Why I Ditched Complex Folder Structures for a Simpler Note-Taking System

For years, I was obsessed with creating the perfect digital filing system. I treated my note-taking app like a pristine library, with nested folders going dozens of levels deep. I had a folder for everything: projects, ideas, book notes, meeting summaries, you name it. It looked incredibly organized on the surface, but honestly, it was a productivity nightmare. I was spending more time being a digital librarian than actually thinking or creating.

The problem with digital deep cleaning

The core issue I ran into was cognitive friction. Every time I had a new idea or a note to save, I\'d pause and ask, \"Where does this belong?\" Sometimes a note fit into three different project folders, and I\'d be paralyzed, trying to decide on the \'correct\' single location. It felt rigid and unnatural. My brain doesn\'t think in neat, hierarchical folders; it thinks in connections and associations. My system was working against me, not for me. I realized that my quest for perfect organization was actually stifling my creativity and slowing me down.

My \'aha\' moment: linking over filing

The turning point for me was discovering the concept of linking your thinking. Instead of burying a note in a single folder, what if I could just connect it to other relevant notes? This simple shift in mindset was revolutionary. I stopped worrying about where a note lived and started focusing on how it related to my other ideas. This approach, often powered by tags or bi-directional links in modern apps, felt so much more intuitive and brain-friendly.

What my new, simpler system looks like

So, what did I do? I archived my entire complex folder structure. It was terrifying at first, but incredibly liberating. My new system is drastically simpler and relies on two main components:

• A few broad categories: I now use only four top-level folders: 1. Inbox (for quick capture), 2. Projects (for active work with clear end dates), 3. Areas (for ongoing responsibilities like \'Health\' or \'Finances\'), and 4. Archive (for everything else). That\'s it.
• Heavy use of tags and links: Instead of folders, I use tags to categorize. A single note can have multiple tags (#marketing, #project-alpha, #idea) which allows it to appear in multiple contexts without being duplicated. I also link directly between notes to create a web of interconnected knowledge.

The unexpected benefits I discovered

Since making this change, the biggest benefit has been a massive reduction in friction. Capturing ideas is now effortless—everything goes into the inbox to be tagged later. More importantly, I\'m rediscovering old ideas because they are linked to what I\'m currently working on. It has turned my notes from a static archive into a dynamic, living system that actively helps me think better and generate new insights. It\'s not as visually \'clean\' as my old folder tree, but it\'s infinitely more useful.