I always struggled maintaining a decent enough journaling practice. Carrying a pen, paper and needing to find time and a surface to write reflections on was a huge barrier for me. Digital journaling is one solution but as of now I've tried several journaling ideas and between 2024 and 2025 I've finally found something that works for me and I can not see myself going back to an analog or even semi-analog solution for my journaling.

I myself, have transitioned from daily notes,^[1] to weekly notes and between unstructured, loose journaling and highly structured and templated journaling systems. Usually, the best way is somewhere in the middle of everything between organized and unorganized.
My requirements for even bothering to journal at all are simple but strict. Everything is linked, the tasks I create/finish, the thoughts I have, the happenings that I log (QuickAdd makes this simple, letting me log everything without thinking too much about structure. See below)
Over time, I found a rhythm that works: a mix of Bullet Journaling, the One Big Text File philosophy,^[2] quick "interstellar" notes throughout the day, and a consistent YYYY-MM-DD format to keep it all organized. This means that everything is in my journal: Random writings, dumping useful external information (quotes, books, bookmarks, games, articles, videos e.g commonplacing), thoughts, events, logs, and tasks must live inside the journal too. .^[3]

This system is messy, intentionally so. But I've found some benefits so far.

Avoiding tons of empty files if I don't decide to do any journaling in a given set of days (if you use daily notes)
Logging everything in one file means that
1. Easier to search through (though you have to be careful as not to nuke your entire life)
2. Moving "backwards" in my "one big text file" makes the journal into a log, and in terms of task management: a record of "what I've done". In terms of commonplacing, what I've watched or learned.

Today my system looks like this:

QuickAdd pushes a journal entry into ### {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}}, at the end of each month I take some time and summarize and reflect on the month by 1) reading back and 2) appending my thoughts into a header titled #### Reflections on {{date:YYYY-MM}} under ## {{date:YYYY-MM}}. At the end of the year, these go into a # {{date:YYYY}} header. Hierarchy <3.

More importantly though, what's inside of it.

QuickAdd adds Entries at the top, Tasks at the bottom, keeping the first of each near the middle of the day’s notes.

`#j/{Symbol}` for any kind of entries

\n* #j/{{VALUE:E,N,P,Q,F,Y,T,TG,TB,C,CA,CD}} *{{time:HH:MM:ss}} -- * {{VALUE:Text Here}} \n

Symbol
E	Events (major/medium significance) or just happenings throughout the day
N	Notes (thoughts, linked or tagged)
P	People-related notes (meetings, communication)
Q	Questions
T(G,B)	(Neutral) Thoughts with an extra letter to show if it's (G)ood or (B)ad
C(A,D)	Changes (life, Obsidian, etc.), with an extra letter for if deleted or added

Things to add here

F - Finances: (Still not implemented yet)
- \n* #j/F/{{minus,plus}},{{time:HH:MM:ss}},{{VALUE:Amount}},{{VALUE:PLN,SEK,USD,EUR}},{{VALUE:item}}
Y - Yummies: logging what I ate: (Still not implemented yet)
- `\n* #j/F/{{minus,plus}},{{time:HH:MM:ss}},{{VALUE:What'd you eat?}},{{VALUE:Est. Calories}},{{Est Cost}},{{VALUE: Location}}

References: `#r/{topic}` for the reference type include: "bookmark, web, article, game, book, video, quote, advice,flashcards

`#do/{area}` for my primary tasks

- [ ] #do/{{VALUE:Insert a task type}} {{VALUE: Insert the actual task/item (if shopping list)}} ➕ {{date}}

OR via the default Tasker modal

return await this.app.plugins.plugins['obsidian-tasks-plugin'].apiV1.createTaskLineModal();

OR for example, adding a Using Quick-Capture to quickly capture listings

- [ ] #do/apply, [[{{VALUE:ROLE}}, {{VALUE:EMPLOYER}}, {{VALUE:Full-time,Part time}}, {{VALUE:City}}, {{VALUE:Country}}, [Link to application here 🔗]({{VALUE: URL}}), ➕ {{DATE}}, ⏳ {{DATE+2}}, 📅  {{DATE+3}}

All of these can have tags like #t/{topic} in it to easily query for topics in both references, tasks and thoughts e.g

\n* #j/{{VALUE:E,N,P,Q,F,Y,T,TG,TB,C,CA,CD}} *{{time:HH:MM:ss}} -- * {{VALUE:Text Here}} #t/{{VALUE:Topic}}\n

`#r/{area}`for references

References:

If journaling represents "what I am, think, feel. What I'm doing and done" then the act of commonplacing (A commonplace book is essentially a scrapbook. You dump all kinds of information in there, and centralise your various streams/pools of knowledge).

Scratchpad is primarily done by
- Linking linking to unlinked notes or concepts, eventually building a back-linked MOC
- Using the #topic/{{VALUE:insert topic}} here tag
R For external references like books, shows, etc
- R \n* #j/R - *{{time:HH:MM:ss}}* -- {{VALUE:Thoughts on this reference}}, [{{VALUE:SourceName/Title}}]({{VALUE: URL}}), #r/{{VALUE:Bookmark,Web,Article,Game,Video,Quote,Advice}}, #t/{{VALUE:Topic}}
  for references that are Flashcards Workflow

\n* #j/R - *{{time:HH:MM:ss}}* -- {{VALUE:Flashcard contents}}, [[{{VALUE:Flashcard-name}}]], #r/Flashcard}}, #t/{{VALUE:Polish,Linux,Python,HEMA,Other}} \n

