How I structure my Obsidian vault (Obsidian tour 2023)

Summary

The speaker shares their unique approach to organizing their Obsidian vault, emphasizing a philosophy that avoids binary structures, builds with scalability, adds context, and avoids duplication. They discuss their limited use of tags and folders, favoring instead a hyperconnected note structure with links, dataview queries, and bookmarks to reflect their thought process and worldview, promoting serendipity and adaptability in note-taking.

Takeaways

• 📂 Avoid binary organization structures that limit notes to one place, embracing a more interconnected approach instead.
• 🌱 Build note structures with scalability in mind to accommodate growth, like handling thousands of notes.
• 🔍 Favor structures that add context to notes, allowing for a deeper understanding of why and how notes are connected.
• 📈 Do not duplicate content; aim for modular and reusable notes that can serve as building blocks for future ideas.
• 🏷️ Use tags sparingly and strategically, focusing on those that truly add value and are aligned with personal workflow.
• 📁 Utilize folders for establishing namespaces and restricting scope, but avoid over-reliance on them for core organization.
• 🔗 Emphasize the use of links to create a 'map of content' that provides context and nuance beyond what folders can offer.
• 📊 Leverage dataview queries to compile and organize information from databases into structured, actionable overviews.
• 🔖 Rely on bookmarks to keep core principles, goals, and important notes readily accessible and at the forefront of mind.
• 🎨 Organize notes in a way that reflects personal thought processes and worldview, rather than strictly adhering to conventional methods.
• 🎥 Share personal organizational methods as a reference, but encourage others to develop systems that are tailored to their unique思维方式和需求。

Q & A

What is the speaker's general philosophy on organizing notes in Obsidian?

The speaker's general philosophy on organizing notes involves avoiding binary organization structures, building with scalability in mind, favoring structures that add context, and not duplicating content. They prefer a hyperconnected note structure that reflects their thought process and the interconnected nature of ideas.

How does the speaker feel about using tags in Obsidian?

The speaker is not a fan of using tags as their primary organizational tool. They find it against their philosophy of avoiding binary structures and believe that tags do not add as much context as other methods they use.

What is the purpose of the 'TVZ' tag mentioned in the script?

The 'TVZ' tag is used by the speaker to mark notes that are not yet processed or organized. It serves as a way to identify content that still needs attention.

How does the speaker use folders in their Obsidian vault?

The speaker uses folders for establishing namespaces and restricting scope, rather than for primary organization. They contain most of their notes and assets but avoid creating subfolders to maintain a more flexible structure.

What is the significance of the 'k6' and 'nvdh' tags in the speaker's workflow?

The 'k6' and 'nvdh' tags are used to track feedback and updates related to specific open source projects the speaker works on. These tags help them organize and prioritize project-related content.

How does the speaker use dataview queries to organize their notes?

The speaker uses dataview queries to create dynamic tables and lists that bring together notes from different parts of their vault. This method allows them to track and display information in a structured way without manually creating maps of content.

What is the role of bookmarks in the speaker's note organization?

Bookmarks are used by the speaker to quickly access their core principles, future plans, and important notes. They update these bookmarks as they progress through their goals and projects, ensuring that their most important content is always easily accessible.

How does the speaker feel about hierarchical thinking and tools that encourage it?

The speaker finds hierarchical thinking limiting and not reflective of their thought process. They had an unsatisfactory experience with Notion, a tool that encourages hierarchical organization, and prefer a more interconnected note structure.

What does the speaker mean by 'structuring notes with a little bit of organization and a lot of what others might see as chaos'?

The speaker prefers a note organization style that appears chaotic to others but is actually full of opportunities for serendipity and thought challenges. This structure allows for a more natural flow of ideas and encourages innovative thinking.

How does the speaker's note organization reflect their view of the world?

The speaker's note organization reflects their belief that the world and ideas do not fit neatly into segregated boxes. They prefer a hyperconnected structure that mirrors the interconnectedness and complexity of real-world concepts and relationships.

What advice does the speaker give regarding note organization in Obsidian?

The speaker advises that one's organizational structure in Obsidian should reflect their personal thought process, information processing style, and worldview. They emphasize that their method is not the only way, but rather an example of how individual preferences can shape note organization.