What Nobody Tells You About Organizing Folders in Obsidian

Summary

In this comprehensive guide, Nick Milo from 'Linking Your Thinking' demonstrates how to organize folders in Obsidian, a popular note-taking app. He advises starting without any folders and building a structure from the ground up, tailored to individual needs. Nick introduces two popular organizational frameworks: the PAR method (Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives) and the ACE framework (Atlas, Calendar, and Efforts). The video serves as a step-by-step tutorial, guiding viewers to create a personalized folder system that evolves with their note-taking practices, ultimately aiming to minimize confusion and enhance clarity in managing digital notes.

Takeaways

• 📁 Start with no folders: The best way to organize in Obsidian is to begin with no folders and build structure from the bottom up based on personal needs.
• 🛠️ Customize your system: Create a note organization system that suits your unique requirements rather than following someone else's advice or methods.
• 🌱 Build gradually: As your note count grows, introduce folders when they are needed to manage complexity and maintain accessibility of notes.
• 🔍 Identify your note types: Recognize different types of notes you create, such as daily notes, project notes, concept notes, and book highlights to determine their organization.
• 🚫 Avoid unnecessary folders: Don't create folders just for the sake of it; ensure each folder serves a purpose and simplifies your note retrieval process.
• 🗂️ Explore frameworks: Consider using established frameworks like the PAR method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives) or the Zettelkasten method for initial organization.
• 🔄 Adapt and evolve: Understand that your folder system may need to change over time as your needs and the volume of notes evolve.
• 👀 Personalize your approach: Even if you use a framework, make it personal by adjusting it to fit the way you think and work best.
• 📚 Prioritize linking over folders: Focus more on creating meaningful links between notes rather than spending excessive time on folder organization.
• 🔗 Linking is key: The true value in note-taking lies in the connections made between ideas, which foster creativity and understanding.
• 👋 Start simple: For beginners, starting with a simple folder structure and building upon it as needed is more effective than creating a complex system from the outset.

Q & A

What is the recommended starting point for organizing folders in Obsidian according to the video?

The video suggests starting with no folders at all and building from the bottom up, based on individual needs rather than following someone else's structure.

What is the purpose of building folders from the bottom up in Obsidian?

Building folders from the bottom up allows for a personalized structure that is based on what the user actually needs, rather than a generic or imposed system.

What does the video suggest about the relationship between the number of folders and notes?

The video advises against having more folders than notes, as it would be counterproductive and confusing. It emphasizes the importance of a balanced and practical folder structure.

What are the two popular folder organization methods mentioned in the video?

The two popular folder organization methods mentioned are the PAR method and the Zettelkasten (or 'Ace') framework.

What does the PAR method stand for in the context of the video?

In the video, the PAR method stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives, which is a way to categorize notes into these four main areas.

What does the Ace framework stand for and what does it focus on?

The Ace framework stands for Atlas, Calendar, and Efforts. It focuses on organizing notes based on three headspaces: ideas and knowledge (Atlas), time-based notes (Calendar), and action-based notes (Efforts).

What is the main idea behind the 'Umami' folder mentioned in the video?

The 'Umami' folder is used for idea and knowledge notes that are hard to categorize. It is a catch-all folder for notes that don't fit neatly into other categories, similar to how 'Umami' is a taste that is not quite any of the basic tastes.

What is the video's stance on spending time organizing folders versus linking ideas?

The video encourages minimizing time spent on organizing folders and instead focusing on linking ideas, making connections, and fostering creativity, which are more valuable activities.

How does the video suggest dealing with time-bound notes like daily notes in Obsidian?

The video suggests creating a folder specifically for time-bound notes, such as 'Daily Notes', 'Calendar', 'Chronology', or 'Journal', depending on the user's preference.

What resource does the video offer for those who want to try out the Ace framework?

The video offers a free Vault called 'IdeaVerse for Obsidian' as a sandbox for users to experiment with the Ace framework and find what works best for their note-taking needs.

