“The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen.” – Lee Iacocca

Let’s be honest—keeping a journal or planner sounds great… until you forget to use it for three days straight.

That was me.

Then I discovered Daily Notes in Obsidian. It wasn’t just another blank page. It became the place I started my day—with thoughts, to-dos, and even random stuff like “why did I dream about raccoons in tuxedos?”

If you want a low-friction way to stay organized, clear your head, and plan smarter, Daily Notes can change the game.

What Are Daily Notes in Obsidian?

Daily Notes are time-stamped entries created automatically in Obsidian using the built-in Daily Notes core plugin. Think of them like your personal command center for each day.

Each note is named after the date and usually lives in a special folder like Daily or Journal.

You can:

Dump your thoughts (morning pages style)Track habits and tasksReflect on the dayCollect ideas, events, or even overheard conversations

I treat mine like a digital bullet journal—but lazier and smarter.

Step 1: Turn On Daily Notes in Obsidian

Super easy.

Go to Settings → Core PluginsEnable Daily NotesGo to Settings → Daily NotesCustomize:Location: Choose where your daily notes get saved (e.g., /Journal)Format: I like YYYY-MM-DD for sortingTemplate (optional): Use a pre-designed note layout (more on that soon)

Now, you’ll see a little calendar icon in the sidebar. Click it, and boom—a note for today appears.

Step 2: Create a Simple Daily Note Template

Don’t start from scratch every day. Use a template.

Here’s a starter I used for months:

# 📅 {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}} — Daily Note

## Morning Thoughts

---

## Top 3 Tasks

- [ ]

- [ ]

- [ ]

## Meetings / Events -

## Notes & Ideas -

## Evening Reflection -

What went well? -

What needs improvement?

Use the Templater plugin to auto-insert this when you open a new Daily Note. Trust me, it saves you from blank page syndrome.

Step 3: Use Daily Notes for Planning

Here’s how I plan my day with Obsidian:

Morning → Brain dump, set intentions, pick top tasksThroughout → Add notes, track ideas, adjust prioritiesEvening → Quick recap + personal reflection

I link tasks using Obsidian’s [[ ]] syntax:

- [ ] Finish [[Obsidian Smart Notes Article]]

And if something’s not done? I just move it to the next day’s note or mark it with a > [ ] for “deferred.”

It’s super lightweight but powerful when done daily.

Step 4: Use It for Journaling, Too

You can also journal in the same place. I have a tag for #journal entries and just brain-dump under ## Morning Thoughts or ## Evening Reflection.

Want to go deeper? Use prompts. Here are a few that live in my journaling template:

What am I excited about today?Where did I feel resistance?What’s one thing I learned?What drained me?What gave me energy?

You can mix structured reflection with free writing. Don’t overthink it—just show up.

Step 5: Enhance with Plugins

Here are a few plugins that level up your Daily Notes game:

 Periodic Notes

Combines daily, weekly, and monthly notes into one system.

 Calendar Plugin

Visual calendar to click through daily notes.

 Tasks Plugin

Lets you see tasks from all daily notes in one view.

 Review Plugin

Schedule regular reviews (weekly/monthly/yearly) to reflect on your notes.

Real-Life Use Case: My Obsidian Morning RoutineOpen Obsidian with coffee in handClick “Today” → Daily Note loads with my templateFill out “Morning Thoughts” — dump whatever’s in my headChoose 3 big tasks to focus onAdd events or meetingsThroughout the day, I log notes or random thoughtsEnd the day with a 5-minute reflection

No apps. No distractions. Just me and my brain on paper (sort of).

Conclusion

Daily Notes in Obsidian aren’t just digital diary entries—they’re an anchor for your mind. With minimal setup, you can build a system that keeps you grounded, organized, and evolving every single day.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to show up.

Start with a simple template. Add a few planning prompts. Link what matters. Before long, your daily notes will become the most valuable part of your second brain.

 Do you use Daily Notes already? Got a favorite prompt or template? Share it in the comments below—let’s swap ideas!

The post How to Use Daily Notes in Obsidian for Journaling and Planning appeared first on Planet Tash.