What is scrap collection?
Scrap collection means writing down anything interesting as it happens — articles, ideas, quotes, observations — without worrying about where it goes. You organize later.
Trying to file information perfectly in the moment slows you down and causes you to miss things. The approach is simple: capture first, organize later.
Collecting scraps in a text file
The simplest approach is a monthly text file where you keep appending entries.
■ June 2026 Scraps
[ 06/02 ]
Idea: "Change your environment, change your thinking"
→ The same problem looks different from a different place
[ 06/10 ]
Task management insight
→ Deciding what NOT to do matters more than deciding what to do
Use the date as a heading so you know when you wrote each entry. Alt+S → Date (Mac: ⌥S) inserts today’s date at the cursor instantly.
Organizing scraps with the rich text editor
When you are ready to organize, a .tt.html file gives you more structure.
- Use the HL button to highlight entries by topic or importance
- Use H2 headings to create categories
- Bold (B button) to emphasize key phrases
Capture with .txt for speed; structure with .tt.html when you are ready to make sense of what you collected.
scrap-collection/
2026-06-interesting.txt ← daily capture
scraps.tt.html ← organized at month-end
Sorting into folders
Once scraps accumulate, move files into topic folders.
scrap-collection/
productivity/
2026-06.txt
tech-notes/
2026-06.txt
reading-notes/
2026-06.txt
Do not try to categorize from the start — it adds friction. Dump everything into one folder first, then sort when the pile gets big enough to be worth organizing.
Tips for keeping the habit
- Make capturing as easy as possible — one open text file, always ready to write in
- Organize weekly or monthly — daily tidying is not necessary; a batch review gives you better perspective
- Do not delete — information that seems useless now is often valuable later; move it to an archive folder rather than deleting