This might be for you if…
- You’ve lost information you wish you had kept – a detail, a decision, a conversation, a document – and had no good place to look for it.
- You’ve tried to remember what you were doing this time last year and come up mostly empty.
- You have notes, files, and ideas scattered across apps and haven’t found a system that pulls it all together.
- You’re curious about Notion or Obsidian but don’t know where to start or how to organize it in a way that makes sense.
- You want a single system that consolidates the tools and apps scattered across your life – a no-code platform you can adapt to your needs and reduce your reliance on everything else.
Collections defined
A collection is a database dedicated to a specific category of information in your life. Each one has its own structure, metadata, and views designed around how that type of information is actually used. Collections are the building blocks of the Extended Mind System – the place where information stops living in your head and starts living somewhere you can find it, filter it, and build on it. The collections are listed in the navigation pane on the left. Each one is documented separately and can be read and implemented on its own.How to use this system and site
The methodology is tool-agnostic, but each collection includes practical implementations for Notion and Obsidian. It’s meant as a starting point – take what works, leave what doesn’t, and adapt it to your own thinking style. This is a non-linear system, so there is no one right way to move through the material. Some of you will want to read every page and build a full picture before implementing anything. Others will want to get straight to it – pick the collection that interests you most and start there. Each one is written to stand alone and be implemented on its own. If you’re undecided, start with the Life Log. Both work. The docs are set up to support either approach. The one prerequisite: If you are not already familiar with the concept of databases – specifically how they work in Notion and Obsidian – read Databases & metadata before diving into any collection. It is the one foundational concept that underpins everything else. Every collection assumes you have it. It won’t take long, and it will make everything that follows significantly clearer.A note on expectations
This system was not built in a weekend. It has been rearranged, iterated upon, and improved over years of daily use. Some collections took months to get right. Others are still evolving. I share all of this not to discourage you, but to be honest with you. If you’re new to Notion or Obsidian, or new to thinking about information organization at this level, give yourself time. Start with one collection that solves a real problem in your life. Get comfortable with that before adding another. The system compounds – but only if you actually use it. This is inspiration for what’s possible. It is not a prescription for what you must build.Further reading
For a deeper look at the books, thinkers, and ideas that shaped this system, see further reading.Last update: 2026.03.14