Taking Notes

I, like many others, have been in a constant battle with my note-taking system. There have been many iterations and apps that I have started using and then fallen off. I've used Notion, Joplin, Bear, and several more. This post would be way too long if I went over all that, and it wouldn't be very interesting either. So instead of dwelling on the past, let's stay in the present.

What I'm using now (and am happy with) is a combination of digital and analog tools.

Obsidian

Obsidian is a fantastic app that so far has worked just as I want and expect a note-taking app to work. Another big plus is that there is no locked-in ecosystem around the notes. They are just markdown files that can be moved somewhere else if, at some point in the future, Obsidian doesn't fit my needs or moves in a direction I don't like.

I'm using the PARA method to organize everything, and since migrating to it, I don't see myself moving away from it anytime soon.

This is also where I keep a daily journal combined with a commonplace using the Daily Note plugin. From there, I sort out anything of value into a separate note if I know it has any value and needs to be referenced later.

Otherwise, the journal is mostly a way to reflect, keep sane, and vent about anything happening in my life. I try to do it every day, but I don't like to be too harsh about having to do it and falling off because of the pressure to keep up with it.

Analog Notebooks

Pocket notebook

This is where I write down anything I want to remember when I'm out and not at my desk. I, of course, also have my phone with me, but writing on a phone has never felt good to me. I constantly mistype and end up frustrated every time I have to write something down that isn't a message to someone. And even then, I'd rather type it out on my laptop.

Spiral notebook

I keep a disposable and cheap spiral notebook on my desk when I'm working and need to write something down quickly. So it's used mostly as scratchpad. As with the pocket notebook, anything of value will be moved into Obsidian. There is no system here really; anything goes.