I've been using Obsidian for several weeks now, and it has transformed the way I take notes. I'll try to share my experience with the tool, plugins, and note organization that I've been experimenting with. I'm still getting used to it, but I've completely migrated from a standard notepad to Obsidian.
I've been having problems with my grades for a while now:
Difficulty searching for content I recorded a long time ago
Very rigid organization that does not reflect the reality of the notes (folders do not work well)
Problems with multiple references
Obsidian came as a balm for my problems. Recommended by my friend Rafael Caceres , I started testing it and never went back. I migrated all my old notes and I am following a process that is being very productive.
For those who don't know: Obsidian is a free Markdown editor, with several editing tools that help you organize your knowledge. Think of it as a local, standalone wiki engine so you can have control over your notes - without relying on online services. Don't like using it? Just uninstall it and your files will be all safe.
This text has 2 moments:
My process with obsidian
How to create notes to take advantage of Obsidian
## The tool
I follow the principle of testing first, customizing later in any tool I use. Right now I'm using Obsidian with as few plugins as possible. Even so, I feel like I'm writing in an IDE, with the flexibility that any dev tool gives me.
My workspace in Obsidian has: file structure, calendar, note correlation graph, outline and backlinks. As I create a note, I add links to new notes and follow a PARA organization structure, from Forte Labs , which I explain below.
The plugins:
Calendar: Helps me see the calendar and access my daily notes (which is my main entry point for notes)
Templater: phenomenal, allows you to automate a lot of things when creating notes
Dataview: phenomenal search plugin, which integrates very well with the file properties mechanism (described via markdown in the files and extended by obsidian)
Paste URL: makes life easier for those who, like me, love to put links in text
### How is my setup?
In summary : I add properties to all notes following a model, which is defined by the templater, and I combine everything with dataview
Everything is based on the templater:
I made templates for some types of notes that interconnect:
Projects are grouped into areas, which in turn present all connected resources.
Obsidian brings an interesting properties mechanism, which can be edited as text or through the interface. This mechanism allows for standardization that, together with the dataview, is beautiful to see. To list all the projects within your vault, just make a simple list and present everything in a table, showing only the attributes you want to see 🥳🥰.
```dataview
table Deadline, Status, tags
from #project
sort Deadline asc
```
With my daily notes, I can create a journal that I can reference later. The calendar allows me to easily access them, and I made a template that displays a random message and an image. I set up Obsidian to save all of my daily notes in one place, and open a note for today.
The complexity of a template is up to you. And in the example below, you can see a little of what you can do with daily notes:
---
tags:
- "#dailynotes"
- "#resource"
Created: 2023-12-12
Links:
- "[[Daily Notes]]"
---
<% tp.web.daily_quote() %>
<% tp.web.random_picture("300x300", "landscape, mountain") %>
---
The most interesting part of Obsidian is the Relationship Graph between notes, which allows you to have a more integrated view of the notes you create, and allows a better representation of how knowledge is organized!
It's really cool to track the correlation between ideas/notes. There are two possible views: general of all documents and local, representative of the links connected to the viewed note.
Low file hierarchy (within folders), much greater contextual connection for notes, in a more representative N - N relationship
## Notes and knowledge organization
This is the part I'm experimenting with the most, and Obsidian's wiki-like mechanism helps me a lot! Important to note: notes in Obsidian are personal, and should be closely linked to the way you think.
Personally, I record notes in Portuguese and English, most of the time mixed. If I'm studying an article, or thinking about a new presentation, the language that best represents an idea is the one I use. When my notes are going to be shared, then I put more effort into standardizing.
For reference, I use the PARA Method of organizing notes:
Projects - short-term things that need more immediate action
Areas - Long term responsibilities that are part of my world, such as “personal” “climbing” “lambda3” or “My personal website”
Resources - Topic of interest that I use as reference is notes. Literally anything else
Archive - things I no longer use - finished projects, for example
These are the only folders I have in my Vault. The notes are organized through connections and links between documents. Folders are not important - think of your vault as a Wikipedia of knowledge, where the connections between notes are multiple and contextual. So instead of a folder “college”, add a hash #college and create a note that lists all the connected notes.
Each person finds their own way of representing knowledge, and the important thing is to seek yours.
In this regard, the approach of creating a Second Brain , by Tiago Forte @fortelabs, has worked well for me so far. I record any ideas I have in a daily note, which is then reviewed and directed towards the final organization. With the flexibility of changing file attributes, I can easily cycle the links as the notes evolve and my understanding of the knowledge also evolves.
I've been trying to add a reference to what I'm studying/reading/reviewing that day to my daily notes whenever I have an idea. At the end of the day, I review what was added and create links, resources or areas. The use of hashtags and links allows for much greater integration of documents, which I'm loving using.
For example, before this post was made, I made a reference in my daily note:
---
tags:
- "#dailynotes"
- "#resource"
Created: 2023-12-12
Links:
- "[[Daily Notes]]"
---
> [!quote] The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
> — William Blake
---
Buscando o conceito de [[Game Design]] onde regras simples se transformam em profundidade e complexidade uma vez que você domina o jogo. Existe um nome pra esse conceito, que perdi nos meus anos de leitura... devia ter iniciado o Second Brain Antes!
#study [Rules of Emergence in Game Design](https://rctai.medium.com/from-rules-to-emergence-exploring-the-complexity-of-game-worlds-deb960b2c599)
O giovanni sugeriu uma thread com [[Minha experiência com Obsidian]]. Vou escrever.
I use the hashtag #study as a future reference. I have a list of notes where these references appear and when I have time I revisit them to study.
Also, whenever I find a possibility for a new note like [[Game Design]] I indicate the link, which won't necessarily become a note in the future, but it's already an indication.
Since I've only been using it for a short time, I'm experimenting. Combine this with properties and dataview, and you have some amazing things to do!
## Other Plugins and Customization
There's a Plugin for that!
The Tool has hundreds of plugins that meet a wide range of user needs. I have already tested some of them, and I would like to mention the ones that caught my attention and that can be your allies in your daily note-taking:
Kindle Highlights allows me to integrate directly with my database of notes from the books I've read, also generating a large database of books and quotes from the books I've read.
ExcaliDraw - I'm still going to test this one, to replace years of using GoodNotes, but I have an emotional attachment to visual notes, and I don't want to lose what I've already built
In the Twitter thread I created on the subject, several people provided information about other plugins, and I'll highlight Lucas Santos' setup here, which I thought was incredible.
### Where to find information
Some channels have become essential for me in studying the tool and I will mention them here:
Dabi has done a lot of content about obsidian, mainly describing his process in building a Second Brain - I recommend checking out the Ultimate Tutorial!
Nicole Van der Hoeven has one of the most complex vaults I've seen. With lots of information about automation and templates, it's a pleasure to see her showcasing the workspace! Totally necessary:
Content originally published on Twitter:
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