Why I Ditched Complex Notetaking Apps for Simple Plain Text Files

by admin in Productivity & Tools 19 - Last Update December 3, 2025

Rate: 4/5 points in 19 reviews

Why I Ditched Complex Notetaking Apps for Simple Plain Text Files

I used to be a collector of digital tools. If a new notetaking app promised intricate databases, bi-directional linking, and a web clipper that could save a whole universe, I was the first to sign up. For years, my digital life was a sprawling, color-coded kingdom of nested pages, tags, and relational databases. It felt incredibly productive. But honestly? It was just organized procrastination.

The turning point for me wasn\'t a sudden epiphany but a slow, creeping frustration. I was spending more time managing my notetaking system than actually thinking about the notes within it. I’d waste 20 minutes deciding on the perfect set of tags for a simple idea or building a complex dashboard I’d never look at again. The tool, which was supposed to be a simple vessel for my thoughts, had become the main event. It was friction, pure and simple.

The feature-rich trap I fell into

Every complex notetaking app has a honeymoon phase. You feel like you\'re building a \'second brain,\' a perfect digital replica of your mind. I created intricate project trackers, personal CRMs, and vast libraries of book notes. It looked amazing. The problem was, these systems are brittle. They require constant maintenance. Skip a week of filing, and the whole structure starts to feel messy. The pressure to keep the system perfect was actually discouraging me from capturing fleeting, imperfect thoughts.

I realized my system was optimized for \'storing,\' not \'thinking.\' The elaborate features were a distraction, a shiny set of tools that kept me busy but didn\'t necessarily lead to deeper insights or creative breakthroughs. I was a digital janitor, not a knowledge worker.

My plain text epiphany

One day, out of sheer frustration, I opened a basic text editor and just started writing. No tags, no formatting, no databases. Just words on a screen. It was incredibly liberating. The file saved instantly. It was searchable. It would be readable on any device I own in 50 years. That was it. That was the moment I knew I had to change everything.

I decided to migrate my entire system to a simple folder of plain text (specifically, Markdown) files. The benefits I discovered almost immediately were profound:

Speed: Plain text files open instantly. There\'s no loading time, no syncing delays. The speed from thought to capture is almost zero.
Focus: A blank text file has no distractions. It\'s just you and your thoughts. There are no sidebars, formatting options, or databases to tempt you away from the core task of thinking and writing.
Longevity: A .txt or .md file is the most future-proof format on the planet. I no longer worry about a company shutting down or changing its subscription model and holding my notes hostage.
Portability: My notes live in a simple folder synced via the cloud. I can access and edit them with hundreds of different apps on my phone, tablet, or laptop. I\'m not locked into any single ecosystem.

How my simple system works today

People often ask if I miss the powerful features. Honestly, not really. My system now is ridiculously simple, but it works for me. I use a basic folder structure for broad categories like \'Projects,\' \'Areas,\' \'Resources,\' and \'Archive.\' For linking, I sometimes use unique identifiers in filenames (like a timestamp) or simple `[[wiki-style links]]` that some modern text editors can understand. The key, I\'ve learned, isn\'t to have a perfect system for finding every note ever written, but to have a fluid system that helps me think better *right now*. The focus has shifted from archiving to action, from collecting to creating.

Ditching those complex apps wasn\'t about digital minimalism for its own sake. It was a strategic decision to remove friction from my creative process. It turns out, the most powerful productivity tool I ever found was a blank page.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is plain text notetaking?

Plain text notetaking is the practice of capturing notes in simple file formats like .txt or .md (Markdown). These files don't contain proprietary formatting, which means I can open them with almost any application on any device, now and in the future. I personally prefer Markdown because it allows for simple, universal formatting like headers and lists.

Aren't complex apps more powerful for organization?

They absolutely have more features, like databases and web clippers. However, I found that 'power' came at the cost of speed and focus. The overhead of managing the system itself became a form of procrastination for me. For my workflow, the simplicity of plain text leads to more thinking and less tinkering, which I find more powerful in the long run.

How do you link notes together in a plain text system?

It's simpler than you might think. I primarily rely on a clear folder structure and descriptive filenames. For direct links, I sometimes use a timestamp-based ID in the filename (e.g., 202310271030-my-note.md) that I can search for. Some text editors also recognize simple [[wiki-style links]], which is enough for my needs without requiring a heavy-duty system.

What do you lose when switching away from a complex app?

You definitely make trade-offs. I lost things like rich media embedding, collaborative features, and polished web clippers. For me, it was a conscious decision to sacrifice those bells and whistles for ultimate speed, portability, and focus. I've found simple workarounds for most things, but it's a trade-off I'm happy to make.

Is moving to plain text a good idea for everyone?

Honestly, no. If you're a highly visual thinker or you heavily rely on team collaboration and database features, a complex app might be a better fit. My journey was about identifying the sources of friction in my own process. I'd recommend it for anyone who feels their notetaking tool has become a burden and who prioritizes writing and thinking over elaborate organization.