I capture ideas constantly but lose them when they matter most

Description

I write down ideas, notes, and insights all the time. During classes, conversations, reading, or random moments of inspiration. Capturing information is easy, but making use of it later is the real problem. When I actually need an idea or a piece of information, I remember that I wrote it somewhere, but not where. Searching through notes becomes a frustrating guessing game. Most note-taking tools help with organization only if you are extremely disciplined. I want a system that helps me rediscover useful thoughts without needing perfect structure.