This past month has been the most I've ever been "unproductive" in the past three years. I can't remember a week when I spent only 0-2 hours a day on work or personal projects. Catching up with people before I leave Vancouver, spending time with relatives, and now with my best friend Aidan visiting me for the past week has led to my Obsidian webs of knowledge turning into dusty cobwebs 😅 I haven't been filling out my daily notes full of journalling prompts, planning exercises, and trackers. I haven't elaborately planned my projects, tasks, and habits in detail since I only have 1-2 hours a day to work on things (I will admit, however, that [[Akiflow]] has still been a daily essential for scheduling plans and capturing tasks 😎). I've spent little time making new notes from resources I'm learning from. Because of this lack of use in my daily life, questions arise: *How much of my setup is excess waste? Should I strip it down to just the essentials? Like downsizing a home to have fewer places to dust and clean, should I do the same with my obsidian setup for easier maintenance?* And so, I've reflected upon the past week of how I've ACTUALLY been using it: - Daily notes are still used to quickly journal a summary of the day and make me reflect on any memorable stories so I can still view them during my [[Weekly Reviews#Recap]] - My project note for Aidan's visit is still used as a place to write down logs and reflections on what happened each day. As I continue to add things there, it acts as the linked map of content for related periodic or thought notes - And well, inputs are unfortunately still littered with cobwebs 💀 My setup still lets me do what I need to during this season of my life. This made me think about how people may have an aversion towards more complex systems for a similar reason. My recent Zettelkasten setup video has numerous comments criticizing the need for so many plugins and structures, and there is definitely truth to it; for most people, the most significant benefits from PKM and productivity are in the actual application of the fundamentals and usage of the setup rather than intricate optimization. Rather, the value of adding such frameworks and plugins shines most when information or task overwhelm becomes a significant problem requiring order amidst the chaos. But despite most of my vault's capabilities not being used during these 0-2 hour days with little learning or projects, I view it as a feature instead of a bug. Instead of feeling guilty for not adhering to my ideal workflows, I've accepted that my productivity systems and mindset should be adaptable to different scenarios and life phases. Not using some of the more robust parts is natural and does not have to come with a pressure to constantly optimize my life. Instead of the famous James Clear quote, "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems", I feel there's also an underlying reciprocal feedback between the two to morph and fit my needs depending on the different intentions and intensities I operate them with. When I am back with my head down in a season of life where I'm working on my various projects and passions, I'll clear off the dust and cobwebs from the nooks and crannies of my setup and once again return to the sense of empowerment my systems provide me when working towards my ideal self. This anticipation for future productivity is inspiring, as it reminds me of the potential and power of my systems. But until then, I'll choose a tool that better fits the occasion to best capture these memorable experiences with my camera 😁