Obsidian Vault Optimization

Strategic recommendations for navigation, scalability, and workflow efficiency

Executive Summary

A well-optimized vault follows the CONSUME → DEVELOP → CREATE → META flow with clear developmental stages (🌱🌿🌲), consistent naming conventions, and streamlined processing workflows.

Recommended Folder Structure

01 CONSUME/
├── 📥 Inbox/           # Quick capture only
├── 📚 Books/
├── 📰 Articles/
├── 🎙️ Podcasts/
├── 👥 People/
└── 🔄 Processing/      # Items being actively processed

02 DEVELOP/
├── 🌱 Seeds/          # Early-stage ideas
├── 🌿 Plants/         # Active development
├── 🗂️ MOCs/           # Maps of Content
└── 📋 Indexes/

03 CREATE/
├── 🌲 Evergreen/      # Mature, reusable notes
├── 📝 Blog/
├── 📧 Newsletter/
├── 🎯 Projects/
└── 📊 Presentations/

04 META/
├── 🛠️ System/         # Templates, guides, settings
├── 📈 Tracking/       # Changelogs, reviews
└── 🔗 Assets/

Processing Pipeline

📥 Inbox → 🔄 Processing → 🌱 Seeds → 🌿 Plants → 🌲 Evergreen

Inbox Discipline

Inbox = temporary holding only (24-48 hours max)
Add Processing folder for items being actively worked on
Weekly inbox should be empty

Naming Conventions

File Naming Standards

Content Type	Format	Example
Concepts	Title Case with Spaces	"Digital Literacy Framework"
Projects	YYYY-MM Project Name	"2024-12 Digital Garden Setup"
People	First Last	"Derek Sivers"
Templates	Template - Type	"Template - Book Note"
MOCs	MOC - Topic	"MOC - AI Research"

Folder Naming

Use emojis sparingly but consistently for visual navigation
Keep folder names short (under 15 characters when possible)
Use descriptive names over abbreviations

Tag System

Tag Hierarchy

# Content Type
tags: [fleeting-note, permanent-note, index-note]

# Domain/Topic (max 3 per note)
tags: [digital-literacy, ai-research, education-policy]

# Status (exactly one)
status: [🌱_seed, 🌿_plant, 🌲_evergreen]

# Action Required (optional)
action: [needs-review, needs-expansion, ready-to-publish]

Tag Best Practices

Lowercase, dash-separated format
Maximum 3 domain tags per note
One status indicator
Consistent across vault

Note Development Stages

Stage 1: Capture (📥 Inbox)

Raw thoughts, highlights, quick captures
No formatting requirements
Maximum 48-hour residence time

Stage 2: Processing (🔄 Processing)

Add proper YAML frontmatter
Link to existing notes
Identify development path
Move to appropriate development stage

Stage 3: Development Stages

Stage	Characteristics	Word Count
🌱 Seeds	Single insight, question, or observation	500-3,000
🌿 Plants	Multiple connected ideas, partial development	5,000+
🌲 Evergreen	Complete thoughts, ready for publishing	10,000+

Review Systems

Weekly Reviews

Inbox processing (should be empty)
Seeds ready for development
Plants ready for evergreen status
Evergreen notes needing updates

Monthly System Reviews

Tag cleanup and standardization
Folder organization assessment
Template updates
Archive old projects

Digital Garden Integration

Publishing Workflow

🌲 Evergreen → Review for Publishing → Add dg-publish: true → Auto-sync to Garden

Quality Gates Before Publishing

Proper YAML frontmatter
Internal links resolved
Grammar/style check
Audience-appropriate content

Project Management

Recommended Project Structure

03 CREATE/🎯 Projects/
├── 🟢 Active/
│   ├── 2024-12 Digital Garden/
│   └── 2025-01 Course Development/
├── 🟡 On-Hold/
├── 🔴 Archived/
└── 📋 Project Registry.md    # Master project list with status

Implementation Strategy

Phase 1: Foundation (Week 1-2)

Create new folder structure
Implement inbox discipline
Standardize file naming for new notes

Phase 2: Migration (Week 3-4)

Gradually move notes to new structure
Update tags to new system
Create review workflows

Phase 3: Optimization (Week 5-6)

Fine-tune workflows based on usage
Create automation where possible
Document final system in Guide.md

Expected Outcomes

After implementation:

Reduced Cognitive Load: Clear categories reduce decision fatigue
Improved Discoverability: Better organization makes finding notes easier
Faster Processing: Streamlined workflows reduce friction
Scalable Growth: System handles increased volume without breaking down
Better Publishing Pipeline: Clear path from idea to published content

Key Principle

The goal is creating a system that works with your natural workflows rather than against them, while providing the structure needed for long-term scalability and effectiveness.