Evergreen Notes
Table of Contents
Phrase ideas worth standing behind in two years and revise when reality shifts, not when a trend spikes.
Key Concept
- Phrase ideas worth standing behind in two years, then revise when reality shifts.
- Complete sentences you would still sign - not trend-chasing rewrites every quarter.
- Promote from fleeting during Periodic Knowledge Review when a spark keeps returning.
Level 1 - Recognize
Evergreen notes are permanent claims phrased worth standing behind in two years - revised when reality shifts, not when a trend spikes.
Level 2 - Explain
Write something you would still say two years from now - like tools you maintain, phrase claims worth defending, change when life proves you wrong.
Level 3 - Use
Before you publish, ask whether you would defend this claim in two years; if not, keep it fleeting until it earns permanence.
Level 4 - Connect
Evergreen does not mean frozen - revision keeps a claim honest, while trend-driven rewrites make the note unstable; Periodic Knowledge Review separates the two.
Level 5 - Create
Create a review rule that promotes recurring sparks, records why a claim changed, and lets linked notes extend it without erasing the old reasoning.
Examples
- A family recipe card keeps the ratios, not last year's trendy garnish - rewrite when life changes how you cook, not when a feed gets excited about a new trick.
- My free-throw note keeps the release point and shooting form - not last week's trending drill tip I would regret next season.
Note Relationships
| Relationship | Wikilink | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| contradicts | Daily Notes | when two-year phrasing beats today's scratch pad |
| extends | Atomic Notes | Atomic notes become evergreens when one claim is phrased to last for years |
| extends | Periodic Knowledge Review | Evergreen notes stay sharp through scheduled revisit |
| extends | Take Smart Notes | Ahrens permanent notes target this durable phrasing |
| extends | The Beatitudes | Timeless claims like the Beatitudes - notes that age well |
