PKM Workshop Part 1 - Finding Your Why & Defining Your Container
Table of Contents:
Date: Thursday, July 3rd
Time: 11:00 AM EST
Duration: 55-60 minutes
Format: Virtual (Zoom)
Participants: 10-15 people
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garden.learntothrive.club/pkm-workshop-july3
Workshop Overview
Most PKM systems fail because we jump straight to organizing and processing before understanding what we’re trying to achieve. This foundational workshop focuses on the two most critical elements: discovering your deeper purpose and creating a concrete container to focus your efforts.
Key Concept: Build an Active Garden (purpose defines content) rather than a Passive Garden (content defines purpose).
“Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.” ― Joseph Campbell
The point isn’t to find the meaning or purpose of life, the point is to begin to feel alive again.
Agenda
Opening & Context Setting (5 minutes)
- Welcome & brief introductions
- The Active vs. Passive Garden concept
- Why starting with purpose prevents system overwhelm
Section 1: Purpose - The Why (20 minutes)
Core Exploration: Moving from surface frustrations to fundamental motivations
Guiding Question: Think of a recent moment when you felt frustrated by not having the right information at the right time. What happened?
- Individual Deep Dive: 7 minutes working through the “5 Whys” process
- Start with your frustration moment
- Layer each “why” to go deeper (we’ll provide the framework)
- Discover your fundamental purpose
- Resource Preview: 3 minutes - Which approaches resonate for deeper exploration?
- Breakout Discussions: 10 minutes in small groups (3-4 people)
- Share your purpose discoveries
- Help each other refine and clarify
- Identify common themes and unique motivations
Section 2: Container - The What (20 minutes)
Core Exploration: Translating purpose into a concrete, actionable project
Guiding Questions:
- What’s one specific project in the next 3 months where you’ll need to gather, organize, and use information?
-
What comes naturally to you that others struggle with?
- Individual Project Design: 7 minutes defining your container
- Connect your purpose to a real project
- Identify your natural strengths and experiences
- Set a realistic timeline and scope
- Resource Preview: 3 minutes - What work style matches your project needs?
- Breakout Discussions: 10 minutes refining and stress-testing
- Present your project concept
- Get feedback on scope and feasibility
- Troubleshoot potential obstacles
Integration & Planning (10 minutes)
- Large Group Debrief: Key insights and “aha” moments (5 minutes)
- Next Actions: What will you do in the next 7 days to move forward? (3 minutes)
- Part 2 Preview: Sources and processes - coming next session (3 minutes)
This is Part 1 of a 2-part series. Part 2 will cover identifying your information sources and designing your processing workflows.
Want to preview the detailed questions? Link to full question set
Questions? Feel free to reach out before the session!
PKM Workshop: Purpose & Container
Goal: Begin Building an Active Knowledge Garden
Welcome to Part 1
This is the first of our 2-part PKM workshop series. Today we’re focusing on the foundation that most people skip: your WHY and WHAT.
Most PKM systems fail because we jump straight to organizing and processing before understanding what we’re trying to achieve.
The Core Problem
We get excited about:
- Tools and apps
- Templates and workflows
- Organization systems
- Productivity hacks
But we never ask:
- What am I actually trying to accomplish?
- Why do I need to manage information?
- What change am I trying to create?
This is why systems get abandoned. No clear purpose = no staying power.
Key Concept: Active vs Passive Gardens
Active Garden (What we’re building)
- Purpose defines content
- Intentional cultivation
- Focused growth
- Clear outcomes
- Sustainable practice
Passive Garden (What to avoid)
- Content defines purpose
- Endless collecting
- System overwhelm
- No clear direction
- Eventual abandonment
Think of your PKM like tending a garden. Most people create Passive Gardens - they collect everything, hoping it will somehow organize itself into usefulness.
We’re building Active Gardens today - where your purpose determines what you cultivate.
Today’s Journey
Section 1: Purpose (The Why) Moving from surface frustrations to fundamental motivations
Section 2: Container (The What)
Translating purpose into a concrete, actionable project
Integration & Planning Next steps and preparing for Part 2
Section 1: Purpose - The Why (20 minutes)
Core Exploration: Moving from surface frustrations to fundamental motivations
- Individual Deep Dive: 7 minutes working through the “5 Whys” process
- Start with your desired starting point
- Layer each “why” to go deeper (we’ll provide the framework)
- Discover your fundamental (starting point) purpose
- Resource Preview: 3 minutes - Which approaches resonate for deeper exploration?
- Breakout Discussions: 10 minutes in small groups (3-4 people)
- Share your purpose discoveries
- Help each other refine and clarify
- Identify common themes and unique motivations
The Goal
Before you build any system, you need to know what you’re building it for.
- Why do you want to manage information?
- What’s the point?
- What’s the purpose of it?
- It’s just information, so what do you want to do with it?
“Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive.” ― Joseph Campbell
Think of your PKM system as a car. While it may be fun to drive a Cadillac, a Honda Accord accomplishes the main goal of getting you from Point A to Point B. The main goal of PKM is to express yourself.
