How I Use Obsidian Daily Notes to Actually Get Stuff Done

You ever have one of those weeks where your to-do list turns into a guilt trip? Yeah — that used to be my life. Sticky notes everywhere, five different apps with half-finished tasks, and a brain that felt like a browser with 42 tabs open. Enter: Obsidian.

I’ve talked about Obsidian before some years ago that describes what Obsidian is and why I chose it. Now I wanted to explain how I use it every day. I didn’t expect a plain-text note-taking app to change my productivity game. But it did. And it all started with one simple habit: using Daily Notes.

Let me walk you through exactly how I use them — from my morning routine to linking ideas, using plugins, and ending the day with a brain that’s not screaming at me.

Why Daily Notes Work in Obsidian

Obsidian has this beautiful thing called Daily Notes — a note automatically named with today’s date, where you can dump your thoughts, tasks, wins, random rants — anything.

But what makes it powerful is this: it’s not just a journal. It’s a launchpad for your day and a hub that connects everything else.

At first, I just used it for to-do lists. But over time, it became the command center for my brain.

My Daily Note Template (Simple, Not Fancy)

I don’t do complicated. Here’s my go-to layout:

# 📅 {{date}}## Top 3 Tasks- [ ] Thing 1- [ ] Thing 2- [ ] Thing 3## Notes / Brain Dump- Random ideas, quotes, thoughts here## Meetings / Events- 10:00 - Team stand-up- 2:00 - Client call## Links / References- [[Project X]]- [[Big Idea Notes]]

This gives me just enough structure to focus — without boxing me in.

Linking Tasks and Ideas for Seamless Flow

Before I started linking stuff, my notes felt like digital sticky notes — helpful in the moment, but gone forever two days later.

Now? I use Obsidian’s [[double brackets]] for backlinks like a pro.

Say I’m working on a course called “Side Hustle Starter Pack.” I’ll write:

- [ ] Outline lesson 3 for [[Side Hustle Starter Pack]]

Later, I can go to the Side Hustle Starter Pack note and see every time I mentioned it — all automatically. No fancy project manager needed.

I also drop little quote ideas into daily notes and link them to theme pages:

Note: Minimalism isn’t fewer apps — it’s fewer open loops. #quote [[Digital Minimalism]]

It’s like leaving breadcrumbs for my future self. And it works.

My Morning Routine With Daily Notes

Every day, I open Obsidian, hit my Templater hotkey, and boom — a fresh daily note.

Here’s my quick ritual:

Sip coffeeBrain dump everything on my mindPick 3 top prioritiesLink tasks to their project notesAdd any meetings or appointments

It clears my head faster than coffee (okay, maybe not faster… but close).

My Evening Review

This one’s subtle, but powerful.

At the end of the day, I:

Check off tasksMove unfinished ones to tomorrowWrite 1–2 lines of reflectionLink anything that deserves a follow-up

No deep journaling. Just a soft landing for my brain. I don’t feel like I’m leaving chaos behind when I shut the laptop.

Best Plugins to Supercharge Daily Notes

Okay, here’s where things get spicy. These are the plugins that actually improved my workflow — not just added noise.

1. Templater

Automates your daily note structure. Adds dates, recurring tasks, and custom prompts. I use it to inject a consistent layout every morning without thinking.

2. Periodic Notes

This one gives you daily, weekly, and monthly notes — all nicely tied together. It’s super handy for weekly reviews and reflection.

3. Tasks Plugin

This is the one I didn’t know I needed. It lets you manage tasks across your entire vault and even filter them. For example:

``` tasksnot donedue before tomorrow```

It’ll show every unchecked task due before tomorrow — no matter which note it’s hiding in. Game changer.

You can even get fancy and start adding tags to your tasks. For example I use #followup on tasks that need extra attention, but may not have a due date. Do collect them under one heading I have a task query that looks like this.

tasksdescription includes #follow-up not done4. Dataview

If you’re a data nerd, this is your playground. You can turn your notes into custom dashboards, summaries, and dynamic views based on tags, dates, and frontmatter.

I’ve used it to build a weekly task board, habit tracker, and even a writing progress chart. Steep learning curve, but massive rewards.

5. Calendar

It’s not flashy — but man, it’s useful. This plugin gives you a sidebar calendar. Click on any day, and it opens the daily note. That’s it. Simple, effective, frictionless.

Bonus Plugins Worth ExploringDay Planner: Perfect if you like time-blocking your day. Drag tasks into specific time slots.Natural Language Dates: Type “next Friday” or “tomorrow” and it becomes an actual date. Huge time saver.Kanban: Build Trello-style boards inside your vault. Great for project planning or high-level overviews.

Pro tip: Don’t install all of these at once. Start with one or two and build your system gradually. Otherwise, you’ll spend more time tinkering than thinking.

Make Daily Notes Your System

Here’s the deal — your system should serve you. Not the productivity gurus. Not the Reddit templates. You.

I use daily notes to:

Stay focusedConnect my thoughtsReduce mental clutter

Some days it’s neat. Some days it’s messy. Some days I skip it altogether. And that’s okay.

If you take nothing else away from this post, take this:
You don’t need perfect. You just need consistent.

Quick Note on Privacy

Obsidian keeps everything local by default, which is awesome for privacy. Just make sure if you’re syncing between devices, you’re doing it securely — especially if you’re logging sensitive data.

Final Thoughts

If your brain feels overloaded — start with one daily note.

Seriously. Open Obsidian, hit Cmd + P or Ctrl + P, and type “Daily Note.”

Jot a few tasks. Dump your thoughts. Link one thing. That’s it.

You’ll be shocked at how fast it turns into a habit that actually sticks.

And hey — if you’ve got your own tips, tricks, or plugin recs, hit me up or drop a comment below. I’m always down to geek out about workflows that make life just a little bit easier.

Let’s build digital brains that don’t burn us out.

Want more?
Let me know if you’d like a walkthrough of weekly reviews, project dashboards, or even second brain setups in Obsidian. I’ve got plenty more to share.

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Happy posting!

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