Outlines

00:00

📁 Building a Personalized Folder Structure in Obsidian

The speaker introduces a unique approach to organizing folders in Obsidian, emphasizing the importance of starting without any folders and building a structure from the ground up based on personal needs. They discuss the common pitfalls of relying on others' folder systems and the value of constructing a system tailored to individual requirements. The video promises to guide viewers through the process of identifying necessary folders, potentially eliminating some altogether, and aims to clarify confusion around folder organization.

05:00

📚 Evolving Your Note-Taking System with Examples

The speaker provides a detailed walkthrough of how to evolve a note-taking system from a simple starting point to a more complex structure as the number of notes grows. They discuss the initial simplicity of having just a few notes and the challenges that arise as the collection expands. The video offers practical examples, such as organizing book highlights and daily notes, and addresses the tension between folder proliferation and note accessibility. It also introduces the idea of using folder systems like the PAR method and the Zettelkasten approach to manage complexity.

10:03

🗂 Customizing Folders to Fit Ambiguous Note Types

The speaker delves into the complexities of categorizing ambiguous note types, such as ideas and knowledge notes, which do not fit neatly into predefined folders. They discuss the challenges of naming folders for such notes and the importance of creating a folder title that is as flexible as the content it holds. The speaker uses the term 'Umami' as a metaphor for this complexity and suggests that a folder system should accommodate the fuzzy nature of certain note types, allowing for a more organic and less rigid organization.

15:03

📅 Addressing Time-Bound and Action-Oriented Notes

The speaker addresses the organization of time-bound notes, such as daily notes and course materials, as well as action-oriented notes related to projects and tasks. They explore different strategies for categorizing these types of notes, including using folders like 'Efforts' and 'Projects' for action items, and 'Course Notes' or 'Learning' for educational content. The speaker also discusses the importance of recognizing which types of notes are relevant to an individual's note-taking practice and adjusting the folder system accordingly.

20:05

🔍 Exploring the PAR Method and ACE Framework for Organization

The speaker introduces two popular folder organization methods, the PAR method (Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives) and the ACE framework (Atlas, Calendar, and Efforts), and demonstrates how they can be applied to the same set of 22 notes. They provide a step-by-step guide on categorizing notes using these systems, highlighting the benefits of each approach and how they can simplify the process of finding and managing notes. The speaker also invites viewers to consider how these frameworks might fit with their own note-taking needs.

25:07

🛠️ Personalizing the Obsidian Note-Taking System

The speaker shares their personal approach to organizing notes in Obsidian, which involves a customized version of the ACE framework with a focus on three main categories: Atlas, Calendar, and Efforts. They explain how they have adapted the system to their own needs, with a flattened structure for Atlas and a dedicated folder for time-bound notes. The speaker also discusses the importance of reflecting on and evolving one's note-taking system over time, emphasizing the need to balance folder organization with the creative process of linking ideas and making connections.

🌟 Embracing Personal Growth and Evolution in Note-Taking

In the conclusion, the speaker encourages viewers to embrace personal growth and evolution in their note-taking practices, reminding them that the best folder system is one that is tailored to their own needs and can adapt over time. They stress the importance of starting with a clean slate and building up a system from the bottom up, using frameworks like PAR and ACE as a starting point but ultimately creating a system that is uniquely one's own. The speaker also highlights the value of revisiting and refining the folder system as part of an ongoing process of personal development.

Keywords

💡Obsidian

Obsidian is a knowledge and note-taking app that allows users to create, organize, and link notes in a non-linear, visual manner. In the context of the video, it is the primary tool discussed for organizing digital notes and thoughts. The video aims to guide users on how to effectively use Obsidian for their note-taking needs, emphasizing the importance of a structured yet flexible approach to folder organization within the app.

💡Folders

In the video, 'folders' refer to the virtual categories or containers within Obsidian where notes can be stored and organized. The script discusses the strategy of creating folders based on personal needs rather than predefined structures, highlighting the importance of a bottom-up approach to folder organization that evolves with the user's note-taking practices.

💡Bottom-up approach

The 'bottom-up approach' mentioned in the script advocates for starting with no preconceived folder structures and building them as needed based on the content and requirements of the notes. This method is contrasted with top-down approaches where a rigid structure is imposed from the start. It is presented as a way to ensure that the folder system is tailored to the individual's unique note-taking habits and information needs.

