Daily Notes on Index Cards
I tried index cards first. I prefer index cards housed in a box like a zettlekasten over a bound bullet journal for daily notes. It is more forgiving, more portable, and more visible throughout the day. I used the 2×3 inch size, which was fine for me, but I did use the back of the card some days, and most days I used 2 columns on the front. You can use a larger size index card if you need to.
The problem I ran into using index cards has a lot to do with the way my brain works and the nature of most of the tasks I want to work on. I have a lot of tasks that are everyday tasks that I want to track, like certain chores or habits. With the index card system, I had to write these tasks each day, or I had to move them to a separate checklist.
Writing them on the index card each day was cumbersome, and it took up a lot of the space on my card. And honestly, I didn’t want to move them to a separate checklist. Where would the checklist live? Digital? Analog? Where would I put it?
I just wanted a simple system for daily notes, and I wanted a cohesive daily task management system. The index card system was good, and it worked well for a while helping me to stay focused and productive, but it lacked a cohesive method for daily repetitive tasks.
Looking back, I could have used a reusable index card with routines, daily tasks, and habits on it. It’s something I can explore more later if I decide to.
Daily Notes Using Obsidian
When learning to use Obsidian, I discovered that there was a built in daily note function in the sidebar. Click and it automatically creates a note for the day. It’s such a simple but awesome feature.
To fix the problem with index cards and having to retype daily tasks, I made a template to paste into my daily note every morning which included check boxes. I decided to put non repeated tasks in the note above the repetitive tasks. That way I got the best of both worlds.
This method worked well on the days that I thought about using it. If I was making other notes that day in Obsidian, I’d use the daily note. If I just thought about it, I’d use it. But I wasn’t as consistent as I had been with the index cards.
The index cards were more visible for me because I’d leave the current card on my desk in front of my laptop. When I removed a day’s card, I’d replace it with a new day’s card. It was a visual reminder.
Obsidian highlighted a problem I have: Out of sight, out of mind.
What Method Did I Choose?
Honestly, I don’t know. I lost some momentum because I’ve been under the weather, so I’m going to give them both another trial run before I commit to one for 2026.
I’m still considering a hybrid task and information management system. I know this post was about task management, but I’m also exploring information management with analog and digital systems. More on that later.
One thought on “Daily Notes: Index Cards vs Obsidian”