My OneNote Journey
I was hitting a wall with OneNote. Syncing had become unreliable, and I was constantly met with errors. Something had to give.
OneNote launched in 2003 as part of Office 2003. At the time, I worked for a tech company that was a Microsoft partner, and the software felt like a revelation: one centralized place to organize everything. I used it on and off for the next 22 years to store data and, with the help of the Android app, keep my life on track. Then the problems began.
The Troubles Come to a Head
By the spring of 2025, I’d had enough. I needed a more reliable way to track notes, tasks, and projects. I searched through dozens of alternatives, starting with Notion. However, the first time I tried to access my data offline, I realized Notion’s fatal flaw. While they have since implemented a “workaround,” I had already moved on.
Obsidian: Simplicity and Control
Then I discovered Obsidian. After watching a few YouTube tutorials, I was intrigued. I downloaded the latest version to test it out and immediately liked the “local-first” philosophy. It didn’t strangle me with connectivity requirements, and my notes weren’t held captive by a proprietary format. That was the last domino to fall.
I decided to get serious. My “test move” began in December 2025, with a goal to be fully transitioned by January 1st. I began using it daily for note-taking and task tracking. To keep the system lean, I initially only loaded a few essential plugins.
The Move
Since making the permanent switch, I’ve kept my setup streamlined. Currently, I only use four plugins: Templater, Dataview, Ink, and Tasks. These provide all the automation I need. My templates now automatically generate new notes in the correct folders with all the necessary metadata. Meanwhile, Dataview handles task roll-ups, helping me stay on top of open projects and their associated requirements.
The Future
I’m still learning the finer points, but I’m finally comfortable. I expect to stick with Obsidian for a long time; it is intuitive, open-source friendly, and actively improved.