💡PAR Method

The 'PAR Method' is one of the organization frameworks discussed in the video. It stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. This method categorizes notes into these four areas to help users manage their information more effectively. The video suggests using the PAR Method as a potential starting point for those unsure of how to organize their notes in Obsidian.

💡ACE Framework

The 'ACE Framework' is another organizational system presented in the video, standing for Atlas, Calendar, and Efforts. This framework is designed to help users categorize their notes based on the nature of the content and the user's interaction with it. The video explains how the ACE Framework can simplify the folder structure, making it easier to manage and navigate large numbers of notes.

💡Atomic notes

'Atomic notes' are mentioned as a type of note that some users might categorize into a specific folder. These are typically short, concise notes that capture a single idea or piece of information. The script discusses the challenge of categorizing such notes, suggesting that the folder titles should be as flexible as the content they contain.

💡Evergreen notes

In the context of the video, 'Evergreen notes' refer to notes that are continually updated and relevant over time. They are contrasted with more temporary or project-specific notes. The script touches on the difficulty of categorizing such notes, as they may contain a wealth of information and links, making them challenging to fit into a rigid folder structure.

💡Daily notes

'Daily notes' are notes that users create to capture information or thoughts on a day-to-day basis. The video discusses the need for a specific folder or system to organize these time-bound notes, as they can accumulate rapidly and require easy access for review and reflection.

💡Linking thinking

The concept of 'linking thinking' is central to the video's message, emphasizing the importance of connecting ideas and notes within Obsidian to foster creativity and understanding. The video suggests that while folders are necessary for organization, the real value comes from making connections between notes, which is why the focus should ultimately be on the content and its relationships rather than the folders themselves.

💡Sandbox

In the video, a 'sandbox' refers to a set of pre-populated notes and folders provided by the video creator for users to experiment with and customize. This allows users to practice organizing their notes within Obsidian using the frameworks discussed, such as the PAR Method or the ACE Framework, without starting from scratch.

Highlights

The best way to organize folders in Obsidian starts with no folders and builds from the bottom up based on personal needs.

The process removes confusion around which folders are needed and which are not, tailoring the system to the individual's workflow.

The video provides guidance on evolving one's folder system to accommodate changing needs over time.

Two popular folder organization methods are introduced: the PAR method and the Zettelkasten (ZET) method.

The PAR method categorizes notes into Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives for effective organization.

The Zettelkasten method emphasizes the importance of links and connections between notes over strict folder hierarchies.

The presenter offers downloadable sandboxes with 22 and 75 notes to experiment with different organization methods.

The video discusses the challenge of categorizing idea and knowledge notes due to their ambiguous nature.

The 'Umami' folder is introduced as a unique solution for categorizing complex and multifaceted ideas.

The presenter's personal note organization system is revealed, with a focus on simplicity and personalization.

The 'Atlas', 'Calendar', and 'Efforts' framework is explained as a way to simplify and clarify note organization.

The importance of reflecting on and evolving one's note system to match personal growth is emphasized.

The video provides a free 'IdeaVerse for Obsidian' vault as a sandbox for users to explore and customize their note organization.

The presenter shares his personal adaptation of the ACE framework with a flattened 'Atlas' structure and additional folders for sources and extras.

The video encourages viewers to revisit their folder organization periodically to ensure it remains effective and relevant.

A final reminder that the ultimate goal is to minimize time spent on folder organization to maximize time for creative thinking and idea linking.

