Background
Last month, I started using Daily Notes to track my days.
Each day is a YYYY-MM-DD file, based on my custom daily template which includes:
- Priorities
- Check-ins
- Others
- Idea Inbox
The system worked well initially — it helped me:
- structure my day
- define success criteria upfront (Begin with the End in Mind, 以终为始)
- reflect on actual vs expected progress
However, after using it for a while, several structural issues started to emerge.
Pain Points
1. Lack of cross-day progress visibility
- Progress is recorded within a single day
- There is no continuity across days
Result:
- I cannot easily answer:
- “What is the current state of this task?”
- “How far have I progressed overall?”
- Work feels fragmented instead of continuous
2. Check-ins & small tasks don’t persist well
- If not completed on the same day, I must manually migrate them to the next day
Result:
- duplication across multiple days ⇒ system becomes noisy instead of helpful
- mental overhead to “remember to carry forward” ⇒ increased friction
3. The “Others” section becomes a dumping ground
- “Others” is too ambiguous
- Many uncategorized items accumulate there
Result:
- loss of structure
- reduced retrievability
- cognitive overload when reviewing
4. Idea Inbox lacks a lifecycle
- Ideas are captured (which is good)
- But without review mechanism ⇒ no transition into action or knowledge
Result:
- ideas accumulate but are not utilized
- becomes a “graveyard of thoughts”
Core Problem
My current system is day-centric,
but my actual work and thinking are multi-day and stateful.
This mismatch leads to friction and loss of clarity.
| Type | Nature | Problem with daily notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Stateful | Lose continuity |
| Check-ins | Persistent | Require manual migration |
| Ideas | Evolutive | No revisit mechanism |
| Random thoughts | Unstructured | Become clutter |
Direction Forward
- Daily Notes should be:
- lightweight
- log-oriented
- context of the day
- Stateful things should move to:
- Kanban (tasks)
- Project notes (multi-day work)
- Idea system (with revisit loop)
Exploration: Obsidian Kanban Plugin