How to Create An Oracle
While reading, learning, or listening to something, you often come across ideas that “resonate” with you.
They might be philosophical concepts related to the meaning of life. They might be mental models for understanding how a system works. They could be quotes you want to remember in the future.
And if you’re like me, you’ve likely tried to collect these insights in some helpful way.
You might've tried creating a notebook full of them. You may have experimented with a system similar to Ryan Holiday’s Notecard System. Or, you might've even gone as far as to commit some of them to memory.
In any case, the question remains: what’s the best way to collect these resonant insights so you can return to them later?
Through a system I call the Oracle, not only can you capture these insights, but you can also search, tag, filter, and reference all of them through a single, interactive resource.
The LearnChangeDo Oracle allows you to:
Capture and curate all the life principles, mental models, writing passages, and quotes that have resonated with you through the years
Instantly embed a filtered or sorted view of your Oracle on any page of writing for easy and immediate reference
Tag and enhance each entry with searchable thematic keywords, sources, contextual ideas, and questions
Search through all your entries using whatever keywords or ideas fit your current needs
Reference your entries when writing, problem-solving, or brainstorming
In this post, you’ll learn how to set up and use the LearnChangeDo Oracle for Notion.
Click here to get the LearnChangeDo Oracle on Gumroad.
How to Create and Use Your Oracle
Capturing Oracle Entries
Treat the Oracle as your go-to database for capturing any ideas that resonate with you at any time. These can include:
Quotes
Heuristics
Mental models
Passages of writing
Self-reflection questions
Any other piece of information you want to return to in the future
The Oracle database also has three additional properties that make the Oracle even more usable:
Source - This is where you’d write the name of the individual or source where you found the entry.
Tags - This is where you’ll add various tags that add additional context and make your entries searchable. At a minimum, you should add tags for the following:
Themes the entry is related to
Subjects or topics the entry is relevant to
Keywords you might use to search for it in the future
Questions you might ask to find this entry in the future
Emotions you may use to search for this entry in the future
The type of entry you’re adding (quote, mental model, heuristic, etc.)
Any other additional tags you want to track or use to find your entries in the future.
Relevancy - When adding an entry for the first time, put a “1” in this property (we’ll discuss how this property works below)
Creating with Your Oracle
The more entries you add and use in your Oracle, the more useful and valuable it becomes.
When you sit down to write, brainstorm, or create any piece of content, use your Oracle as your curated source of material to enhance and support your ideas.
Depending on the type of content you’re creating, there are a few ways you can use it for reference material:
Writing
Because your entries each have a variety of tags, you can instantly add a linked view of your Oracle to any Notion page. You can then use filters and sorting to display entries that contain only a specific tag.
Reflecting
When journaling or reflecting on an important decision or experience, you can use your Oracle to search for entries related to your question or focus. The more tags you add to each entry, the more “searchable” your Oracle will become. Think of this as asking your Oracle questions and having all your insights available based on your search.
Brainstorming
When brainstorming an idea, you can create a linked view of your Oracle and filter out entries with specific tags related to the concept you’re brainstorming. Use it to improve an idea, reference similar ones, or develop a new one altogether.
Relevancy
The relevancy property helps you sort your Oracle entries so the most commonly resonant ones can emerge at the top.
Each time you use one of your Oracle entries, update the Relevancy property with the next numerical count (if it was “1,” change it to “2”, etc.). This creates a total relevancy count for each entry, and in the “All” view, you’ll see all of your entries in descending order of relevancy.
Make the Oracle Your Own
The LearnChangeDo Oracle is a starting point for curating your life’s most resonant wisdom. Over time, you can add additional properties, views, and sorting functions to enhance and tailor it to your creative process.
Three Ways to Use What You Just Learned
Start adding your own curated life principles, mental models, writing passages, and quotes that have resonated with you in your own life
The next time you’re writing, reflecting, or brainstorming, use your Oracle to enhance your thinking and creative process