Section 1.1: Notebook 1 — The Brain Dump

This technique is beneficial for everyone, especially those who tend to overthink. I allocate time before bed to jot down my thoughts and concerns. Initially, I feared this practice might lead to ruminating on my problems, but surprisingly, it helps me release them and move on.

Section 1.2: Notebook 2 — Organizing Everything Else

This notebook functions like a brain dump for to-dos, allowing me to clear my mind for more pressing matters. Each month, Laras selects a theme to help mitigate anxiety by keeping long-term goals in perspective. I appreciate the elegance of this strategy.

If I were to return to using notebooks, I’d likely adopt a similar system but keep both in one book: Notebook 1 at the front and Notebook 2 at the back, flipped upside down. This setup would help maintain chronological organization.

Upon reflection, I see a significant advantage to using two separate books; the brain dump notebook may contain personal information that I wouldn’t want lingering alongside my task list.

Section 1.3: Productivity Tips — The Power of Brown Noise

If you're struggling to concentrate due to external distractions or racing thoughts, brown noise might be the solution you need. There’s scientific backing for its effectiveness, though I won't delve into the details—I'm just grateful that it works for me.

This YouTube video, which plays for 8 hours and has garnered over 17 million views, has been a godsend! I find it challenging to work with music, as it distracts me, just as white noise and sounds from nature do. However, brown noise envelops me like a comforting barrier, helping to keep distracting thoughts at bay.

Section 1.4: Stop Worrying About Software Longevity

A discussion on the Obsidian subreddit raised concerns about the platform's future. An insightful response from user EpiphanicSyncronica articulated it well:

"At some point, you need to stop fretting over hypotheticals and get on with your life. It’s unlikely that someone would acquire the software just to shut it down. Even if they did, the risks are minimal with Obsidian, as your data remains in a portable, universally readable format stored locally, easily accessible with any text editor."

Even currently, Obsidian isn’t the only plaintext PKM tool available. Given its popularity, should it ever shut down, there would be an increased incentive for developers to create viable alternatives.

If you want something to lose sleep over, consider the fate of your workflow and data with cloud-based applications like Notion, Roam, Clickup, Evernote, or Google Docs, which store your data in proprietary formats on their remote servers.

No software, operating system, or technology platform is guaranteed to last indefinitely. Embrace this reality and make the most of the tools at your disposal today.

Section 2.1: Tana’s Cloud Storage vs. Obsidian’s Local Files

In the coming months, I will examine how to maximize the benefits of Tana while ensuring that my data is exportable and safeguarded as plain text. Gaining early access to Tana has been exciting, but I often experience what I refer to as "trapped-animal syndrome." It’s akin to a wild animal voluntarily entering a cage—it feels confining to me when apps position themselves between me and my data.

Nonetheless, Tana’s growing popularity intrigues me, compelling me to return and discover what I might be missing. A recent tweet thread by Santi Younger indicates we share similar perspectives, and I look forward to following his journey with interest.

Section 2.2: My Simple Task Management Strategy

I recently composed a follow-up article detailing the task management template that forms the core of my straightforward system in Obsidian. This new piece elaborates on the process in greater depth.

How to Track Your Tasks in One Simple, Elegant Text File

5 Years Later, Still Going Strong

In this article, I demonstrate my task workflow:

• Capture tasks
• Organize tasks by urgency (soon, waiting, backlog)
• Prioritize tasks within those categories
• Add deadlines (with alerts) to my calendar as needed
• Focus on completing one task at a time

The Master List I utilize resembles a sheet of paper—a reusable document with movable lines and links. I discuss how I capture, sort, and prioritize tasks. Since I track tasks in a simple text file, I must manually enter reminders into my digital calendar. As I noted in the article, this intentional friction can actually be beneficial.

For more insights, check out past episodes of the Plain Text, Paper-Less Productivity Digest. Additional writings about Obsidian are available here. You can also download a free demo vault of the Obsidian Planner from my Gumroad store.