Treat Your Highlights and Bookmarks Like a River, Not a Bucket

I used to feel overwhelmed by my saved highlights and bookmarks, like I was just piling them up in an endless "bucket" that I'd never find time to sort through.

Like many of us, I spent countless hours building complex systems in Notion and Obsidian, only to rarely revisit them. Sound familiar?

Don't get me wrong - these are powerful tools, and they still have their place in my workflow. But I was spending too much time trying to perfect my "second brain" system, when in reality, I was just procrastinating and creating a false sense of productivity.

The key benefits of this "river" approach:

Instead of treating my digital library like a bucket that needs constant organizing, I started viewing my highlights and bookmarks as a river - always flowing, always changing.

The key benefits of this "river" approach:

  1. Natural Learning: The best insights come not from hoarding information, but from how reading gradually shapes your thinking over time.

  2. Serendipity: When ideas resurface organically, they often connect perfectly with whatever you're currently working on. That highlight from months ago might suddenly become the missing piece you needed.

  3. Present-Moment Joy: Sometimes, reading something just because it interests you right now is reason enough. Not everything needs to be about future benefit or productivity.

  4. Easy, Enjoyable Reviewing: Instead of facing an overwhelming archive, you can revisit your highlights and thoughts in a more natural, flowing manner.

  5. Reduced Maintenance: No more complex systems or folder structures that you'll abandon in a few months.

How I Implement This

This philosophy led me to build Screvi, where highlights don't get buried in folders but become part of a dynamic feed that brings ideas back to the surface naturally. It's like having a stream of thoughts that you can dip into whenever inspiration strikes, without the pressure of managing everything you've saved.

The platform combines a feed that surfaces random highlights with powerful search capabilities for when you need to find specific content.

It's designed to help you rediscover old ideas naturally, making your digital library feel alive and accessible rather than overwhelming and outdated.

Getting Started

If you're feeling buried under an avalanche of saved bookmarks and highlights like I was, try shifting your perspective from "buckets" to river.

Let your highlights flow, engage with what catches your eye, and trust that valuable ideas will surface when you need them.

Want to try this approach? You can check out Screvi here, or download the app on the App Store.