Starting Points
Pick the approach that resonates with you:
Option A: Frustration-Based - Think of a recent moment when you felt frustrated by not having the right information at the right time. What happened?
Option B: Curiosity-Based - What questions or topics do you find yourself constantly drawn to? What makes you think “I wish I understood this better”?
Option C: Impact-Based - What change do you want to create through your work? What problems are you trying to solve?
The 5 Whys Process
Work through this with your chosen starting point:
Example: Frustration-Based
Starting point: “I couldn’t find my notes from that client meeting”
- Why #1: Because I wasted an hour searching → felt unprepared (surface-level)
- Why #2: Because I hate looking disorganized → affects my credibility (personal impact)
- Why #3: Because I want to be seen as professional → I value competence (deeper values)
- Why #4: Because I want to advance in my career → I want growth (core motivations)
- Why #5: Because I want to have impact and independence → Freedom + Mastery (fundamental purpose)
Notice: Each “why” goes deeper - from the problem to your values to your purpose.
Reflection question: Is this my purpose? You can’t know until you begin. Cultivate an understanding through experience and keep in mind that [[success in life is a person you become]], not a place you arrive (or a purpose you “find”).
(Outside the scope of this workshop, but there’s free resources and these slides are publicly available - feel free to explore these on your own time if the spirit moves you)
Resources:
- Feeling stuck? Try generating a list of your [[How to make your own favorite problems]] [[Favorite Problems]]
- Mental Squeeze Point - Why purpose prevents system abandonment.
- Guiding Values of PKM - Align your purpose with with proven principles.
- [[The Why - The What - The How]]
-
Create your own [[Reminder’s List (copy) 1 Reminder’s List]] to serve as inspiration for your PKM journey.
Individual Deep Dive (7 minutes)
Your turn:
- Start with your chosen frustration, curiosity, or impact moment
- Work through the 5 Whys process
- Layer each “why” to go deeper
- Discover your fundamental purpose
- Reflection question: Is this my purpose? Does this feel energizing or draining? (chase the feeling of what makes you feel more alive)
Moving Forward: Think of this as your starting hypothesis about why knowledge management matters to you. The next section(s) will help you test and refine it.
Timer: 7 minutes
Breakout Discussion Questions (10 minutes)
Share in groups of 3-4:
- What was your starting point? (frustration, curiosity, or impact)
- What surprised you about your own motivations?
- Where did you feel the most energy in your 5 Whys?
- How does your purpose compare to what others shared?
- What common themes are emerging in your group?
Listen for: The energy behind each person’s purpose. Help each other refine and clarify.
Timer: 10 minutes (60 second close-out timer)
Key Insights
Remember:
- This is an experiment to discover how to best embody your purpose
- Success in life is a person you become, not a place you arrive
- Purpose prevents system abandonment - it’s your north star
- If you hit a wall before 5 whys, that’s okay - some find purpose at Why #3
Moving forward: Think of this as your starting hypothesis. The next sections will help you test and refine it.
Section 2: Container (The What)
Core Exploration: Translating purpose into a concrete, actionable project
- Individual Project Design: 7 minutes defining your container
- Connect your purpose to a real project
- Identify your natural strengths and experiences
- Set a realistic timeline and scope
- Resource Preview: 3 minutes - What work style matches your project needs?
- Breakout Discussions: 10 minutes refining and stress-testing
- Present your project concept
- Get feedback on scope and feasibility
-
Troubleshoot potential obstacles
The Goal
Create a focused container for your purpose by identifying one specific area where you’ll apply your knowledge management system.
Without a concrete project, PKM becomes endless collecting instead of purposeful building.
Starting Points
Pick the approach that resonates with you:
Option A: Current Reality
- What project are you already working on that desperately needs better information support?
- What’s currently frustrating you about finding or organizing information for this work?
Option B: Upcoming Challenge
- What’s coming in the next 3-6 months that you want to be prepared for?
- What project or goal would benefit from having all your research and thinking organized?
Option C: Burning Question
- What question has been nagging at you that deserves focused exploration?
- What topic do you keep returning to that could become a sustained investigation?
Container Framework
Once you’ve chosen your starting point, define your container by exploring:
Core Questions
- What specific outcome or deliverable will this create?
- How does this connect to your purpose from Section 1?
- What’s the smallest version that would still feel meaningful?
- What challenges/obstacles might you face in completing this?
- When do you need this completed? (or when would you like to make significant progress?)
Guiding Questions
- What’s one specific project in the next 3 months where you’ll need to gather, organize, and use information?
- What comes naturally to you that others struggle with?
Individual Project Design (7 minutes)
Your turn:
- Connect your purpose to a real project
- How does this project serve your deeper why?
- What makes this meaningful beyond just “getting organized”?
- Identify your natural strengths and experiences
- What do you already do well that others find difficult?
- What experiences give you an advantage here?
- Set a realistic timeline and scope
- What’s the smallest version that would still feel meaningful?
- When do you realistically need this completed?
- Consider potential obstacles
- What might get in your way?
- How can you design around these challenges?
