Note Status Guide

This guide explains the note maturity system used in this digital garden to track the development and refinement of ideas.

Status Levels

🌱 Seed

Description: Raw, unprocessed ideas captured quickly.

• Characteristics:
  • Brief, often just a few sentences
  • May contain questions or incomplete thoughts
  • Links not yet established
  • Minimal formatting
• Purpose: Capture ideas before they're lost
• Next Steps: Add context, expand, create connections

🌿 Seedling

Description: Ideas that have been revisited and developed.

• Characteristics:
  • Core concept clearly articulated
  • Basic structure in place
  • Some connections to other notes
  • May still have open questions
• Purpose: Develop understanding, explore implications
• Next Steps: Add evidence, refine structure, strengthen connections

🌳 Evergreen

Description: Mature, well-developed ideas that stand on their own.

• Characteristics:
  • Self-contained and comprehensive
  • Well-connected to other notes
  • Clear structure and arguments
  • Regularly maintained and updated
  • Can be shared confidently
• Purpose: Serve as reliable knowledge building blocks
• Next Steps: Maintain currency, update with new insights

How to Use Status Tags

In Frontmatter

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status: seed # or seedling, evergreen
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Visual Indicators

Consider using these emoji prefixes in note titles:

• 🌱 for seeds
• 🌿 for seedlings
• 🌳 for evergreen notes

Status Progression Workflow

From Seed → Seedling

• Clarify the core idea
• Add relevant context
• Create at least 2 connections to other notes
• Structure with headings
• Add examples or evidence

From Seedling → Evergreen

• Ensure idea is atomic and focused
• Verify all claims with sources
• Create bidirectional links
• Polish writing for clarity
• Test: Could this stand alone as valuable?

Maintenance Guidelines

Weekly Review

• Review all seeds older than 1 week
• Develop 2-3 seeds into seedlings
• Update 1-2 seedlings toward evergreen

Monthly Review

• Audit evergreen notes for accuracy
• Archive or merge redundant notes
• Celebrate progression metrics

Status Search Queries

Use these to find notes by status:

• status:seed - Find all seed notes
• status:seedling - Find developing notes
• status:evergreen - Find mature notes
• -status - Find notes without status

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Remember: Not every note needs to become evergreen. Some ideas serve their purpose as seeds or seedlings.