# Johnny Decimal system While the [[LIFT principle]] provides a clear set of principles to avoid feeling overwhelmed and quickly find what we need, the Johnny decimal, created by [[Johnny Noble]] provides a “framework” for better organizing our information. Here I’ll describe the system and how it works. As we will see, just like the [[PARA method]], the Johnny Decimal system can be used across tools and platforms, which makes it another excellent tool to add to your information/knowledge management toolbox. The [[Obsidian Starter Kit - Notes]] uses this system to structure data. ## How the Johnny Decimal system works The Johnny Decimal system is a simple three-step process to organize information: ![[20220429011337 osk structure.png]] 1. Divide everything you want to organize into 10 areas (**at most!**) 1. Make sure that every area is really different (you don’t want any overlap between those!) 2. Choose a name for each area 2. Within each area, divide your content into 10 categories (**at most!**) 3. Assign a unique number to each area and category One of the core ideas of this system is to **group related information together**. With the Johnny Decimal system, you can create at most 10 areas, each containing at most 10 categories. That’s it. The reason for this limitation is to *keep things simple and manageable*. The first step of the process aims to force you to broadly organize your content. The limit on the number of areas is there to force you to keep things simple. The fewer folders you have, the easier it will be to identify and locate (cfr [[LIFT principle]]) what you are looking for or want to store. The second step is key. Categories are where your content actually lives. Each category should hold *very specific* information/content. Finally, the last step has multiple purposes: - First, it makes it easier to identify what you’re looking at, which means that you gain time when going through the structure, either to find or file information. Once you recognize the numbers, you don’t even need to read the names anymore - Second, it allows you to organize categories logically, rather than alphabetically, which allows you to put what you need most often/what makes more sense on top - Third, it makes it easy to see where information is NOT supposed to be ## The Johnny Decimal numbering system With the Johnny Decimal system, numbers are *always* structured. For areas: - two-digit code - start at 10 - increase by 10 (e.g., 10, 20, 30, ...) For categories: - two-digit code - start at area number + 1 (e.g. 11 for area 10) - increase by 1 You may also set a number for each item within a category. If you do, then you should use the following form: ``` <category identifier>.<item identifier> <name> ``` Where: - `<category identifier>` is the two-digit code of the category - a decimal dot separates the category number from the item id - `<item identifier>` is a two-digit code starting with 01 and increasing by 1 (e.g., 02, 03, 04, ...) - `<name>` is the name of the item Rules: - You should not create folders below the categories - Always use the two digits for consistency, and to help your computer sort things correctly Advice: - Use the lower numbers for the most important/relevant/often used information (e.g., 10 for an area you use daily and 90 for an area you only rarely need) - Keep your area and category names clear and concise - Create (and maintain!) an index of your areas and categories, as [recommended here](https://johnnydecimal.com/concepts/tracking-your-numbers/); especially if you use the system in multiple places. That way you’ll ensure consistency across all of those Note that you **could** also use Johnny Decimal numbers for notes. I personally choose not to, but know that it’s a possibility, as [explained here](https://johnnydecimal.com/concepts/keeping-notes/). # Benefits of using the Johnny Decimal system First and foremost, the Johnny Decimal system brings _structure_ to your information: ![[20220429005516 osk structure.png]] This alone is a great reason to use this system. It organizes everything clearly. The system forces you to restrict yourself with a limited number of areas and categories, forcing you to cleanly organize your content. As mentioned before, this helps a lot to locate and identify information. As mentioned on the official Website, “nothing is more than two clicks away”. It’s easy to find your way, and hard to get lost. It makes it easy to tell people where to look for things. Imagine calling your partner to ask for a file. If you use the Johnny Decimal system, then you can easily explain where to go. Using the Johnny Decimal makes it easier to search for specific information. Just type in the coordinates (e.g., 10.01) to find related content. Given that the Johnny Decimal system uses numbers, we can order everything in the most logical manner. Without this system, we often rely on the alphabet, which makes it much harder to order things logically. Just like the [[PARA method]] and the [[LIFT principle]], the Johnny Decimal system can be used in most tools and on most platforms. You can use it for your file system, your Google Drive, your OneDrive, at work, for your e-mail, in your note-taking tool, etc. # References - Official Website: https://johnnydecimal.com - Official forum: https://forum.johnnydecimal.com - https://hackaday.com/2019/02/02/hack-your-file-hierarchy-with-johnny-decimal-system-deweys-older-brother