There's a kind of busywork in note-taking, list-making, organizing, that can often feel like you're getting something done, but is a kind of procrastination.

Then, there's real value to taking notes that for me is most pronounced when I write them with a real pen and paper. I may never actually go back to these, but the act of writing them down solidifies things for me. Things like WWDC sessions, online courses. The value is the act of deliberately recording. There's a kind of brain/physical connection that happens.

Ultimately, intentionality matters. There are some projects where the note-taking itself is the point. The notes are the end product; you're producing something like a catalogue of thoughts. Hypercard.

But, it's easy to get lost in that if what you're really trying to achieve is 'over there' somewhere. It can be a way of avoiding the work entirely.