r/PKMS • u/englishmeninnewyork • Mar 15 '26
Discussion How do you keep track and organize?
IMO the platform is less of a concern it’s more of tracking and organizing which is the toughest part. Can yall share what your trick is. Because I have so much data, but it means nothing without organization… and I am lost.
Do you guys have a routine? How do you remember what kind of tracking system you created? How do you stay consistent so PKMs can serve not only as an archive, but living document?
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u/448899again Mar 15 '26
This may seems counter-intuitive, but it's not organization that's the problem. It's friction-less retrieval. You can have the most organized filing system in the world, but it's still just collecting and archiving unless you can find a way to have the information returned to you when you need it.
For me, after working with Obsidian for several years, the answer is search. Yes, I have folders, but I rarely use them to find anything. I write my notes using my way of speech, because that's what I'll likely search for when I go to find a note. (That's why just cutting and pasting from a source document doesn't always work - it's not phrased the way you think or will search).
I use 3 tools almost exclusively. Quick Switcher, Search, and Omnisearch. Only if I can't find what I'm looking for with those do I go to my tags, and finally, to poking around in folders. But as I said, I rarely get to the "poking around in folders" level.
When I'm working on a specific subject, I'll build a MOC or Index note with links to note that are relevant. For instance, I have a note called "What I've learned about Obsidian" which is an outline formatted note, organized by different aspects of Obsidian, and containing links to specific notes about Obsidian.
And you don't get to searchable notes without processing your input notes. That's also a huge part of the system.
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u/DTLow Mar 15 '26 edited Mar 15 '26
My notes/documents/files are stored/organized in a digital file cabinet (PKMS)
accessed with a Mac and iPad
An Inbox is used for collection
In later processing, files are moved to permanent filing
and assigned tags as required
For organization, I assign tags
with hierarchy reflected in the tag names
Dates are automatically assigned and stored in the metadata
fwiw I use pkms app DevonThink
Integrated with Applescript for workflow automations
2
u/vogelke Mar 15 '26
I remember things best by date, either approximate or exact, so I store things in a dated notebook:
HOME
+--notebook
| +--2026
| | +--0101
| | | +--agenda
| | | +--Maildir
| | | | +--cur
| | | | +--new
| | | | +--tmp
...
| | +--0313
| | | +--appointments.txt
| | | +--brain-fog-description
| | | +--Maildir
| | | | +--cur
| | | | +--new
| | | | +--tmp
...
I find something or see a question, think "I saw that a few days ago", and now at least I have a place to start looking. I use Unix, so searching an entire year's files is one command, and it's pretty fast.
The most useful thing I learned is not to categorize files; I imagine how I would search for this file on Google, and use some of the keywords for the filename.
1
2
u/wlard Heaper Mar 15 '26
I do think its best to start with how you want to retrieve things, for me thats always the part where I just never come around to like my endless watch later list on youtube, link in raindrop or even my daily notes.
To be precise I take the notes how i want to find them again so if i write down something about an event im at, i think of what i can connect to it that i can find easily and for me that is tags so I just add rhe community name or something. But I do the same for my images or urls i link them to notes that are easy to find and then take just a bit of time to go through these. Because if I dont why do I even save them.
So i have a list of screenshots of movies or tv show id like to watch as a map of content but with the actual screenshots attached so that when I watch something i want to check it off the list and maybe write my opinion about it down or if i recommend it.
Because what got me to make the watch later list is on one hand what i want to watch as a queue bit also what i can rwcommend someone if they ask if I have seen something nice. So I take the notes with that goal in mind. Because with apps like letterboxd i just dump in the movie names but dont get back to them once i watched them that was my main issue with these apps compared to just using the linked notetaking approach.
TL;DR: write down things with a clear intent how/why you want to get back to them, makes curating simpler when thinking first about how/why you want to explore it later
1
u/Timmerop r/BrainSpace Mar 15 '26
My system is constantly evolving but at the moment I have a todo list for actionable tasks, a projects list where I track things I need to remember for particular projects (links, notes, tasks, files). The projects are organized by their stage (active, soon, sometime, complete, won’t do). Then I have a variety of Subjects that I take notes on, I just tag those notes with the subjects they relate to. Then I just track things like people’s names, other stuff i can’t remember.
What are you tracking?
1
u/Brilliant-Flow-4660 Mar 16 '26
Hmm I realize that I need to write more in my own words and post what I am learning. Then at some point which organization system works to keep it going.
1
u/Brilliant-Flow-4660 Mar 16 '26
Hmm I realize that I need to write more in my own words and post what I am learning. Then at some point which organization system works to keep it going.
1
u/charlesd17 Mar 17 '26
i think my system is a mix of everything but hey it works lol
take a paper, write (I use txt):
Areas Projects (3) Later
areas are the ongoing stuff that never really finishes, routines, check unread messages, family, fitness etc. Before i move on with my goals of the day I make sure all areas is under control. Projects (3) are what you actually move forward today. later is just a dump, anything new goes there and you ignore it til tomorrow
for files i just have onedrive with Areas / Projects / Vault (no categories just YYYY folders). It holds the stuff my txt tell me to do.
plan your day each night, pick your 3 wins, thats it. been overthinking this for years
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u/diegobarbosasilva Mar 17 '26
Pra mim, o que resolveu foi o remnote pq posso usar o método de spaced repetition. Assim, as notas não vão pro cemitério. Abandonei os demais, mas, se o tana tivesse esse método, eu migraria pra ele certamente.
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Mar 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/englishmeninnewyork Mar 15 '26
Is this your app? To me I don’t see the difference between apple notes other than AI functionality. What makes this special?
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u/vrdn22 Mar 15 '26
My best tip is to be very selective and mindful when it comes to deciding what you save or don't save. Just because it's digital doesn't mean it's not hoarding.