Paper, Pixels, and Paper again
Because my mind is limited with respect to its storage space, I use external tools to manage my knowledge. I have developed three primary tools that I use to keep myself sharp. Firstly I have my scratch paper, which is like my RAM, my working memory. Secondly I have Obsidian, which I use like a hard drive, and indexible repository of well-formatted knowledge. Thirdly I have my paper journal, which is use as thirty-thousand foot view of my whole life.
Printer Paper
When I am brainstorming, I like to use pen and paper to organize my thoughts. But just because I am organizing my thoughts doesn't make them organized in my notes. As a rule, the paper I use is an absolute mess. By making a mess in the physical space I am free sort things out in mental space. I use printer paper because it is disposable; there is no shame in throwing it in the recycling when I'm done with it. More often than not, my ramblings hold no value a week from when I spilled them onto the page. This is important not only due to its space saving aspect, but also because it allows me to have a more intimate connection with my ideas. If I am not concerned with maintaining the notes, I can focus more on the work at hand.
Obsidian
Obsidian has been the yin to my printer paper's yang. It's tag-able, extensible, and most of all it speaks markdown! If my printer paper is my RAM, then this is my hard drive. The ideas I put there are more fleshed out, and are likely to be revisited. This form of memory requires overhead in the form of occasional cleanup. I have to periodically go through and clean it, format it, and generally make it more indexable. If it is not cleaned up, it essentially becomes digital scratch paper. What I write on printer paper doesn't have to make sense, what goes in Obsidian does.
Notebooks
My notebooks are the pinnacle of my physical knowledge. If what I put into Obsidian is knowledge, then what I put into my notebooks is wisdom. Obsidian is not meant to be read front to back or chewed on, it's meant to be easily accessed. I use moleskine notebooks to write my deeper thoughts. Whereas Obsidian could be seen by others, these journals are for me. They are my meta-learning protocol, and my self-reflection. As a result, it makes sense for it to be hand-written and in order. Because it's an artifact of when it was written, it allows me to look back and reflect on my own thoughts. By reflecting on my past I am able to better understand my present and envision my future.