Obsidian is by far one of the most capable and customizable note-taking applications available. I have come to thoroughly enjoy the linking and tag systems, for the emergent organization they provide.
However, one feature that I have never quite found a way to tame is the properties system. It is almost too flexible, and I have never been able to find a way to use it that is both useful and not overwhelming. I have tried many different approaches, but none of them have stuck.
So for now, I am just sticking to 4 main properties that I use on every note:
- Date: The date the note was created or last updated.
- Updated: The date the note was last updated.
- Tags: A list of tags associated with the note.
- fileClass: The class of the file, such as journal, project, or reference.
I feel as though everything I need to do with organization can be accomplished with these four properties. They are simple, yet powerful enough to provide the structure I need without overwhelming me with complexity.
For anything that requires more filtering or organization, I feel as though the tag system is more than sufficient. I can create tags for specific projects, topics, or anything else that I need to organize. The properties system is just a way to provide a little extra structure to my notes without getting in the way.