Remember: This is an experiment to discover how to best embody your purpose. Start somewhere and adjust as you learn.
Timer: 7 minutes
Breakout Refinement Questions (10 minutes)
Present your project concept and get feedback:
For the Presenter:
- Describe your container project in 2-3 sentences
- How does it connect to your purpose from Section 1?
- What’s your timeline and what makes it realistic?
- What obstacle are you most concerned about?
For the Group:
- Does the scope feel realistic for the timeline?
- Is the connection to purpose clear and energizing?
- What potential obstacles do you see that they might have missed?
- What strengths do they have that could help them succeed?
- How could they make this even smaller while keeping it meaningful?
Stress-test questions:
- Is this the right work?
- Is it connected to your purpose?
- Is it realistic given your current capacity?
Timer: 10 minutes (60 second close-out timer)
Resource Preview
(Again, outside the scope of this workshop, but there’s free resources and these slides are publicly available - feel free to explore these on your own time if the spirit moves you)
Consider what work style matches your project needs:
- Implementation Intentions - turning vague goals into specific plans
- Tiny Experiments - starting small to reduce fear and build momentum
- Project Planning for Neurodivergent Minds - working with your brain, not against it
- Minimum Viable Project - ship something small and concrete
- Energy vs Interest - choose what energizes you, not just what sounds good
Key Insights
Reflection question: Is this the right work? Every project is an experiment to discover how to best embody your purpose.
Remember:
- Function over form - focus on what you’ll actually use
- Start simple and evolve organically
- Choose what energizes you, not just what sounds impressive
- The goal is purposeful building, not endless collecting
Moving forward: You now have both WHY (your purpose) and WHAT (your container). Next, we’ll integrate these discoveries and plan your next steps.
Integration & Planning
Bringing it all together and planning your next steps
Large Group Debrief (5 minutes)
Key Insights & “Aha” Moments
Share with the group:
- What surprised you about your own purpose discovery?
- How did your container project evolve during the refinement process?
- What connections did you notice between your WHY and WHAT?
- What common themes emerged across different groups?
- What felt most energizing about this process?
Listen for:
- Unexpected motivations that emerged
- How purpose clarified project choices
- Connections between individual purposes and shared challenges
- Energy shifts when people found their “right work”
What You’re Walking Away With
Your Foundation
- Deep clarity on your fundamental motivation for building a PKM system
- A concrete project that connects your purpose to real work
- Understanding of your natural strengths and how to leverage them
- Realistic timeline and scope for your first PKM experiment
- Community connections with others on similar journeys
- Foundation ready for Part 2 (sources and processes)
Your Active Garden Blueprint
You now have both:
- WHY (your purpose) - your north star and motivation
- WHAT (your container) - your concrete, focused project
This prevents the endless collecting and system overwhelm that kills most PKM efforts.
Next Actions Planning (3 minutes)
What will you do in the next 7 days to move forward?
Individual reflection questions:
- One small action to test your purpose - What’s something you could do this week that aligns with your deeper why?
- First step on your container project - What’s the very next concrete action you need to take?
- Resources to gather - What information, tools, or support do you need to collect?
- Potential obstacles - What might get in your way, and how will you handle it?
- Accountability - Who will you tell about this project? When will you check in on progress?
Remember: Start somewhere and adjust as you learn. The goal is momentum, not perfection.
Part 2 Preview (3 minutes)
Coming soon: Sources & Processes. (if you’re interested)
Section 3: Sources (The Who)
- Identifying your information sources and human connections
- Mapping your knowledge ecosystem
- Building relationships that support your purpose
Section 4: Processes (The How)
- Designing workflows that match your thinking style
- Creating sustainable habits for information processing
- Building systems that serve your container project
The Complete Framework:
- WHY (Purpose) ✓
- WHAT (Container) ✓
- WHO (Sources) - 2nd part
- HOW (Processes) - 2nd part
Workshop Reflection
Guiding Questions for Ongoing Practice
- Can I find what I’m looking for quickly? Easily?
- Does my system serve my goals?
- Am I creating more than I’m collecting?
- Does this help me think, or just feel productive?
- Can my system surprise me with unexpected connections?
- Can I maintain this long-term without burning out?
Core Values to Remember
- Intentionality > Optimization - Know your why before your how
- Mental Clarity > Mental Clutter - Think better, not just remember more
- Creative Connection > Rigid Organization - Let ideas collide and form relationships
- Sustainable Practice > Perfectionist Systems - Function over form, consistency over bursts
Final Thoughts
Remember: This is just the beginning. You’re not finding your purpose - you’re cultivating an understanding through experience. Success in PKM is about becoming the person who naturally creates, connects, and contributes knowledge in service of what matters most to you.
Your Active Garden starts now.
Thank you for building your Active Knowledge Garden with us!
Questions? Feel free to reach out before Part 2!
Part 2 Date: Possibly in 2 weeks (if you’re interested)
We also have a survey we’d like you to fill out to gain feedback on how this session went and what you’d like to see moving forward.
PKM Survey
https://tally.so/r/w8YWLk
Back to PKM Meet-Up (Ness Labs).