Workflow Tags

Workflow tags are not topic tags. They do not describe what a note is about. They describe what kind of work the note needs next.

Their purpose is to make action easier in the moment.

A note-taking system can fail when it becomes too descriptive and not operational. A workflow tag should tell me, quickly and clearly, what I should do when I encounter the note again.

The central question a workflow tag answers is:

What is the next useful transformation this note needs?

This matters because my work often happens in different modes:

• creating notes
• refining notes
• adding Anki sections
• adding cards to Anki
• linking notes
• improving explanations

Workflow tags preserve momentum across these different kinds of intellectual work.

Workflow tags

• wf/revise — this note needs improvement. Include a Needs section in the note outlining what is required.
• wf/ankify — this note needs an Anki section.
• wf/anki-add — this note has an Anki section, but the cards are not yet in Anki.
• wf/link — this note needs more meaningful links.
• wf/split — this note should become multiple notes.

Principle

A good workflow tag should make the next action obvious.

If I see the tag and do not know what to do next, the tag is too vague, redundant, or unnecessary.