9 useful templates for Roam Research

Roam is one of these tools that just work out of the box, but that can grow with you as your needs become more complex and specific. One such way Roam can grow with you is by using templates—snippets of pre-formatted content you can then reuse by typing a shortcut, rather than manually re-typing the whole snippet. In this article, we’ll review nine helpful Roam templates you can copy and paste to start using straight away.

N.B. If you’re new to using templates in Roam, check out this short guide which will walk you through the basic steps of implementing them in your database. And if you’re not familiar with Roam at all, start with this beginner tutorial.

1. Morning routine

Is there a set of activities you perform every day when you wake up? If you’d like to track them into your daily notes, you can use a morning routine template. The example below includes journaling and a short workout, but you can add anything else you want, such as meditation, stretching, taking your vitamin supplements, or cooking a healthy breakfast. (you can of course create a similar template for your evening routine)

• [[Morning Routine]]
    • {{[[TODO]]}} [[Journaling]]
        • ... {{word-count}}
    • {{[[TODO]]}} [[7 minute workout]]
        • Jumping Jacks
        • Pushups
        • Crunches
        • Squats
        • Lunges
        • High knees
        • Plank

2. Book notes

If you regularly take notes when reading a book, you may want to reuse a standardised template with the same attributes. Not only a template will help you save time when taking notes, but it will make it easier to filter and search through your book notes in the future.

• [[Book Notes]]
    • Author::
    • Themes::
    • Tags::
    • Key takeaways::
    • Related books::

3. Project management checklist

You may want to create a reusable template to kick off new projects. The template below is just a simple example of what the template may look like. Feel free to add or remove items to fit your particular projects.

• [[Project Management Checklist]]
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Define project
        • Objectives::
        • Deliverables::
        • Key performance indicators::
        • Scope::
        • Budget::
        • Timeframe::
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Create project plan
        • Scope statement::
        • Project schedule::
        • Risk plan::
        • Communication plan::
        • Tools::
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Align with stakeholders
        • Client meeting::
        • Team roles::

4. Keystone habits

Are there habits, routines, or rituals you want to stay on top of every day? Create a simple template you can insert at the top of your daily notes. Again, feel free to add or remove habits based on your personal goals.

• [[Keystone Habits]]
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Drink 5 glasses of water
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Exercise for 30 minutes
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Walk outside
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Read at least 1 page of a book
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Meditate 10 minutes

5. Journaling prompts

Some people find it easier to maintain a journaling habit with repeatable prompts they can answer to every day. It’s also a great way to compare your answers over the course of a certain time period. Instead of constantly copying and pasting your prompts, simply create a reusable template.

• [[Journaling Prompts]]
    • What's one thing I learned yesterday?
    • What's one thing I'm grateful for today?
    • What's one thing I want to accomplish today?
    • What's one challenge I may experience today?
    • Any other thoughts?

6. Weekly review

Similarly, you can use a template for your weekly review. Here is an example based on the Plus Minus Next method.

• [[Weekly Review]]
    • Plus: What went well?
    • Minus: What didn't go so well?
    • Next: What will I focus on next week?

7. Mood tracker

The slider is an underused feature of Roam. Combine it with a couple of prompts and this template gives you a pretty solid mood tracker.

• [[Mood Tracker]]
    • {{[[slider]]}} How do I feel today?
    • Why do I feel this way?
    • How can I improve, manage, or maintain this mood?

8. Basic grocery list

Most households have items they need to buy every week, such as dairy, eggs, and bread. Not the most exciting, but you can save yourself some time by using a template containing these basic items, and only adding what other groceries you need that week.

• [[Basic Grocery List]]
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Milk
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Eggs
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Bread
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Cheese
    • {{[[TODO]]}} Apples
    • {{[[TODO]]}} ...

9. Meeting minutes

Similar to your book notes, a reusable template will make your meeting minutes more manageable and easier to search through. You can record data such as the content of the meeting, attendees, agenda, key action items, and more.

• [[Meeting Minutes]]
    • Meeting name::
    • Agenda::
    • Attendees::
    • Presenter::
    • Facilitator::
    • Notes::
    • Action items::
    • Open issues::

When it comes to using templates in Roam, the sky’s the limit. Whatever recurring tasks or goals you have are probably fit for a template. You can of course also mix and match the Roam templates above. Just make sure to give them a memorable name so it’s easy to insert them whenever you need.

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