Okay, so I wanted to share something I went through trying to figure out this thing called the “Henry Blakes method”. I kept hearing whispers about it, mostly related to sorting out really chaotic project notes, which, let’s be honest, mine definitely were.
Getting Started – What is this thing?
First off, I hit the usual places online. Typed in “Henry Blakes method”, “Henry Blakes note organization”, stuff like that. Found bits and pieces, lots of mentions, but nothing solid. It felt like everyone knew about it, but nobody could actually explain how to do it step-by-step. It was weirdly vague. I asked a couple of folks in some online groups I’m in, got mostly shrugs or links back to the same fuzzy articles I’d already seen.
It was frustrating, you know? Like chasing a ghost. Was this guy even real? Was the method just some kind of legend?
My First Go – Making Stuff Up
After hitting dead ends, I decided, alright, let’s try to build it myself from the scraps. What I gathered was something about using specific keywords and maybe cross-linking notes in a particular way. So, I picked a small, messy project I had lying around.
- I started tagging notes with what I thought were the ‘right’ kind of keywords.
- I tried creating index pages linking related notes.
- I even used different color highlights based on some system I invented on the spot, hoping that was part of the magic.
Honestly, I spent a whole weekend on this. Moving digital notes around, rewriting summaries, making complex link maps. It felt productive, looked kind of impressive with all the colors and links.
Hitting the Wall
But then, a week later, I needed to find a specific piece of information from that project. And guess what? It was worse than before. My made-up system was too complicated. The keywords were inconsistent because I hadn’t really understood the ‘why’ behind them. The links were a maze. It took me longer to find things than just scrolling through the original mess. Big fail. I felt pretty dumb, having wasted all that time.
The Breakthrough – Sort Of
I almost gave up, went back to my old chaotic ways. But then I thought, maybe the ‘method’ wasn’t the point. Maybe the point was just the act of trying to organize differently. I stripped back all the complicated stuff I’d invented. Forget fancy cross-linking, forget rigid keywords.
I focused on one simple thing I gleaned from the vague descriptions: summarize the core idea of each note right at the top, in plain language. And maybe add one or two broad category tags, like ‘idea’, ‘problem’, ‘solution’, ‘contact_info’. Super basic.
What I Do Now
So, that’s what stuck. I wouldn’t call it the “Henry Blakes method” anymore. It’s just my way now. When I make a note, I force myself to write a one-sentence summary at the start. Then I add maybe one tag. That’s it.
It’s not revolutionary, but it works for me. Finding stuff is way faster. It forces me to clarify my thoughts as I’m writing the note. It turns out, I didn’t need some mythical, complex system. I just needed a tiny bit of consistent structure.
So yeah, that whole Henry Blakes chase? Led me somewhere useful, just not where I expected. Sometimes the journey itself teaches you more than the destination you were aiming for. It’s all practice, right?
