Welcome back to the new weekly PARAZETTEL newsletter (that I’ve decided to send instead of doing little notification emails every time a new piece of content comes out).
As well as this, I used to send a weekly email for my newsletter, Fundamentalised (which is now discontinued in this form), so I’ve got an open slot in my week to be able to write something a little more customised and personal.
Anyway, right now I’m in China, after having spent pretty much the whole of the last two weeks since sharing the first issue of ‘PZTL’, as well as in Macau and Hong Kong. It’s all been to spend some time with a former university housemate who’s now studying in Beijing.
It’s been full-on (I’ve got a cold whilst writing this), and I’ve not been able to put out any new content in this time, but instead of skipping another week, I thought I’d tell you about some other things…
PARAZETTEL’s Black Friday
For a few more hours only, you can access 12 months of PARAZETTEL premium community membership for just $149!
After this, you’re limited to a more expensive monthly or yearly option, so right now is the best time to invest in your note-taking and knowledge management (in Obsidian and beyond) for 2026.
You can get started by going to the link below, which takes you to the page in the screenshot above, ready to upgrade…
Access PARAZETTEL’s Black Friday offer
Mise-en-place
Since travelling, I’ve gotten used to having to carry around and look after more items than I’m used to.
Because of this, mise-en-place has become very important.
What this actually is - a French culinary term which suggests that every item in the kitchen is kept religiously its own space, so that it’s easy to remember where it is, ready for use.
Extrapolating from this, I’ve started making use of this idea whilst travelling as well. My passport always lives in the same pocket, for example, and it’s the same for everything else (perhaps with the exception of socks and boxers).
It sounds obsessive to start with, but you start to understand when you’re spending 10 minutes looking for your room key and wallet for the third time that week, or emptying your check-in bag at the airport because you’ve put your lighter ther instead of your carry-on.
•••
Can it be applied to PKM too? Very much so. We label notes a certain way and store them in certain places to make sure that they’re easily accessible again.
It’s not easy to get started with, but the more you work in the same system, the better it gets.
I’ve written about switching note-taking apps being the same as moving house (it’s needlessly complicated and time-wasting), and we might liken changing systems in the same app to disregarding mise-en-place, again confusing and time-wasting.
So make sure you’re consistent with your notes and their storage, because this compounds.
Want to learn more about this? You should check out the Minimal Note-Taking course in the community, and you can do so by taking advantage of the deal above.
I’ll see you next week, settled back down in Thailand, for PZTL 003.
– Theo