Hubs suggestions & Full system run-down

AJ-G

Hello everyone!

I'm revamping my Forever✱Notes System after falling off track a while back. Right now, I only have three hubs: Health, Finance, and Travel. Now that those are set up and linked back to my Home note, i'm CLUELESS about the subcategories. I'd love to hear what subcategories you all use. Also, if you're comfortable sharing, I'd really appreciate some screenshots- I'm more of a visual learner! 🤓

tr4jan

AJ-G I would say it would make the most sense for the system to expand over time according to your personal needs. So if a hub accumulates too much for clarity, a new subcategory etc. is created. In principle, I am not convinced that more headings / a higher diversification of knowledge provide real added value. After all, the more detailed you are, the more you will end up searching.

tvillemw

What do you mean by subcategories?

I have hubs for major aspects of life (like you, Health, Finance, etc.) For example:

The Health hub has headings and links to notes (subcategories?) that record my history of specific health issues, dates, outcomes, medications, doctors names and phone numbers - very useful when you get to my age and doctors ask for your health history. Examples of health subcategories that get their own Notes: Dental, Heart, Hernia Repair, Prostate, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Vision.…. I was alarmed at how long this list got!

I use tags for health information that doesn't apply to a specific health issue. Websites, books, and articles on general subjects such as nutrition, vitamins, psychology, studies. I assign tags with a view to future retrieval.

AJ-G

tvillemw Hey! Thank you for your response! When I use the word "subcategories" maybe I am just not thinking correctly? For instance, if I have my "Health" hub, I'd like to keep track of my planned workouts for the week & different meal plans that I may create as well. Would I just make new notes under the health hub in that case?

LenLoving

I hope this question fits here since we're talking about Hubs.
Is it fair to say "Hubs" is the "Area" in the PARA system?
I suppose it can be whatever we want, but I am still learning this system and am migrating from Notion, so I don't want to misunderstand the meaning and importance of Hubs as I lay down the foundations for my PKM.

tvillemw

Yes, Hubs can be considered Areas in the PARA system. I had trouble trying to fit PARA into my life and abandoned it early on. Resources and Archive don't work for me either. FN appeals to me for its flexibility. Like you said, you can make what you want out of the system. For me

✱ Diaries and ✱ Expenses are notes I consult and update daily (my version of Journals)
✱ Hubs organize the essential projects and information I need to track and refer to often.
Tags collect information on interests I may want to retrieve someday.

I tried to fit tasks into the FN mix but it just doesn't work for me, Matthias would agree. I use checklists in most of my hubs for long term goals, I use Reminders for a shared grocery list and shared Calendars for appointments. For the most part my todo lists are in my head.

AJ-G

tr4jan Thank you! I think that's why I'm having trouble staying consistent so early with the system. I must be overcomplicating things a bit.

tvillemw

AJ-G If workouts and meal plans are items you update and consult frequently, I'd definitely make them separate notes and link to them from my Health hub and, perhaps, from the Home note as well. My practice is to pin frequently updated/consulted notes and make shortcut icons for the notes I update daily (i.e., icons that live on the OS desktop).

For me a hub is an index or table of contents, a tool for navigation and an at-a-glance overview. If information takes up more than a line or two on a hub, I create a separate note.