When I learned about taxonomies in design class, I thought immediately of species and genera. Then I saw Prud’hommeaux’s paper on personal taxonomies and realized I could classify parts of myself the same way: top-level categories, subcategories, and attributes that define my identity, memories, and moods.
I started with three main branches: Identity, Memory, and Mood.
This structure lives in my mind; note with these headings:
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Identity
- Student
- Musician
- Volunteer
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Memory
- Harmony Haven Prototype
- First Solo Performance
- Career Day Presentation
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Mood
Each leaf links to pages or files I’ve tagged or sorted elsewhere. Clicking “Musician” opens a page about my concert reflections. Clicking #joy shows photos, playlists, and diary entries that captured my happiest moments.
I also assign metadata to each category. Identity entries get an “icon” tag—🎓 for Student, 🎺 for Musician—so I can scan lists quickly. Memories get a “year” tag to sort chronologically. Moods get both # and a color code in Obsidian so the graph view shows clusters of feeling in distinct hues.
Taxonomy of Self isn’t static. Every time I ask: Does this category still fit? Should I add “Peer Mentor” under Identity or merge “Volunteer” into “Service”? That review helps me understand which roles I value now versus ones I’ve outgrown.
This system extends to other folders. The taxonomy note links to Folders as Feelings, Emotional Indexing Across Media, and my Creative Writing pieces. When I write a new reflection, I tag it with the relevant leaf and add a link back here. Over time, the taxonomy note visualizes my evolving self.
Designing my own taxonomy taught me that personal data isn’t just content; it’s like a mirror. Organized thoughtfully, it shows patterns in my identity, memories, and moods. And in seeing those patterns, I learn to care for each part of myself.