Transcripts

the only way to organize your folders in

obsidian is your way but I think I know

the best way to get there because I've

helped thousands of others get there too

and it starts in a really unusual way

with no folders at all then we build

from the bottom up earning structure

every step of the way the reason this

works is because it's based on what you

need not what somebody else needs or

what somebody else told you online in a

YouTube video like this exactly what

folders you need no we're going to build

your folders from the bottom up I have a

series of different examples with a

bunch of different notes and we're going

to look at how we might organize this

and we're going to do it together and as

we do you might say to yourself I don't

even do that I don't even take daily

notes so guess what you won't need that

type of folder so please allow this

video to act as your guide I'm going to

guide you through the process that

hopefully will remove so much confusion

around folders which folders do you need

which folders do you need today which

folders might you need in the future and

the one I like the best which folders do

you just not need at all this video is

kind of long but it's long for a reason

because we want to build up the

experience of going from no notes at all

to thousands of notes and the decisions

that you would need to make along the

way when it comes to folders We have

tons of examples it took a lot of time

to set up if you go through in order we

will build with you every step of the

way and you'll know exactly why we are

doing what we're doing doing but if

you're feeling antsy feel free to jump

ahead to whatever section works best for

you okay quick note before we dig in I

don't like wasting time thinking about

folders when I could be thinking about

linking my thinking and making amazing

connections and relationships between

ideas but that being said this video

it's about folders so if you don't want

to spend time with folders this isn't

the video for you but if you want to

actually have a holistic and

comprehensive understanding of how we

want to approach folders this is the

place to be also I'm quite aware that

there are a few people out there who

think we don't need any folders at all

hey that's fine for what you're doing

but there are a lot of us that are doing

things that actually do require folders

in unique ways and whether that's

obvious or not so obvious that's part of

our pursuit in today's video so without

further Ado let's hop in okay we are in

what you can see on my screen is a

cascading series of obsidian vaults

we're going to go through each of these

this is a guided process I'm really

happy to go through this with you it

took a lot of setup because it's really

hard to talk about all the different

phases when it comes to taking and

making notes over time I've done the

hard work and this was some hard work

let's kind of hop into this together

though and really zoom out how do we

start we have a need we have a need to

hold on to a thought a memory an idea

and we're worried we're worried we're

going to lose that idea if if we don't

capture it in some way so we turn to

paper and we capture ideas thoughts we

jot them down and we turn to digital

tools like obsidian to help us hold on

to these things let's keep in mind our

minds Can Only Hold On To five items

give or take at any given time that is

woefully inadequate for all the needs

that we have in life so we need to be

able to extend our minds onto paper and

onto digital paper or an idea verse of

your own notes so how does this normally

start let's start with the most basic we

have just opened up the first Vault this

is note system zero and zero is for how

many notes I've added the only note in

here is the welcome note that obsidian

ads for you so this is how a new Vault

looks let's quickly say though we have

to go to the grocery store we have to

pick up food I think this is something

that most of us can relate to at some

time in our lives or maybe three or four

or or five times a day even we need to

eat but we can't always remember when we

go to that place all the things we need

to get so in note system 2 we create a

grocery list we're going to take this

thing with us and now we can reference

it when we're actually at the grocery

store this is how it starts it starts so

simple and then it gets so complex if we

let it but there are ways to deal with

the complexity and that's what we're

going to cover with how to add folders

only when they're needed so here's

another thing it's not just the grocery

list I was also reading this book and I

came across a cool concept I have to ask

you have you ever done this have you

ever read a non-fiction book and thought

whoo that can really impact my life that

can change what I do for the better I

want to remember that I want to hold on

to that and be able to recall it at the

right time whenever I need it if so then

we create a note so here's one I created

a new note I gave it a long title a cool

concept I heard while reading something

and in this case it's the concept

antifragility A really interesting

concept we're not going to spend time on

it now but the point was I wanted to

make sure I didn't forget this thing I

wanted to have a way to remember it so I

captured that note as well now here's a

question for you I have two notes should

I start making 10 different folders that

would be ridiculous right we'd have more

folders than notes that makes no sense

at all so instead we're going to create

more notes and that takes us to Vault

number three note system 22 so now we

