time
  
• If I don't see a stuff, I forget it (dependency on visibility)
  

where A is frequency of access (or just "accessibility"), V is visibility (0 <= V <= 1), x is spacial distance, and t is elapsed time.

In case you see it (V = 1)	In case you don't see it (V = 0.1)

Jason Corso made a Vi-style keybind plug-in for Cocoa applications called "Vi Input Manager". It realize Vi commands on Safari and Xcode etc..

At this moment, it doesn't work on TextMate. As I wrote in this article, I'm both Vim and TextMate user. This plug-in will combine the two great text editor together. I'm really happy if it work on TextMate someday.

A classification of indexcard by project is tiny tiny matter. It takes only few second in time maybe. But it incredibly reduced number of indexcard I write.

Same is true for text editor on computer. I do love to use Vim for programming. The Vim (or just vi) enables to move line to line only with keyboard. It helps to connect thinking and writing, brain and hand more seamlessly. I also use TextMate because of it's friendly interface and useful templates. If I use it for programming, however, I feel I don't want to write program anymore with TextMate. This is not due to TextMate, of course, but I'm just frustrated every moment I use mouse.

Difference between using mouse or not may be less than a second in time, and few tens of centimeter in distance. This sounds really tiny matter. But my subconscious honestly react for it.

• Try to remember "when" the event was happened
  
• Use calender to trigger memory
  
• Review indexcards sometimes
  

# This topic is based on discussion with Mr. R. B. Thank you.

Ordinary card system is based on classification. It is 2-dimensional in space (x and y). On the other hand, my method, chronological sequence, is 1-dimensional in time (t).

A degree of freedom is less then ordinary system. A matter of concern is only one degree. It keeps my system simple, easy and comfort to manage indexcards.

Yoro Takeshi, Japanese anatomist, also suggested existence of a "filter" in a human brain, in his book "バカの壁 (Baka no Kabe = wall of fool)". His explanation is expressed in a simple equation.

y = a x

where "x" is input from nerves (e.g. eyes), "y" is input to brain, and "a" is the filter ("wall of fool" in his expression). If a = 0, i.e. power of the filter is maximum, then input from the eyes won't go to brain at all. Because any number multiplied by zero equal zero even though the number is large. On the other hand, if one can reduce power of the filter (a >> 0) then input to the brain increases.

He pointed out losing curiosity and interest increase power of the filter.

Book : 養老孟司, バカの壁, 2003 (in Japanese)
Wikipedia : 養老孟司 (in Japanese)

(Rob starts rearrangement of his record collection when he break up with his girlfriend...)

Dick: It guess it looks as if you're reorganizing your records. What is this though? Chronological?
Rob: No...
Dick: Not alphabetical...
Rob: Nope.
Dick: What?
Rob: Autobiographical.
Dick: No fuckin' way...
Rob: Yep. I can tell you how I got from Deep Purple to Howling Wolf in just 25 moves.
Dick: Oh, my god...
Rob: And, if I want to find the song "Landslide," by Fleetwood Mac, I have to remember that I bought it for someone in the fall of 1983 pile, but didn't give it to them for personal reasons.
Dick: That sounds...
Rob: Comforting?
Dick: Yes.
Rob: It is...

Quote from : Wikiquote, "High Fidelity"

(Maximillian Cohen is mathematician. He made the following assumption during his quest for a pattern within stock market...)

1. Mathematics is the language of nature.
   
2. Everything around us can be represented and understood through numbers.
   
3. If you graph the numbers of any system, patterns emerge.
   
4. Therefore, there are patterns everywhere in nature.
   

source : Aronofsky.Net (director's official web site)

Ideas in my brain are invisible, of course. Once I capture it on indexcard, then it become visible in this real world.

This is simple matter. But it makes me feel comfortable. When I write a hundred of indexcard in a week, I feel some kind of satisfaction. I pile it, count it, box it, flip it. Like a child playing with bricks. I can't feel such satisfaction with digital media.

