## Start [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=0s) - A mini essay is defined as one idea on one page, consisting of at least 100 words and less than 300 words, with a beginning, middle, and end, making it a simple and easy writing format [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=0s). - Writing mini essays in a tool like [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] allows users to link them to each other, creating a personal idea network that grows and increases in value over time [(00:00:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=16s). - The mini essay can be a helpful tool for individuals who feel stuck in a cycle of consuming others' writings and want to start producing their own work, helping to unlock creative sticking points [(00:00:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=29s). - The benefits of mini essays, as well as three methods to initiate writing them, and three examples of workflows from personal experience will be shared to illustrate the effectiveness of this writing approach [(00:00:41)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=41s). - The goal of exploring mini essays is to help individuals start writing and unlock their full potential, with the walkthrough providing guidance on how to get started [(00:00:48)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=48s). ## Why write a mini essay [(00:00:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=55s) - The process of writing mini essays is beneficial and has several advantages, which will be explored in detail, starting with the reasons why writing them is worthwhile [(00:00:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=55s). - There are three primary benefits to writing mini essays, which serve as the foundation for understanding their value and importance [(00:01:02)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=62s). ## Benefit 1: Optimizes for the Generation Effect [(00:01:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=66s) - The generation effect is optimized when writing something in one's own words, leading to improved comprehension and recall, as supported by research [(00:01:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=66s). - Writing in one's own words not only improves comprehension and recall but also catalyzes more insights, generates more meaning, and develops an intuitive sense of the topic, ultimately leading to an expanding surface area of luck and innovative thinking [(00:01:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=72s). - The process of writing original words, even if influenced by external sources, allows individuals to take sparks and remarks from the outside world and make them their own, which will be covered in more detail later [(00:01:26)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=86s). - Writing in one's own words, such as in a mini essay, helps uncover the gaps in one's own understanding, highlighting the importance of this approach to learning and understanding [(00:02:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=133s). - Odyssey's YouTube channel has brought attention to the power of mini essays, including their relation to the generation effect, and their video on the topic is worth watching for further insight [(00:02:21)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=141s). ## Benefit 2: Optimizes for the Feynman Effect [(00:02:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=156s) - The [[Richard Feynman | Feynman]] effect is utilized by optimizing for an environment where learning is achieved through teaching, allowing individuals to learn faster by crafting a simple story with a beginning, middle, and end, even if the audience is just themselves in the future [(00:02:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=156s). - This approach enables note making, rather than just note taking, which involves putting information into one's own words and incorporating personal insights and experiences to better understand the subject matter [(00:03:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=180s). - The value of note making lies in its ability to help individuals understand their world better as they create meaningful content, ultimately combining the benefits of learning and creating into an ideal and measurable approach [(00:03:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=187s). ## Benefit 3: Optimizes for Notemaking [(00:03:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=209s) - Writing a piece of work is a fundamental part of anyone's knowledge work and many creative efforts, and it can be a fun, simple, and effective process [(00:03:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=209s). - The process of writing has numerous benefits, making it a worthwhile activity to engage in, regardless of whether one has written something before or not [(00:03:38)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=218s). ## How do you start the process of writing a mini essay? [(00:03:44)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=224s) - The process of writing a mini essay begins with a spark, which is something that resonates with an individual, making them think that a particular topic is interesting or important, and this spark can occur at any moment, such as when walking around the world [(00:03:44)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=224s). - When this spark occurs, it is essential to stop and reflect on it, rather than continuing to scroll through digital content, which is a common habit in the digital age that can lead to a never-ending cycle of consumption [(00:03:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=231s). - To break this cycle, individuals can start by saying "because" and explaining why the topic is interesting or important to them, which helps to shift from a passive to an active state, engaging their minds and encouraging them to think and write in their own words [(00:04:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=247s). - This process of going from spark to remark is valuable, as it marks the beginning of something meaningful and can potentially lead to the creation of a mini essay, by transforming a initial thought into a written piece [(00:04:15)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=255s). - The act of writing down thoughts and ideas, regardless of their quality or coherence, is crucial, as it allows individuals to transition from a state of leaning back and consuming information to one of leaning forward and actively engaging with the topic [(00:04:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=262s). - By taking this first step and starting to write, individuals can begin to develop their ideas and create something meaningful, which is the primary goal of writing a mini essay [(00:04:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=282s). ## 3 techniques to kickstart your mini essay [(00:04:48)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=288s) - To