From digital chaos to structured clarity, how one tool rewired how I think, plan and create
For years, my notes were spread across half a dozen apps. Ideas went into Google Keep, research into Google Docs, tasks into a to-do list I never checked, and everything else got buried in screenshots or browser tabs.
Every app I tried made things worse. Some were too simple, others were too complex. I kept switching, hoping the next tool would finally stick. Nothing did.
Then I found Obsidian.
At first, it looked like something only power users would love. Plugins, Markdown, folders, internal links. But something about it made me stay. Within a few weeks, it became the first note-taking tool that actually matched the way I think. No clutter. No distractions. Just a clean system that grew as I used it.
Here’s how I set it up and why I still use it every single day.
1. One Folder to Catch Everything
No more thinking about where it goes
The biggest reason I avoided taking notes was simple. I didn’t know where to put them. Every idea came with the question, should this go in my journal, a project file, or a someday list?
Now I don’t ask. Every new note lands in a folder called Inbox. It doesn’t matter what it is. If I’m on a walk and think of a headline, it goes there. A quote I like, a link, a reminder, it all goes to Inbox.
Once a day I go through and clean it out. Some get deleted. Others get moved or linked to the right projects. It takes five minutes. It saves hours of frustration later.
2. Use Templates to Skip the Boring Stuff
Less formatting, more thinking
I used to waste time setting up every note. Meeting notes started blank. Journal entries felt like chores. Article drafts had to be organized every time.
Now I use Obsidian’s Templates plugin. One click gives me a fully structured note. I have templates for meetings, daily logs, writing drafts, and project briefs. Each one is built the way I like to work.
It sounds small. But skipping those few steps every time has made note-taking a habit instead of a task.
3. Make Daily Notes Your Center
One page to rule the day
Every morning, I open a daily note. It has space for my top three priorities, a task list, and a free section for whatever comes up.
Throughout the day, I drop in links, thoughts, meeting takeaways, or article ideas. It replaces my planner, journal, and scratchpad in one page.
At the end of the day, I link anything important to ongoing projects. That way nothing valuable gets lost in the archive. Over time, these notes become a quiet record of what I worked on and what I thought about.
4. Projects Get Their Own Space
Folders that do more than hold files
Big work deserves a home. I make a folder for each project. Inside, I keep an outline, raw research, meeting logs, feedback, and a checklist.
But the real magic is in the links. If I jot down something in a daily note that connects to a project, I just link it. That one bracketed phrase is enough. Later, I can jump straight from that idea back to the full project without searching or guessing.
Everything connects. Nothing gets buried.
5. Build a Vault for Reusable Knowledge
The notes worth keeping forever
Not all notes are tied to a project. Some are just useful. Writing tips. Book highlights. Productivity frameworks. Code snippets. These live in a folder I call Reference.
When I’m working and need an idea or reminder, I go there. It saves me from re-Googling the same things or scrolling through bookmarks I forgot about.
It becomes your own personal Wikipedia that grows with you.
6. Keep the Plugins Simple
The fewer the better
Obsidian has a plugin store full of shiny things. I ignored most of them. Then I started to realize the production gains I was seeing in my every day work/life. The only ones I use are:
- Daily Notes
- QuickAdd
- Calendar
- Backlinks
- Excalidraw
They cover everything I need without slowing things down or adding clutter. The goal isn’t to build a perfect system. It’s to make sure you use the system you have.
7. Let the Graph Show You What You Missed
A map of your mind
Graph View shows how your notes are connected. Each one appears as a dot. Related ones link together. The clusters grow as you write and link.
If I see a note floating alone, I know it needs to be connected or cleaned up. If I see a dense cluster, I know I’m building something meaningful.
It’s not just pretty. It helps you spot patterns and connections you’d never notice in a list or folder tree.
The Final Thought
Obsidian didn’t fix my productivity. It fixed my attention. It gave every idea a place to live. It made it easy to write something down without overthinking. And it showed me how much I was missing by jumping from app to app.