#7. Stop Procrastinating with Note-Taking Apps
Tags:
productivitynote-taking
Date Published: 2026-03-20
What is the trap?
Creating complex systems makes you feel smart, which makes you feel good. But feeling good doesn't necessarily equal doing good work. A lot of the time you're doing nothing at all.
To collect, in this case knowledge, is a reward in itself. It gives us the feeling of being on the cutting edge, but being on the cutting edge means nothing if you're not actually producing cutting edge work.
And collecting is as rewarding as organizing. Making it look clean and categorized is half the fun. But what practical application do aesthetics serve?
It is not a negative to desire aesthetics for your own viewing pleasure, but you must be careful not to fall into the trap of endless optimization.
PKM is an aid to your work, not the work itself.
In terms of authors, the writer who consistently writes every day will always beat the writer who spends a lot of that same time collecting and organizing the knowledge pertinent to their project.
PKM users also tend to switch tools often, always chasing that shiny new app or system. They are trapped in an infinite trap of optimization for a system that doesn't reward them.
The truth is that there is no 'perfect' tool. You just need to work on that project, even if it sucks, even if more planning or organization would have helped. You just need to start.
Three principles to adopt.
- Stick with one tool for the next 6 months. This will force you to work with what you have. By setting clear boundaries with the tools you use, you're setting a clear intention that your PKM is to be used in favor of your life, and your most important projects.
- Trust your brain more. Not everything needs to be externalized. Have faith that your brain will remember the important projects and thoughts that are actually important to you.
- Be project-based with your note-taking. This means that almost every link, note, and canvas (in Obsidian) should be created with a certain master note in mind (your project).
Conclusion
To actually combat procrastination via PKM's, you should make the system as simple as possible, but no simpler.
Related Notes
For a low-energy note-taking system check out this note: make-your-own-digital-garden.