have 22 notes you can see me scrolling

through them as we speak now it's

getting to the point where we're feeling

a little bit of tension a little bit of

anxiety if we can find the right note at

the right time now this is just 22 notes

but imagine it was 200 notes you would

really feel that anxiety imagine it was

2,000 notes you would start to think

well now it's going to take me even more

time to find the thing I'm looking for

that's not a good feeling and instead I

I think I might just go on YouTube or

something just to avoid that my micro

pain of trying to remember where I put

the thing and that's where folders and

links and other things can help this

video is all about folders though so

this is the point where with these 22

notes let's look at them together we

have things on Concepts journal entries

projects quotes simmering efforts notes

from class daily notes and more now how

might we organize these things I know

what you're thinking Nick there's no

need for folders you only have 22 notes

you are correct but let's pretend that

this is going to expand this is just a

tiny example but let's pretend we're

dealing with 200 or 2,000 with that in

mind we are going to go through three

different examples of how we might

organize these 22 notes the first one is

going to be our random attempts together

I hope you lean into this next Vault and

really think how would I organize these

22 different notes so we'll do the

random attempts then we'll look at two

of the most popular systems out there

the par method and the ace framework so

without further Ado let's go into the

random attempts and I'm using a nice

colorful theme and if you're curious

about this theme go ahead and click here

open it in a new tab and then later go

through that process to install this

custom theme in your own obsidian I'm

calling it soft paper I really love it

but now what it allows us to do is

differentiate between the colorful

folders and those 22 notes below okay so

first of all what about book highlights

if you're watching this you're probably

somebody who reads books every now and

then and you might highlight or

underline or write something in the

marginalia well in this case where do

those type of book notes go we might

call them Source notes or something and

here highlights from a book I was

reading so let's go ahead and throw

highlights from a book I was reading

into Source notes but what about idea

and knowledge notes this is one of the

trickiest places and I ask you to think

how are you currently solving this some

people have a folder called Atomic notes

and they put all these tiny notes into

this folder that doesn't always work for

me because I have notes they might be

small and they're about an idea but I

also have very long notes and they're

also just about an idea so Atomic note

isn't quite accurate for my purposes

then you have Evergreen notes this is a

type of mature note with a lot of links

in it we won't go into the details now

we have a folder for ideas one for

knowledge one for thoughts and this

weird sounding one called Umami which is

that sort of hardto describe taste

that's not quite bitter it's not quite

sour it's not quite salty it's not quite

sweet what is it it's Umami well where

can we put our ideas so let's look at

some of these notes below important

concept one let's look at this this is

about yin and yang where would you put y

yin and yang we could look at it maybe

the best spot for Yin and Yang would be

Atomic notes so let's put it there and

what about this other

one we have Upstream Downstream effects

so that's sort of an idea I'll put it in

ideas but isn't yin and yang an idea

maybe I should put that in ide but

they're both sort of short notes so

maybe I should put them both can you see

what's happening here this is what

happens when we try to folder IE idea

and knowledge notes there's no easy way

to do it and this is the best example of

where a folder title has to match the

type of note it is and this is a

fantastic example no one talks about

this but this is where you want to

folder title to be as fuzzy as the type

of stuff that it holds on to now if

we're dealing with projects we can have

a folder title called projects if we're

dealing with efforts that folder title

is called efforts but when we're dealing

with ideas and knowledge it's so fuzzy

and ambiguous it can fall under all

sorts of categorizations I'm going to

argue that you want a folder that is

equally fuzzy and that's why Umami is

not so bad now later on once we get to

the a framework you'll see what I

personally use but that doesn't mean you

have to use it all we're trying to do

right now is identify the type of notes

that we have below and where they might

go above now we're not going to organize

all these notes right now we're going to

do that once once we get into the par

method and the ace framework but instead

we're going to look at what's needed and

the next thing that you might need are

notes on productivity these are efforts

and projects that you might have so it

looks like I have some notes on a

project that's due next month and I'll

just throw those in efforts and projects

that makes sense right and I could keep

going I could find this project that's

due next month I'll go ahead and throw

it in here as well so those are

productivity based notes action oriented

notes do you need that in what you're

doing that's the question you might you

might not let's go to the next one what

about study notes maybe you call them

course notes maybe it's a folder called

learning maybe it's a folder called

training and that's where you could