This is what an example day looks like

## {{date:YYYY-MM}}
#### Reflections on {{date:YYYY-MM}}
### {{date:2024-04-24}}
• #j/C 19:04:33 — Continued exploring a personal workflow inventory system.
• #j/E 17:04:57 — Experimented more with plaintext organization methods.
• #j/E 15:04:53 — Spent time working on a collaborative resource document.
• #j/Q 03:04:38 — Captured a moment while taking a photo and noticing familiar gestures learned from someone important. #t/quotes
• #j/Q 03:04:14 — Noted that learning is sometimes more deeply ingrained than realized. #t/quotes
• #j/Q 03:04:42 — Recognized subtle ways of carrying forward small traditions or habits. #t/quotes
• #j/Q 03:04:35 — Observed a familiar gesture or expression that wasn’t originally one’s own. #t/quotes
• #do/travel — Need to figure out how to obtain a temporary transportation pass ➕ 2025-04-24 📅 2025-04-29
• #do/work — Need to sign a document today ➕ 2025-04-24 📅 2025-04-25


### {{date:2024-04-23}}
• #j/R 14:04:14 — Random typing test entry, reference to a practice card, minor language practice.
• #j/E 14:04:02 — Created a basic template for practice cards.
• #j/E 13:04:18 — Had a very slow morning with minimal activity, only did some light household tasks.
• #j/T 03:04:56 — Reflected on picking up subtle habits from another person without realizing it.

• #do/storage — Decide on service provider for long-term file storage; evaluating options based on device compatibility 📅 2025-04-27
### {{date:2024-04-22}}

flowchart TD
  A["System Overview"]

  A --> B1["#do/{topic} - Primary Tasks"]
  A --> B2["#t/{topic} - Primary Topics"]
  A --> B3["#r/{topic} - References (Bookmark, Web, Article, Game, Book, Video, Quote, Advice, Flashcards)"]

  A --> C["Entries (#j/{EntryType})"]

  C --> C1["E - Events"]
  C1 --> C1a["Syntax: #j/E *{time:HH:MM:ss}* -- {Text}"]
  
  C --> C2["N - Notes"]
  C2 --> C2a["Syntax: #j/N *{time:HH:MM:ss}* -- {Text}"]
  
  C --> C3["P - People"]
  C3 --> C3a["Syntax: #j/P *{time:HH:MM:ss}* -- {Text}"]

  C --> C4["Q - Questions"]
  C4 --> C4a["Syntax: #j/Q *{time:HH:MM:ss}* -- {Question}"]

  C --> C5["T - Thoughts"]
  C5 --> C5a["Syntax: #j/T *{time:HH:MM:ss}* -- {Thought}"]
  C5 --> C5b["TG - Good Thoughts"]
  C5b --> C5b1["Syntax: #j/TG *{time:HH:MM:ss}* -- {Positive Thought}"]
  C5 --> C5c["TB - Bad Thoughts"]
  C5c --> C5c1["Syntax: #j/TB *{time:HH:MM:ss}* -- {Negative Thought}"]

  C --> C6["C - Changes"]
  C6 --> C6a["CA - Change Addition"]
  C6a --> C6a1["Syntax: #j/CA *{time:HH:MM:ss}* -- {What was added}"]
  C6 --> C6b["CD - Change Deletion"]
  C6b --> C6b1["Syntax: #j/CD *{time:HH:MM:ss}* -- {What was deleted}"]

  A --> D["Track (#j/{Type})"]

  D --> D1["F - Finances (Planned)"]
  D1 --> D1a["Syntax: #j/F/{minus,plus}, {time:HH:MM:ss}, {Amount}, {Currency}, {Item}"]

  D --> D2["Y - Yummies (Food logging, Planned)"]
  D2 --> D2a["Syntax: #j/Y/{minus,plus}, {time:HH:MM:ss}, {What you ate}, {Calories}, {Cost}, {Location}"]

  A --> E["Topics Menu"]

  E --> E1["Syntax: #j/{EntryType} *{time}* -- {Text} #t/{Topic}"]

  A --> F["Tasks (#do/{task type})"]

  F --> F1["Add Custom Task"]
  F1 --> F1a["Syntax: - [ ] #do/{task type} {task/item} ➕ {date}"]

  F --> F2["Open Task Modal"]
  F2 --> F2a["QuickAdd script: createTaskLineModal()"]

  F --> F3["Jobs to Apply For"]
  F3 --> F3a["Syntax: - [ ] #do/apply, [[{ROLE}, {EMPLOYER}, {Full-time/Part-time}, {City}, {Country}, [Link]({URL}) ➕ {date}, ⏳ {date+2}, 📅 {date+3}]]"]

  F --> F4["Shopping List Capture"]
  F4 --> F4a["Macro Template: Capture 2: {Item}"]

  A --> G["References (#r/{Type})"]

  G --> G1["Scratchpad (Internal linking)"]
  G1 --> G1a["Syntax: Link notes using #topic/{Topic}"]

  G --> G2["External References"]
  G2 --> G2a["Syntax: #j/R - *{time}* -- {Thoughts}, [Source Title]({URL}), #r/{Bookmark,Web,Article,etc}, #t/{Topic}"]

  G2 --> G2b["Flashcards Workflow"]
  G2b --> G2b1["Syntax: #j/R - *{time}* -- {Flashcard Content}, [[Flashcard-name]], #r/Flashcard, #t/{Topic}"]

Revision 2

- The core Obsidian daily notes plugin: in my opinion creates too much friction and note-bloat, e.g unstructured files
↩︎
The "One Big Text File" idea is about capturing everything inside one continuous daily document, rather than fragmenting thoughts across many different pages. ↩︎
(either queryable in Obsidian or exportable to a normal calendar through my task system.] ↩︎

Today my system looks like this:

#j/{Symbol} for any kind of entries