Obsidian for Personal Task Management
In the realm of personal task management, finding a system that adapts to your unique workflow can be challenging. Over the years, I’ve experimented with various methods and tools, but none have been as versatile and effective as Obsidian.md.
I use Obsidian (wikipedia) in various contexts as my personal knowledge management (PKM) system.
In this article, we’ll explore how Obsidian’s modular design and plugins can help you streamline your task management.
I began using Obsidian for managing my daily tasks on September 24, 2023. It didn’t happen overnight; however, after experimenting and refining my approach, I’ve developed a system that works for me.
It’s important to note that I don’t have a separate work schedule, as I’m a freelancer, and therefore my time can be quite flexible, divided between various tasks and work. Therefore, my system needs to accommodate tasks of all types.
My Task Management
Since 2007 I’ve tried various methods, including GTD and different todo software (like Remember The Milk, Todoist, Microsoft To-Do,…), but they didn’t work for me.
The issue was that they forced me to think about my task management process in a predetermined way. As the number of tasks I input into these programs increased, the more overwhelming it became to locate specific information within them.
I’ve also tried using a traditional calendar (Google Calendar) for task management, but it didn’t suit me either. What annoyed me was having to tie tasks to specific time slots. If the scheduled time arrived and I didn’t start the task, I’d have to reschedule it, which led to a cycle of postponements.
In the “Calendar. Not to-do lists” article, there is a detailed description of a system built exclusively around a calendar.
I eventually found the program (Slash) that aligned with my workflow, where I would plan my tasks for the week, and then for each day.
I appreciated the program, but it was bogged down by unnecessary features like statistics and ‘Win your day’, which cluttered the interface.
The program is no longer being updated, with the last Apple App Store update dating back to December 18, 2020. Unfortunately, it’s no longer syncing tasks on my iPhone device, and it’s been removed from the Android Play Store altogether. The only place where the program still works is on my Windows computer.
So I’ve developed my own task management concept inside Obsidian, which involves taking notes tied to specific days and contexts.
The best part is that this system is completely free, and the only limitation on the number of tasks is the space on my hard drive, which is virtually unlimited.
Setting Up Obsidian
Start by downloading and installing the program, which operates locally on your device — note that there is no web-based version. Obsidian is free to use, with optional paid synchronization across devices.
Obsidian offers three note types: just notes, canvases and date-bound notes (daily notes), which can be linked to any specific date, not just the creation date. All notes are stored in a single folder on your disk, referred to as the ‘Vault’.
Create this folder and within it, create subfolders for daily notes and canvases.
Press “Ctrl + ,” to access the settings.
Specify the folders for new files of those types. I also modify the daily note format (YYYY-MM-DD_dd) to include the day of the week, making it more informative than just a date.
Obsidian offers a templating feature that lets you create notes with pre-filled content. Design a daily template note as regular note and then link it in the settings for daily notes.
Plugins and Tools
The program shines by letting you toggle any feature on or off, thanks to its modular plugin architecture. The essentials are included out of the box, and with security approval, you can explore community-driven plugins in the catalog.
Core plugins. I simply disabled almost everything to minimize distractions. Now, I’m left with only the essentials: canvases, daily notes, templates, regular notes (files), recovery backups, search (occasionally necessary) and quick switching (very convenient with Ctrl+O jump to any note).
Community plugins. (1) Calendar, (2) Tray, (3) Pomodoro Timer.
The Calendar plugin (github) takes center stage, providing a visual representation of daily notes, allowing you to effortlessly navigate between them with a single click.
The Tray plugin (github) lets you anchor the Vault to the system tray, invoking it with a hotkey combo (i use CmdOrCtrl+`). You can also configure the Vault to launch at computer startup and remain running in the background, even when you close the window.
For me, it was crucial to be able to instantly view and hide my task list at any moment while working, with just a keyboard shortcut.
The Pomodoro Timer plugin (github) pulls tasks from your notes and displays a timer for focused work and break sessions. This method (wikipedia) helps prevent burnout, maintains motivation, and improves concentration by fostering a sense of urgency within each time block. Additionally, regular breaks aid in maintaining mental freshness and creativity throughout the workday.
Additional community plugins. Explore plugins for enhanced functionality, including search across settings, automated GitHub backups, alternative to paid synchronization, and features for inserting links or renaming paste images or display cMenu buttons.