think that's where I'll put world

history 101 this course I'm taking for

now let's just pretend it goes into

course notes again as you study things

as you are learning from different

online courses or um online individuals

or articles or just people you encounter

where do those notes go think about that

do you have a spot for those notes okay

and then last what about time bound

notes more and more these days in the

digital age of linked notes individuals

are finding the need to have a daily

note so if you have daily notes like we

have a few daily notes Here well then it

makes a lot of sense to put them in a

folder called daily notes or maybe it's

called calendar or Chron ology or

journal or something that's more time

bound at this point you should be

thinking those notes don't apply to me I

don't take those types of notes well

guess what you don't need that type of

folder but if you say to yourself but

those notes do apply to me well guess

what you need to figure out a folder

that does work for that and that is easy

to maintain and especially allows you to

just close the sidebar and move on with

linking your thinking with writing with

making connections and insights of your

own okay now we get to transition to the

next two vaults this is going to look at

how the par method and the ace framework

can both organize these same exact 22

notes are you ready let's hop in oh hey

and by the way if you don't just want to

follow along with what I'm doing but you

actually want to be Hands-On figuring

this out on your own I'm actually going

to provide note system 22 and this note

system 75 75 different notes all sorts

of different varieties of notes and

allow you to use it as a Sandbox to see

how might you organize that with your

your own customized version of folders

and throw in your own Notes too because

you might be doing something a little

bit different than the notes that are

already provided so if you'd like to

download both note system 22 and note

system 75 the link is in the description

below good luck to you and if you do it

if you actually organize email me send

me a screenshot of what you did I'm

intensely curious so if you don't want

to start from scratch we can look at the

two most popular folder Frameworks out

there which is the parame method and the

ace framework what we've done so far is

we've started from scratch with zero

added notes we went from two notes that

we added to 22 notes and that's a pretty

good number for us to start to think

about how might we organize them with

folders especially when 22 becomes

2022 will we have a system that works

for us so without further Ado let's jump

into how we would organize this using

Thiago Forte's perah method so for those

of you who don't know that stands for

projects areas resources and archives so

I've put a little number so they sort uh

properly now let's just go let's just go

for it a cool concept I heard I'll put

that in resources a list of Virtues I

want to live by also resources a private

journal entry I'm going to hold off a

project due next month let's put that

into projects so you can see that

they're starting to go into the proper

folders um what else calculus

101 that could be

resources areas or let me just go areas

to keep us moving along you could argue

that they would go into one of the other

ones daily notes I'm not quite sure

let's go simmering effort an effort

similar to project we can put it in

projects grocery list I'm a little not

sure on that one initially let's go

resources yeah a quote from Dolly llama

resources highlights from a book I was

reading resources important

Concepts um let's go resources let me

collapse resources so we can see see the

other ones notes I have for project due

next month and it looks like I have a

few of those so let's go ahead and throw

that into projects uh world history

notes again we could argue with with

where those would go so just for Speed

we'll put them in areas as well let me

collapse areas okay so now we're left

with a private

journal and daily

notes and I'm not I I don't know where I

would put these

I would probably create a new folder

called

calendar and throw anything time based

in there um maybe the people who are

watching this who use par please let me

know how do you handle time based notes

daily notes like where do you put those

in the parah method or do you end up

adding another folder very curious just

let me know in the comments below okay

so that's what the par method looks like

the next one that we're going to go into

is the ace framework and we'll see how

it does solve for calendar and we'll see

how it does with the other 22 notes so

without further Ado let's jump into Ace

so Ace stands for Atlas calendar and

efforts where we can organize through

our three headspaces that we're most

often in one that's about thinking ideas

and knowledge another one that's kind of

about time based things and another

that's about action-based things so

let's see how this framework does so a

cool concept I heard while watching

something well that sort of idea

knowledge stuff goes into Atlas a list

of Virtues Atlas private journal entry

calendar now we have a spot for that a

project due next month efforts a quote

from the dolly Lama Atlas simarine

effort efforts calculus so these sort of

notes I would still throw into Atlas but

you could make the argument that they're

part of a an effort with an outcome like

past the semester's final test but for

now let's just throw them into Atlas

daily notes the great news about the

daily notes we'll touch on at the very

end um grocery

list yeah let's do Atlas highlights from

