iA Writer Helped Simplify My Obsidian Daily Note

Why an app-agnostic approach can be better in the long-term

Screenshot by the Author of her weekly note in Obsidian

As I continue to learn in public, once again I’ve refined the dynamic between my weekly and daily notes.

The specifics of this article relate to Obsidian, but the principles apply to productivity systems (and apps) in general.

Let the Exploration Begin

My brain was buzzing after reading Martin Sketchley’s story about using iA Writer in tandem with Obsidian for a different, more focused writing experience.

Yes! thought I. This sounds like an opportunity to put into practice the app-agnosticism I have at the core of my plain-text note-making manifesto. But how will my beautiful weekly log hold up when opened in a WikiLink-supporting app like iA Writer?

Prepare yourself, friends: it’s not pretty. I’m sad to say that the snippets of useful information I’d embedded from other pages were now a major distraction. Instead of showing one pertinent line from another document, the entire document now came along with it!

Stick with me while I diagn…