I think this simplicity of indexcard attracts me so strongly.

cf. 'What you see is what you get' (Wikipedia, WYSIWYG)

If I go to mountain to pick up mushroom, for example, I can't see anything in a forest at the beginning. But at certain time later I find a mushroom. Then I find there are many mushrooms around me.

The forest doesn't change during the time, of cource. Just my eye used to find mushroom. I call this phenomena as 'law of mushroom'.

Once I start writing indexcard, I can't stop writing sometimes. I call it 'avalanche writing'. In this state, the contents of certain indexcard trigger another topic. In other word, it's like a 'chain reaction' in chemistry. Sometimes I write an indexcard every minutes.

The trigger is alright with small thing, like an avalanche in nature. I usually start up writing indexcard of the day with diary. What time I got up, what happen on a way office, weather, health.

• Order of index for a week-day is reversed. Newer is closer now.
  
• "Next Action" index is added to gather unfinished GTD cards. To prevent dissipation of what I must do.
  
• All cards are put in front of each index. To see how many cards inside each pocket.
  
• I use a sponge to bottom up indexcards of the day. From view point of visibility and accessibility.
  

The GTD card possibly have two kind of date/time stamp as its nature ; written and finished time.

In the previous version I put only 'written' stamp. I found only one stamp causes confusion. The finished time is more important than written time.

In version 2, I introduced two time stamps. I put written time stamp bottom-right first. And put new time stamp as finished on top-right. Then the finished GTD card is put on the date it finished in the card box.

# This is refer to comments by B. K. I appreciate it a lot. :)

Revised 2006.12.29 12 37 : According to David's advise, this version is not used anymore.

Professor of mathematics in Stanford University.

He worked on a great variety of mathematical topics, including series, number theory, combinatorics, and probability. In his later days, he spent considerable effort on trying to characterize the general methods that people use to solve problems, and to describe how problem-solving should be taught and learned (source : Wikipedia, George Pólya). In his book "How to solve it", he gave general strategy to solve given mathematical problem.

Personally, I call him as 'Pólya Sensei (Dear Teacher Pólya)' in my mind, though I have never met him. :)

Book : How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method,
new ed., 2004 (Japanese version is here).

• Understand the problem : Ask yourself 'What are the unknowns? What are the given quantities? What are the given conditions?'
  
• Draw a diagram : Picture, graph, mind map. Understand the problem visually.
  
• Find similar problem : You may experience similar problem before. Most of time you don't need to start from zero.
  
• Solve related problem : If you can't solve the problem, try to solve related problem.
  
• Verify your answer : To increase reliability of your answer. Especially important when you don't know exact answer.
  

ref : G. Polya and “How to Solve It!" (PDF file at Ohio State University)

• Interest : Be genuinely interested in other people
  
• Smile : :)
  
• Name : Remember and use people's names
  
• Listen : Encourage others to talk about themselves and listen to them
  
• Interest : Discuss what the other person is interested in
  
• Praise : Make the other person feel important
  

Source : Dale Carnegie, How to win friends and influence people,
in Japanese, new ed., 1999 (photo @ flickr).
(English version quote from Wikipedia)

To remember 'SLIP IN to ones heart'.

Input Hiragana -> Translation to Kanji -> Choose from candidates -> Decision

This procedure is repeated for every word. Thinking is interrupted by this complicated input method.

Hand-writing is much much easier and faster than computer for me. It connects thinking (brain) and writing (hand) more properly.

Professor of philosophy at The City College of New York.

A philosophy has long history since ancient Greek, time of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The word 'Philosophy' itself sounds me something difficult. Prof. Marinoff, however, applied it to solve a problem in our daily life. His 'PEACE' method is easy to remember. It is practical, useful and helpful.

Book : Plato, not Prozac! - Applying eternal wisdom to everyday problem
Website : Lou Marinoff's official web site