book I was reading Atlas important

Concepts

Atlas uh notes I have for the project

that's due soon that's definitely

efforts so now we see efforts is filling

up world history we're also going to

throw those into Atlas so we can see

that Atlas is a bit

longer we can close that calendar okay

efforts you can see is the same length

as projects was calendar though now we

have a space for daily notes and what I

like about Ace personally is that I

don't need many folders I don't need to

be thinking about folders but I know

where everything goes and then I can go

ahead and collapse the sidebar so that's

the beauty of Ace but again I'm not

recommending Ace for you but I want you

to think about about those three

headspaces and how they apply for what

you're doing are you using your note

system for ideas only maybe you only

need the at list are you also taking

daily notes well then you need a place

to put those daily notes and that might

be all you need but if you're somebody

who's also using your note system to

manage your efforts your actions and

your projects then you might want to

spin up a folder like efforts and you

might notice that the ace framework has

two other folders this is inbox we call

it the ad folder where any new notes

immediately go and we have the X that's

the extra folder where any sort of

templates or images or PDFs or extras

like that that are usually not normal

notes that stuff can go into extras so

there you go that is what the ace

framework looks like how does that apply

for what you're trying to accomplish and

you might notice though there's one more

Vault to look like now there's not 22

notes there's 75 notes I'm just going to

open it up and then give you something

that you can play with yourself

so first let's check out this Vault so

now that we're at 75 notes we have more

types of notes not just the notes

themselves but we have notes about notes

notice something else we also have a few

images in here so how are you going to

organize images when they come in that's

another question you'll be able to

answer on your own when you check out

what we've provided for you in the links

below so we've covered a lot of ground

so far now I want to show you what I

personally do but before I do I want to

show you how you can get started with

one of these folder Frameworks which is

the Ace framework so we actually provide

in the link below a completely free

Vault called idea verse for obsidian

this is the pro version of that Vault

but what you can see here is that we

have the same Ace framework that we just

talked about so this is completely free

it's a Sandbox for you to play in to see

what works for you and in this

particular sandbox there are around 500

notes and files for you to figure figure

out what's going to work for you

consider this a separate sandbox for you

to just move around and play in now I'm

such a Believer let me just zoom in a

little bit I'm such a believer in these

three headspaces Atlas calendar and

efforts that that's exactly what I use

across the board so if I open up my

finder window you can see Atlas calendar

and efforts let's close that and I want

to show you my personal and customized

idea verse where I have I think over

like 7,000 notes now but what you'll see

is I flattened the structure of Atlas so

I have more folders and I'm encouraging

absolutely nobody to do this but I like

it and I made it my own I followed the

advice of this video and I worked from

the bottom up over time over years and

came to this formula for me this is

going to be too much for 99% of the

people on this call you need something

simple and you have to start from the

bottom up but as you do you can see what

makes you feel good what feels right so

essentially what I did is I figured out

that all those knowledgy bits and idea

bits and thought bits I can have as part

of my Atlas and they really only fall

under three different categories Dots

Dots is the great catch-all folder do

you like Atomic notes do you like

Evergreen notes all those notes go into

dots I don't even have to think about

what they are what they categorize under

it's just dots they're just little dots

in the sky that I need to connect and

when I connect them I'm linking my

thinking that's where the magic happens

now as you have a bunch of notes that's

content now we need a place for all

those maps that map out the content we

have in our systems so I have a folder

on maps and then last there are works I

like to think of these as Works in

progress these are things I'm working

towards they're not really an idea note

or a knowledge note and they're not

really a map they're something with an

intention of sharing ing so those are

the only three Atlas folders I need at

the high level but I love to see them at

a glance and know that they're always

here just to toggle away and I can see

these folders something else I did

sources used to be an atlas but I took

it out to recognize that it is part of

this incoming stuff so along with having

an ad folder for all the new notes I'm

creating I also want a sources folder

for all the new sources that I'm

capturing and adding to my note system

so that's at the top and then we get to

calendar my calendar notes go here so if

I toggle calendar notes I'm going to be

able to see all of my daily notes in

Reverse chronological order so the

newest are going to sort on top and boy

do I love this and all the previous

years are just tucked away in a sub

folder called years now something else

that's really important to me is having

those deeper Reflections like figuring

out where I am in life um it it's very

