How it works Features Pricing FAQ Sign in Add to Chrome — free
Works on every website

Save the best of
what you read

Highlight text on any webpage — Reddit, articles, research, docs. Your notes and highlights stay saved forever, searchable in seconds.

Free forever · No account required · 30 highlights on free plan

medium.com/article

Psychology · 6 min read

The Compounding Effect of Small Daily Habits

Success rarely comes from dramatic changes. Instead, it emerges from the accumulation of small, consistent actions taken over time. A 1% improvement each day leads to being 37× better by year's end.

Most people overestimate what they can do in a day and underestimate what they can do in a decade. This cognitive bias causes most to abandon good habits too early.

The key insight: identity precedes behavior. Focus on becoming the person who performs the desired behavior. Every action is a vote for the identity you wish to embody.

Three steps. Zero friction.

1
Select any text
On any webpage, highlight text. The toolbar appears instantly above your selection.
2
Pick a color & note
Choose from 4 colors (14 on Pro). Optionally add a personal note — all in one step.
3
Saved forever
Highlights persist every time you revisit. Search and browse them all in your library.

Everything lives right
inside your browser

No new app to open. No tab switching. Readnote is always there when you need it.

Extension popup

All your highlights,
one click away

Click the Readnote icon in your toolbar to browse every highlight from every site. Search, filter by color, and export — all from a single panel.

  • Search across all highlights instantly
  • Filter by color to find the right note
  • Export to Markdown, JSON, or Notion
Readnote
Floating sidebar
All
medium.com · 3 highlights
"Accumulation of small, consistent actions taken over time"
today at 14:32
"Most people overestimate what they can do in a day"
today at 14:28
"Identity precedes behavior"
today at 14:25
Floating sidebar

Always visible,
never in the way

A slim panel sticks to the right edge of every page showing your highlights for that page. Toggle it on or off from the popup with one click.

  • Shows highlights for the current page only
  • Click any highlight to jump straight to it
  • Collapses to a small tab when not needed
medium.com
The Compounding Effect

Success rarely comes from dramatic changes. Instead it emerges from the accumulation of small, consistent actions taken over time.

3
Readnote
3 highlights on this page
"Accumulation of small, consistent actions"
just now
"Overestimate what they can do in a day"
5m ago
"Identity precedes behavior"
12m ago
Full library dashboard

Your entire reading
life in one place

Open the full library in a new tab to see every highlight across every site, with exact local timestamps. Live-syncs as you highlight new things.

  • Grouped by site with timestamps
  • Auto-updates as you highlight in other tabs
  • Export all to Markdown, JSON, or Notion
Readnote
Live
Filter
🔖 All 24
Yellow 11
Green 7
Blue 4
24 highlights8 sites↓ Export
MThe Compounding Effect — medium.com3
"The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable."
Sat, Mar 21, 2026 at 14:32Yellow
"Even brief interruptions can derail deep cognitive work for up to 20 minutes."
Note: Use this stat in the focus article
Sat, Mar 21, 2026 at 14:28Blue

Everything you need to
capture what matters

Built for researchers, writers, students, and anyone who reads seriously on the web.

🖊️
14 highlight colors
Yellow, green, blue, pink free. Plus 10 Pro colors. Color-code by topic, importance, or mood.
📝
Color + note together
Pick your color and write your note in one step — no switching between dialogs.
🔍
Full-text search
Search every highlight, note, and page title. Find anything instantly across every site.
📊
Full library dashboard
A big-screen view of all highlights grouped by site, with exact local timestamps.
Works everywhere
Reddit, Wikipedia, Substack, GitHub, news, Notion, Medium — any page, any text.
☁️
Cloud sync (Pro)
Highlights sync across every Chrome installation you're signed into.
📤
Export anywhere
Export to Markdown, JSON, plain text, or Notion CSV. Your data is always yours.
🔒
Private by default
Free plan stores everything locally — nothing ever leaves your device.

Loved by researchers,
writers, and deep readers

★★★★★
"I use Readnote for every research session. Highlighting Reddit threads and academic articles in the same tool, with colors by topic, is a game-changer."
Marcus K.
PhD researcher
★★★★★
"Finally — something simpler than Readwise that just works. The floating sidebar means I can see my highlights without opening another tab."
Priya S.
Product manager
★★★★★
"I highlight Wikipedia and HN threads constantly for my newsletter. Export to Markdown goes straight into my writing workflow."
Tom A.
Newsletter writer

Simple, transparent pricing

Start free. Upgrade when you need more.

Free
$0
Forever free · no credit card
  • 4 highlight colors
  • Up to 30 highlights
  • 500-char notes
  • Floating sidebar
  • Export to all formats
  • Cloud sync
  • 10 extra colors
  • Unlimited highlights
Add to Chrome free

7-day free trial. No charge until trial ends. Cancel anytime from your account page.

Common questions

Does Readnote work on every website?
Yes — any page where you can select text. Reddit, Wikipedia, Medium, Substack, HackerNews, GitHub, news sites, and more.
Where are my highlights stored?
Free plan stores everything locally in your browser — nothing leaves your device. Pro adds optional cloud sync across all your Chrome installations.
Can I cancel my Pro subscription anytime?
Yes. Cancel from your account page at any time. You keep Pro access until the end of the billing period, no questions asked.
What happens to my highlights if I cancel?
They stay saved locally. You can export everything before cancelling. You drop back to the 30-highlight free limit going forward, but existing highlights are preserved.
Is there a free trial for Pro?
Yes — every new Pro subscription includes a 7-day free trial. No charge until the trial ends, cancel any time before that at zero cost.
Will highlights disappear if I restart my computer?
No. Highlights are saved in Chrome's persistent local storage — they survive browser restarts, computer restarts, and Chrome updates. Pro users with sync are safe even on a new computer.

Start highlighting today

Free to install. 30 highlights on the free plan.
No account needed to get started.

Add to Chrome — free