Why I Ditched Folders in Obsidian for a MOC-Based Workflow

I used to be a folder fanatic. Seriously. My digital life was a neatly nested hierarchy of folders, and for a long time, my Obsidian vault was no different. It felt organized, controlled, and logical. But as my vault grew from a hundred notes to over a thousand, that feeling of control slowly turned into a source of constant friction. I was spending more time deciding where a note should live than actually thinking about the note\'s content. That’s when I knew something had to change.

The breaking point with folders

The problem wasn\'t the folders themselves, but the rigid, one-to-one relationship they enforced. I remember a specific note about \'cognitive biases in project management\'. Should it go in the \'Productivity\' folder? Or the \'Psychology\' folder? Or the \'Project Management\' one? The anxiety of making the \'wrong\' choice often led to me just dropping it on the desktop, creating an entirely new problem. My system was forcing me to prematurely file away ideas that were, by their nature, interconnected and multifaceted. It was like building a library where every book could only exist on one shelf, in one section. It simply didn\'t reflect how knowledge actually works.

Discovering maps of content (MOCs)

I stumbled upon the concept of Maps of Content, or MOCs, while looking for a solution. At first, I was skeptical. It sounded like just another layer of complexity. But the core idea resonated with me: instead of putting notes *inside* a container, you create a special note that *points to* other notes. It’s a shift from a physical filing cabinet to a fluid, curated index.

My \'aha\' moment was realizing a MOC isn\'t just a list of links; it\'s a workbench for ideas. It’s a space where I can arrange, cluster, and connect notes on a topic, see them all in one place, and discover new relationships between them. The note on \'cognitive biases\' could now be linked from my \'Productivity MOC\', \'Psychology MOC\', and \'Project Management MOC\' without any duplication or decision fatigue.

How I build a MOC today

My process is incredibly simple now, which is the entire point. It\'s designed to reduce friction and encourage thinking. Here’s my basic approach:

• Start with a broad topic: I create a new note, for example, `000 - Productivity MOC`. I use `000` to keep my main MOCs at the top of my file list.
• Brainstorm & link: I open the MOC and just start thinking. I\'ll link to all the existing notes I have on productivity. I\'ll also create \'ghost\' links for notes I want to write in the future (Obsidian makes this easy, as the link shows up differently until the note is created).
• Structure organically: I might add some headings within the MOC, like \'Core Principles\', \'Tools I\'ve Tried\', or \'Related Thinkers\'. This structure isn\'t rigid; I change it all the time as my understanding of the topic evolves.

The surprising benefits I\'ve experienced

Moving away from folders has had a profound impact. First, the friction of capturing new ideas is virtually gone. I just create a new note, write, and know that I can link it to a relevant MOC later. Second, my creativity has improved. Seeing disparate ideas listed on the same MOC has sparked countless new connections I never would have made if they were hidden away in separate folders. It\'s an emergent system that grows with me, rather than a rigid one I have to constantly fight against.

Is this workflow for everyone?

Honestly, probably not. If your work is highly structured, with discrete, time-bound projects, a folder-based system might still be more efficient. For example, a folder for \'Project Alpha Q3\' containing all its briefs, meeting notes, and reports makes perfect sense. But for my personal knowledge base—a web of interconnected ideas, learnings, and musings—ditching the folder hierarchy was one of a single best productivity decisions I\'ve ever made. It gave my ideas room to breathe and connect in ways I never expected.