---
title: Confused On How To Manage Your Notes? Try This Simple Workflow.
description: Oftentimes we find ourselves with folders with too many files or tags with too few members. The fault isn't in the person but in the note-taking system itself.
date: 2022-04-05
lastmod: 2022-04-05
---
If you ever took notes on an article, video, or podcast and had no idea do with it, you're in the right place. Many existing solutions suggest adding tags, and creating many layers of nested folders. But oftentimes we find ourselves with [[notes/its not natural to organize things in groups|folders with too many files or tags with too few members]]. The fault isn't in the person but in the note-taking system itself.



My goal is to create a [[notes/simple solutions are often the best|simple]] workflow where the content of the note organizes the note. This effectively eliminates the third step when taking notes: organize the note we wrote. 

1. Pull out our note-taking tool of choice
2. Put our thoughts into words
3. <strike>Organize the note we wrote</strike>

## Connect Ideas to Organize Notes
Since [[notes/the brain is a network of ideas]], we can take advantage of that by similarly structuring our notes. Therefore, we create notes that extend our brain. Because notes are organized more intuitively, finding notes is as simple as [[notes/following a train of thought]].

One trap that people fall victim to is organizing notes with categories. We want to organize through ideas because they are [[notes/interoperable components are efficient|interoperable]]. Categories are too broad and aren't interoperable. Some good examples of notes are: [[notes/time is the most valuable resource]], [[notes/if you dont use it, you lose it]], and [[notes/how to delete tags in github]].

### Workflow #1 (Internet Browsing)
1. I find an interesting quote or read an article (e.g. an article about remembering more things)
2. I think of one idea and put it in its most generic form with [Fleeting Notes](https://fleetingnotes.app)
3. If I’m feeling like I have a lot of time, I fill in some extra context about my idea and add links. Sometimes I can’t think of an idea so I just fill in a blurb of my thoughts in the content section.
4. I create the note and link the source by clicking “Add Source URL” in my [chrome extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fleeting-notes/gcplhmogdjioeaenmehmapbdonklmdnc).
5. My “fleeting notes” are automatically synced to [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/) by following this [guide](https://www.thinkwong.com/how-to-sync-obsidian-with-fleeting-notes/)

### Workflow #2 (Meeting/Lecture Notes)
1. In [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/), under my daily notes I add a header for the meeting im in (e.g. Meeting with X, Physics Kinematics Lecture, etc.)
2. Under this heading I go all out and just write. If I have time I add links and subheaders to organize my notes
3. When I do ever come to review my notes, I add links whenever I think of ideas.