easy to get lost so reflections planning

end of year reviews all of that stuff I

want to make sure that I can see those

notes those deeply personal and

meaningful notes at any time so I can

find more Direction in my life and to me

there's no better name for something

that helps you find direction than a

compass so here we have calendar compass

and you can see I have a bunch of

different notes in here next let's go to

effort so these things that we want to

do or actions we want to take projects

that we have I call these efforts and

there are four levels of intensity

efforts that are turned on efforts that

are ongoing efforts that are simmering

and efforts that are sleeping if you

want to learn more about efforts and how

they beat projects when it comes to

working with ideas go ahead and click on

this video open it in a new tab in the

meantime we're going to look at effort

notes so while efforts is only including

all the efforts that I'm currently

working on effort notes has all those

random notes you know make sure to do

this have you thought about this how it

could relate to that and how that could

potentially be an important part of your

effort so all the related effort notes

I've actually pulled out into their own

folder at the base level now you don't

have to do this if you want to use

efforts you can simply tuck these effort

notes inside of the efforts folder but

this is my personal folder system and

last you can see X for extras so images

uh notes about notes PDFs different

prompts scripts all the templates and

different vaults that I've added and

even further my most important notes a

quick link to the note that has all my

maps and a quick home note for me as

well all there now let us zoom out and

look at all the different vaults that we

covered can you believe where we started

with no notes added and where we ended

with this wacky Vault

of almost 7,000 notes and all sorts of

colors and folders and all sorts of

nonsense if I can say it as loudly as

possible and for the people who comment

uh meanly about having too many folders

don't copy me just because I'm doing it

I built from the bottom up to get to

this point what you should do is start

with no folders at all work from the

bottom up and find your own way and if

you want some help or if you at least

want a little bit of a framework try out

the par method or try out the ace

framework and that's going to get you

half of the way there but then recognize

the folders you are not using and make

the system your own that's why the best

thing you can possibly do is start with

no folders at all and then just work

from the bottom up now again I don't

like to spend time on folders but when I

do I like to go all in but seriously

this is a good opportunity for you to

really think about folders with a new

lens with a fresh perspective to see how

they work for you this video is about

removing all the confusion around folder

all the unknowns so we can finally get

to Clarity so you can be really

confident with why you want to create a

new folder or subfolder or 10 you'll

know why you're doing that eliminate the

confusion increase the clarity now this

video guide should get you to something

that works for you but please keep in

mind our needs are constantly changing

we're constantly changing so your

folders can change here and there as you

move on with life just be open to that

this isn't set in stone it never is but

hopefully again we've been able to

remove confusion and replace it with

Clarity and confidence when it comes to

how we want to approach folders and this

version of me I'm not going anywhere

this video is available to you and I

encourage you to revisit it 3 months

from now 6 months from now and use it as

a Cornerstone something that you're

familiar with but now you're a new

person and combine those two things and

use that to evolve your folder needs as

you evolve in life now something else

crucial that I must mention time spent

organizing folders is time not spent on

linking your thinking time not spent on

making amazing connections between ideas

making relationships between domains and

Fields that no one else has yet done or

that no one else has put together in

this unique formula or combination

that's where the magic is that's where

the meaning comes from and that's how we

create value for ourselves but also for

others so even though this video is all

about folders remember we need to close

that folder sidebar anyways to focus on

the notes the words the ideas and the

links so this is the only way to

organize your folders in obsidian but

this isn't the way if it's not your way

it has to be your way and I hope this

video helped you get a little bit closer

to finding your way hey and by the way

if you're new here my name is Nick Milo

and this is my channel linking your

thinking where we talk about the how and

why of making meaningful notes if you

haven't already it would mean a lot to

me if you could go ahead and like the

this video and even maybe subscribe if

you're getting value out of it it goes a

long way to making this video

discoverable to people like you and me

who might just be one step behind or

maybe just haven't found it yet and you

can be the person that helps them find

this video and maybe finally solve the

folder problem for themselves all you

have to do is like and if you really

like to you can even subscribe okay we

need to close that left- hand side barar

and move on from folders and this next

video is the exact way to make sure you

do we're going to eliminate distractions

in obsidian and get your best work done

I'll see you there now