kickstart a mini essay, three techniques can be utilized, which are experience, opinion, and event, and these frameworks can help get the writing process rolling faster [(00:05:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=311s). - The process of writing a mini essay begins with finding something that sparks interest, capturing it, and adding personal remarks, which transitions from a spark to a remark by explaining why the topic is interesting [(00:04:59)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=299s). - The three techniques of experience, opinion, and event can be used to create a structured mini essay with a beginning, middle, and end, and examples of how to apply these techniques in actual mini essays will be provided [(00:05:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=317s). - The first technique, experience, can be used as a starting point for writing a mini essay, and it involves drawing from personal experiences or observations [(00:05:23)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=323s). ## Technique 1: Experience [(00:05:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=331s) - Starting an essay with a personal experience can be effective in grabbing the reader's attention, as seen in the example of beginning a story with a dramatic and intriguing scenario, such as being 10,000 ft above the air without a parachute, which immediately hooks the reader and makes them want to know what happens next [(00:05:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=331s). - The goal of starting with an experience is to lure the reader in and make them invested in the story, by sharing a personal anecdote that sparks curiosity and encourages the reader to continue reading to find out what happens [(00:05:43)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=343s). - The technique of starting with an experience is simple, yet effective, as it allows the writer to share a personal story and draw the reader in, making it a good starting point for an essay, with the only requirement being to share a personal experience that grabs the reader's attention [(00:05:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=349s). ## Technique 2: Opinion [(00:05:58)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=358s) - The technique of writing mini essays involves starting with a strong statement, which is a favorite approach, and it is essential to begin with a statement like this because it sets the tone for the rest of the essay, and this can be achieved by saying something strong and then explaining why it is important, all within a short span, [(00:05:58)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=358s). - This technique allows the writer to share their thoughts and provide a couple of key takeaways, making the mini essay concise and to the point, which can be effectively concluded quickly, [(00:06:05)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=365s). - The writer tends to rely heavily on the first two techniques, which are experience and opinion, and there is a third technique that is also worth sharing, [(00:06:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=371s). ## Technique 3: Experience [(00:06:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=376s) - The technique of writing mini essays involves creating a brief essay based on one idea, typically on one page and ranging from over 100 words to about 300 words, which helps improve comprehension, recall, and catalyze new insights [(00:06:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=376s). - By using this technique, individuals can identify gaps in their understanding, generate connections, and create meaningful works, all of which is facilitated by a simple essay that serves as a forcing function [(00:06:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=389s). - There are multiple ways to initiate essay writing efforts, but three specific techniques are highlighted, including the one being discussed, with the intention of sharing actual examples to illustrate their application [(00:06:54)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=414s). ## 3 Essay Examples with Workflows and Techniques [(00:07:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=420s) - The discussion begins with an introduction to workflows and techniques used to write mini essays, and the screen is shared to demonstrate the process in [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] [(00:07:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=420s). - The example is shown in a single note within Obsidian, which contains multiple links that are initially ignored to focus on the main content [(00:07:15)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=435s). - The first mini essay example is based on personal experience, and this is where the explanation of the writing process starts [(00:07:21)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=441s). ## Example 1: "This thing happened to me." [(00:07:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=449s) - The process of writing a mini essay begins with a spark, which is an experience or idea that the writer wants to explore, and in this case, the spark was a personal experience of watching [[Dune (2021 film) | Dune]] part one and being disappointed, then watching Dune part two and being hyped [(00:07:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=449s). - The writer chose to write about this experience using a freewrite, which is a technique that allows the writer to write loosely and freely about a topic without any constraints or expectations, and this led to the discovery of the main idea, which is that hype itself is real [(00:07:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=469s). - The freewrite resulted in a 206-word text that told a story and explored the idea of hype, and it was written on a single page with links to other notes that contained extra words [(00:08:28)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=508s). - The writer then reflected on the techniques used to write the mini essay, which included having an experience, choosing to freewrite, and using the insight gained from the freewrite to rewrite the text with a specific audience in mind [(00:09:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=571s). - The mini essay canvas is a basic process that involves having a spark, making remarks, freewriting, gaining insight, and rewriting with an audience in mind, and this process can be applied to write a mini essay [(00:09:46)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=586s). - The writer encourages the reader to apply this process by starting to freewrite about something, discovering what they really want to say as they write, and then rewriting the text with a specific audience in mind [(00:10:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=607s). ## Example 2: "Here's a strongly stated thing." [(00:10:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=617s) - The second