This article was originally published on Substack.

Running a knowledge-development system—a zettelkasten—with the right mindset can keep you motivated and productive. In Antinet Zettelkasten, Scott P. Scheper describes three mindsets when using the system. They are called states, not phases, because you move between them depending on your goal at the moment: exploratory, evolutionary, and productive.

All of them require being able to work in a focused state. It is almost impossible—and inefficient—to run this system in an environment full of distractions and interruptions.

Exploratory

In this state you start collecting information relevant to your interests and goals. Collection can mean reading books and articles, taking notes from talks, or any other valuable knowledge source. The aim is to capture key ideas, concepts, and quotes you may use later.

During the exploratory state you create small note cards for each concept or quote you consider relevant. These cards are independent knowledge units you can link and organize later. This state is crucial because it is where you build your knowledge base. The more you invest in collecting and recording valuable information here, the stronger your system becomes and the easier it is to explore and expand your knowledge later.

Evolutionary

Once you have a solid base, you can enter the evolutionary state. There you connect and relate existing cards, building an interconnected knowledge network.

This is where you spot patterns, discoveries, and insights by linking cards. You may find relations between concepts, contrast viewpoints, and develop new perspectives. Interconnection lets you discover unexpected paths and insights, stimulating creativity and analysis.

In the evolutionary state you keep adding new cards but also review and refine existing ones—updating information, strengthening links. You may find cards obsolete or redundant and be tempted to delete them. The choice is always yours, but I don’t recommend deletion. Instead, document in the system why a card—or an entire branch—became invalid.

Productive

The productive state is where you use the knowledge and insights you’ve gathered to create original work—articles, essays, books, or any other form. You can fully leverage a solid, interconnected base. Cards supply ideas, references, and quotes so you can build strong, well-grounded arguments. Organization also makes it faster to find what you need while creating.

In production you can treat cards as building blocks for writing—starting points for your own thinking and analysis, helping you structure ideas coherently. Interconnection also lets you explore multiple perspectives and weave a cohesive narrative.

The methodology Scott describes in his book for the productive state involves putting a stack of cards on the desk and transcribing them into the final piece—using cards almost as a first draft. But in the book’s errata we learn Niklas Luhmann did not use the zettelkasten that way. In a conversation with Clemens Luhmann, Niklas’s youngest son, Scott asks whether Niklas would stack cards on his desk and transcribe them word for word. Clemens says no: Niklas would write while focused on what he was working on. He would consult his main notes when needed, or to support what he was writing. He reviewed main notes to refresh his mind and spark ideas—then set them aside and wrote.

Zettelkasten offers a powerful way to manage knowledge and become a prolific reader, researcher, and writer. The three core states—exploratory, evolutionary, and productive—give a clear frame for getting the most from the system. I hope you enjoyed it—comments welcome, and see you next time.