Capture, organise, retrieve, review
This loop is deliberately small. It creates a system you can maintain on busy weeks, which matters more than an impressive collection of methods you do not use.
Start with active work, not an elaborate taxonomy
PARA is a useful starting point: Projects, Areas, Resources and Archive. Use Projects for time-bound work; Areas for ongoing responsibilities; Resources for reference material; and Archive for things that are no longer active. Add an Inbox for thoughts you have not processed yet.
The structure is not sacred. If a note helps a project, place it there. If you need it in more than one place, use a link or reference rather than creating copies you must maintain.
Review is the part that turns notes into a second brain
Set a short weekly review. Empty the Inbox, check next actions, revisit open questions and archive finished projects. This keeps the system close to current work and prevents it from becoming a forgotten library.
Tools and habits
Choose a tool that makes capture easy, search reliable and export possible. An outliner works especially well when your notes, tasks and projects are tightly connected because the structure can grow with the work.
TreeNote supports the loop with Quick Capture, nested outlines, search, mirrors, templates, Today View and optional Drive Sync. Start with one real project, then let the system grow from actual use.
Questions
Start with one project, not a taxonomy.
Run the loop for a fortnight and let the structure follow the work.
Put these ideas into practice
TreeNote provides a fast, flexible outliner built around these principles. No sign up required to start.