example of a mini essay is about expressing a strongly stated opinion, which is different from the first example that was based on a personal experience, and it started with a discussion about AI and its potential to become mundane [(00:10:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=617s). - The initial remark was about the concept of a "magic to mundane meter" and how it can be applied to various things, including AI, and this idea was captured and later expanded upon with bullets and links to other ideas [(00:10:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=640s). - The process of writing this mini essay involved making an initial remark, then letting it sit for a while, and later coming back to it to add links and expand on the idea, which eventually led to the creation of a cohesive essay [(00:11:03)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=663s). - The essay explores the idea that compound interest is like magic, and it references a quote from Arthur C Clark, which says that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic [(00:11:20)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=680s). - The act of writing and linking ideas can lead to a critical mass of energy, where the ideas can ignite and take on a life of their own, and this can happen even after a long period of time has passed [(00:12:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=733s). - The mini essay ultimately concludes that curiosity is the cure to the mundane, and that even the most mundane things can become magical again with the right mindset, as evidenced by the experience of flying on an airplane and feeling a sense of wonder [(00:13:03)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=783s). - The techniques used to write this mini essay include sparking an idea, making a remark, loosely gardening and cultivating notes, linking to other ideas, and then rewriting and refining the essay [(00:13:34)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=814s). - The process of writing mini essays can lead to brand new efforts and ideas, and can even develop into larger projects or published pieces, which is a bonus benefit of this type of writing [(00:13:54)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=834s). ## Example 3: "This thing happened." [(00:14:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=849s) - The essay focuses on an event where [[LeBron James]] broke the [[National Basketball Association | NBA]] scoring record held by Kareem Abdul Jabar, and the ceremony that followed, which was a significant moment that sparked curiosity and led to research on the dynamics of sports and sports leagues over time [(00:14:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=849s). - The research revealed a stark contrast between the ceremony held for Kareem Abdul Jabar when he broke the scoring record in 1984, which was a more quaint experience, and the ceremony held for LeBron James, highlighting the evolution of sports leagues and the relationships between players across generations [(00:14:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=890s). - The research resulted in a comprehensive note with 2,000 words, exploring various topics and ideas, including the differences in rewards given to players, with Kareem Abdul Jabar receiving a sound system and LeBron James already being a billionaire with a significant endorsement deal from Nike [(00:15:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=913s). - The essay ultimately led to a mini thesis with a title, "LeBron's a billionaire but Kareem got a sound system," which encapsulates the intergenerational themes and the idea that the NBA is built on the shoulders of giants, with players like Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan contributing to the league's growth [(00:15:56)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=956s). - The essay also touches on the concept of load management and how it is affecting the game, with lower-level players earning salaries comparable to those of stars from previous generations, highlighting the significant changes in the NBA over the past 40 years [(00:16:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=1011s). - The introduction to the essay starts with the event of LeBron James breaking the scoring record and uses the technique of "naming it to frame it" to capture the essence of the topic in a single sentence, which can then be rewritten and expanded upon [(00:17:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=1062s). - The technique of "naming it to frame it" allows for a strongly stated mini thesis and provides a framework for exploring the topic in more depth, making it a powerful tool for writing essays [(00:17:59)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=1079s). ## Recap [(00:18:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=1093s) - The mini essay is considered the best unit of measurement in knowledge work and the creation of intellectual capital, and it can be created by talking about one idea, keeping it to a page, and writing at least 100 words [(00:18:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=1093s). - To write a mini essay, it is recommended to start by writing about something interesting, discussing the takeaway, and then discovering the title, with the title being written last [(00:18:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=1120s). - The process of writing a mini essay involves writing about what's interesting, what the takeaway is, and then determining the title, allowing for the discovery of insights and the creation of original work [(00:18:46)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=1126s). - Various techniques, including Free Right, Insight Spark, and Remark, are part of a workshop on writing original works, where participants learn to create their own reliable process using notes to write original works [(00:18:58)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=1138s). - Writing a mini essay is a favorite form of note-making because it allows for learning, generating insights, and creating high-quality work, and it can help to sharpen the mind, multiply insights, and nourish curiosity [(00:19:14)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=1154s). - The process of writing mini essays involves opening up a note, talking about an idea, keeping it to about a page, writing in one's own words, linking it to other ideas, and sharing it with others, which can lead to the creation of a connected web of ideas over time [(00:19:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=1189s). - To create a connected web of ideas and a personal knowledge base, it is recommended to link notes together over time and check out a video series on the topic, which provides guidance on how to create a connected web of ideas [(00:20:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&t=1209s). ## Sources - [website](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y?si=-A72Gk8ISGtincFE)