Hotkeys
You may want to configure hotkeys to streamline your workflow and stay focused.
Essential hotkeys include task checkbox cycle (done and undone state), calendar navigation (previous/next day), and the ‘Open today’s daily note’ shortcut, which I use often.
I removed the Delete paragraph “Ctrl+D” shortcut, which constantly confused me, and reassigned it to Cycle bullet/checkbox instead.
Using the System
A study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology General looked at how writing before bed affects how quickly people fall asleep. Researchers compared two groups: one group wrote to-do lists, and the other wrote about things they already accomplished. The results showed that people who wrote to-do lists fell asleep much faster than those who wrote about finished tasks. Interestingly, the more detailed the to-do list, the quicker people fell asleep. This suggests that writing a specific to-do list for just 5 minutes before bed can help people fall asleep faster. (source)
Every evening, I create a note for the next day. If there are special events attached to them, I create these notes further in advance. The note is created based on a daily template.
Because I rewrite my tasks every day as simple notes, and there’s no automatic carryover to the next day, I don’t create endless lists that become impossible to navigate.
Daily template (customize it to fit your needs)
My daily template has evolved to suit my needs.
Initially, it consisted of three main tasks, three secondary tasks. I’ve also added links that I need to review during the day, as well as a ‘Focus of the Day’, which is a theme that I need to complete to consider the day accomplished.
After creating a daily note based on this template, I fill it in and can add more than three tasks in each of the two blocks, either numbered or simply listed below. Additionally, I can write down additional ideas or reminders anywhere in the note.
Сontexts
If a task is part of something bigger, I usually use what I call a context. I create a note with the project name or list and link it to the task description using wiki notation [[ ]] (Add internal link hotkey) and autocomplete.
These are just regular Obsidian markdown notes, and I can create templates for them if needed. Typically, they contain information about “the project”: what I want to achieve, its components, contacts, links, and so on. I move them to a subfolder called Contexts.
I find it convenient to use notes, but you can also try using #tags, which will also provide auto-completion. You can create special tags for project names, locations, instruments, and so on. You can combine tags and notes.
Sprints
To get a bird’s eye view, I used to use notes, but I realized that it’s much more convenient and visually appealing to use canvases.
Depending on the dynamics of life, you can determine how often to create new ones; for myself, I’ve found it convenient to create a new canvas every three weeks. I move them to a subfolder called Sprints.
On the canvas, you can place regular notes (i.e., contexts in our system) as well as simply text boxes.
If needed, you can use arrows. I like to use color-coding. What’s in the center has priority. You can also adjust the font size using header markdown notation like ## Text.
At any point during the day, you can add to, rewrite, or move tasks from the current day’s note to future days, as well as to the sprint canvas.
Getting Started
Finally, a step-by-step guide on how to:
* Download and install Obsidian
* Launch it, select a folder on your computer to store your notes
* Create necessary subfolders and a daily template note tailored to your needs
* Go to settings, disable unnecessary core plugins, adjust the remaining plugins’ settings, and set up folders and daily template
* Enable community plugins, then install and enable additional plugins
* Create a note for the day and write down your tasks
* Close Obsidian and check that it doesn’t close completely, but returns from the tray with a keyboard shortcut
* Link tasks to their corresponding contexts if they’re not standalone tasks
* Create a sprint canvas with priority areas as the most relevant contexts, as well as additional text
Optionally, you can also create motivational notes, a morning routine list, yearly plans, or any other notes that supplement your task management system, and link to some of them from your daily template.
Explore the plugin catalog to find what can help you even more.
This all works for free on your computer, and if you want to sync multiple devices, including mobile ones, you’ll need to purchase a subscription.
Conclusion
I’m constantly thinking about how to make my system simpler on one hand and more powerful on the other.
Currently, there’s no way to set up time-based notifications inside Obsidian, and I haven’t seen a plugin that does that, so I still have to add events to a regular calendar if I want to receive reminders in advance. There is Google Calendar plugin.
Secondly, I’d like to have a automatic summary of what’s been done and what hasn’t been done over the week. This could be achieved using a GPT model, but the plugins I’ve seen either add a chat or additional commands to the editor, whereas I’d like to be able to specify multiple notes plus custom queries and get a new note as output.
I tried using the AI summary plugin (github), but it’s very unstable and doesn’t produce the results I want.
