Simplify your system, download my template - A personal knowledge system
The main principle: the system serves life, not life the system
I know many people who spent months creating the perfect Obsidian system.
Beautiful templates. 50+ plugins. Colour coding. Canvases everywhere.
But six months later the system dies. The notes lie there without updates. The Inbox isn’t processed. The graph becomes chaos.
Why?
Because they created a system for the sake of a system.
A system isn’t a goal. A system is a tool for achieving goals.
If the system requires 2 hours a day to maintain, and you get 10% of the value — it’s not a system. It’s a burden.
When tools become a burden
The signs:
-
You spend more time on the system than on using the results
- Example: you write a script for 2 hours, but first you “organise” your notes for 3 hours
-
You procrastinate under the pretext of “optimisation”
- “I’ll just rework the structure, and then write the video”
- The rework drags on for a week
-
The system requires perfection
- You don’t create a note until there’s a perfect title
- You don’t add it to a MOC until you’ve formulated it perfectly
-
The number of plugins grows, the usefulness falls
- You installed 20 plugins. You use 3.
- The rest create conflicts and slowdowns
-
You’re afraid to change the system
- “If I rework the structure, everything will break”
- The system has become rigid, brittle
Three levels of a system’s maturity
Level 1: Gathering (months 1-2)
Goal: Start writing notes. Understand how Obsidian works.
The rules:
- Write freely. Don’t think about structure.
- Create notes in the Inbox. Don’t sort.
- Don’t install plugins. Just basic Obsidian.
- Don’t optimise. Act.
When to move on: When the Inbox is full enough (50+ notes), it’s time to structure.
Level 2: Structuring (months 2-4)
Goal: Implement PARA, create the first MOCs, start applying.
The rules:
- Process the Inbox daily (10 minutes)
- Create MOCs (when 10+ notes on a topic)
- Use the system in projects
- Install only the necessary plugins (3-5)
When to move on: When the system starts working effortlessly. When you act, rather than think about the system.
Level 3: Optimisation (month 5+)
Goal: Maintain the system. Add advanced tools as needed.
The rules:
- The system works on its own. You just maintain it.
- You add tools if you see a specific problem.
- You experiment with Canvas, the graph, plugins.
- Regular refactoring (once a month).
Rituals: how to turn the system into a habit
The system works only if it’s automatic.
You don’t think “do I need to update the MOC?” You just do it, because it’s a ritual.
Here are my rituals:
The signs of a healthy system
The system is healthy if:
-
The system helps, rather than hinders
- You act faster
- There are fewer mistakes
- There are more ideas
-
The rituals don’t feel like a burden
- You spend time in the system with interest, not out of obligation
- You often lose track of time
-
The notes are applied
- At least once a week you use a note in a project
- On the basis of your notes you create something new
-
The system develops, but doesn’t get more complex
- Every month new ideas appear
- But the number of tools doesn’t grow
-
You’re not afraid to change the system
- You can move a MOC to another folder
- You can delete a plugin that isn’t working
- The system is flexible, not rigid
-
The Inbox is empty or almost empty
- New notes are integrated right away
- There are no dangling tasks
Don’t create a perfect system. Create your working system.
A working system is:
- Simple
- Clear
- Applied
- Developing
- Serving you, not the other way around
Start with one folder. One ritual. One tool.
When you understand what’s missing — add it.
Remember: you gather notes in order to live better, not to live for the notes.
Simplify your system, download my template - A personal knowledge system
All the articles in the series:
- Why we forget everything we learn — and how to fix it
- Level 1 — The PARA structure
- Level 2 — MOC notes
- Level 3A — The graph and random notes
- Level 3B — Canvas
- Principles + rituals (you are here)