Zettelkasten is a personal, hypertext-style method for thinking and writing built from small, atomic notes (“Zettel”) that each have a unique ID, a short body in your own words, and references. Notes are densely linked (with explicit link context) to form a web of ideas; structure notes act as hubs or tables of contents to navigate big topics. Inspired by Niklas Luhmann’s prolific paper system (with fixed addresses and a register for entry points), modern Zettelkasten favors software-agnostic plain text, timestamps for IDs, and rigorous connectivity over mere collection. It takes practice, but the payoff is organic growth, easier recall, smoother writing, and the ability to tackle complex work by developing insights through connections.