My simple note-taking setup | Zettelkasten in Obsidian | Step-by-step guide

Summary

In this video, the speaker addresses common questions about the Zettelkasten note-taking method, advocating for simplicity over complex systems. They share their personal setup using Obsidian with minimal plugins and no complicated tagging, focusing on the fundamental principles of note-taking. The speaker guides viewers through setting up a basic Zettelkasten in Obsidian, emphasizing the importance of links over folders for organization. They introduce the concept of 'maps of content' as a natural evolution of note clusters and encourage viewers to adapt the system to their needs, promising that it will evolve with use.

Takeaways

• 📝 The video discusses the simplicity of note-taking systems, emphasizing that complexity often detracts from the core purpose of absorbing and connecting ideas.
• 🔧 The speaker uses Obsidian with a minimal setup of four folders and two main tags for their Zettelkasten system, avoiding over-complication.
• 🗂️ The four core folders in the speaker's Zettelkasten are: 'zettle casted' for ideas, 'reference notes' for sources, 'files' for attachments, and 'templates' for reusable content.
• ⚙️ Customization in note-taking apps can lead to distraction and procrastination, so the speaker advises focusing on the essentials.
• 🔗 The power of linking notes is central to the Zettelkasten method, allowing for the emergence of a natural structure through interconnected ideas.
• 🏷️ The use of 'ghost nodes' or non-existent notes as tags is a strategy to organize ideas without predefined categories.
• 📈 The video introduces the concept of 'maps of content' or 'mocks', which are notes that act as hubs for clusters of related ideas.
• 🛠️ The speaker recommends starting with a simple workflow and adjusting it over time to suit personal needs and as the knowledge base grows.
• 🔍 Obsidian's search functionality is highlighted as a tool for avoiding duplicate notes and for easily linking to existing content.
• 🌱 The video concludes with the idea that a Zettelkasten system should evolve naturally with the user, reflecting their unique thought processes and knowledge acquisition.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is about setting up a simple and effective Zettelkasten system using Obsidian, a note-taking and knowledge management tool.

Why does the author suggest not to use the Zettelkasten Prefixer plugin?

The author suggests not using the Zettelkasten Prefixer plugin because it makes the titles of the notes look ugly and introduces friction in creating new notes.

What are the two core plugins the author recommends for a basic Zettelkasten setup in Obsidian?

The two core plugins recommended are 'Sliding Panes' for opening multiple notes side by side, and 'Admonition' for inserting sections of text that render as visually appealing blocks.

How does the author handle the creation of new notes to avoid duplicates?

The author recommends using the 'Command or Control + O' hotkey to create new notes, which opens a window where you can type the title and see if a similar note already exists, thus helping to avoid duplicates.

What is the significance of the 'core settle idea' template mentioned in the script?

The 'core settle idea' template is the most important template in the author's system, used for creating new atomic idea notes. It includes the current date and time, tags for classification, and a title that automatically creates a heading.

What is the purpose of creating 'ghost nodes' in the Zettelkasten system as described?

Ghost nodes, or non-existent notes, serve as tags in the Zettelkasten system. They help in organizing and clustering related atomic idea nodes, eventually leading to the creation of 'maps of content' or hubs when a topic recurs frequently.

How does the author define 'maps of content' in the context of the Zettelkasten system?

In the context of the Zettelkasten system, 'maps of content' or 'mocs' are notes that emerge as hubs when many atomic idea nodes cluster around a particular ghost node, indicating the importance of that topic.

What is the author's advice on customizing Obsidian with plugins?

The author advises against getting lost in the process of customizing Obsidian with numerous plugins, as it can become a form of procrastination. Instead, the focus should be on writing down ideas and not on the tools themselves.

Why does the author emphasize the importance of starting with a simple Zettelkasten system?

The author emphasizes starting with a simple system to avoid overcomplication and to allow for natural evolution as the knowledge base grows. This approach ensures that the note-taking process remains efficient and not hindered by complex structures.

What is the author's stance on the evolution of a Zettelkasten system?

The author believes that a Zettelkasten system should evolve naturally as it absorbs more ideas. The structure should adapt over time, reflecting the user's personal needs and the dynamics of their knowledge base.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Introduction to Zettelkasten and Note-taking Dilemmas

The paragraph introduces the common questions and confusions that arise when people first encounter the concept of Zettelkasten and note-taking systems. It highlights the overwhelming variety of methods and tools available online, which can be contradictory and complex. The speaker shares their own experience and emphasizes the simplicity of their approach using Obsidian with a few plugins and custom scripts. The paragraph also touches on the importance of not letting the complexity of the system distract from the core purpose of note-taking: absorbing ideas and making connections.

05:00

🛠️ Setting Up a Simple Zettelkasten in Obsidian

This paragraph delves into the technical setup of a Zettelkasten system in Obsidian. It explains the creation of core folders, the configuration of default locations for notes and attachments, and the customization of the user interface through themes. The speaker also discusses the importance of understanding how Obsidian works as a wrapper for local text files and the concept of a 'vault'. The paragraph guides the audience through initial setup steps, including the installation of essential plugins and the creation of templates for note creation, emphasizing the avoidance of over-complication.

10:00

📝 Deep Dive into Note Creation and Linking

The speaker provides a detailed guide on creating notes within the Obsidian Zettelkasten system. They discuss the use of templates to streamline the note-creation process, the importance of linking notes to build a knowledge base, and the practice of using references to track the origin of ideas. The paragraph also introduces the concept of 'ghost nodes' as tags and the dynamic organization of notes into 'maps of content' or 'mocks'. The speaker encourages an organic approach to system development, adapting as the user's needs evolve over time.

15:02

🌱 Embracing Personalized Workflow and Continuous Evolution

In the final paragraph, the speaker encourages viewers to adopt a simple workflow and adjust it according to their personal needs. They emphasize the importance of starting with a basic system and allowing it to evolve naturally as more ideas are absorbed. The speaker also acknowledges that their own system is a work in progress and that it's normal for it to change over time. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for viewers to like, share, and subscribe for more content, and a general thank you for engaging with the video.

Keywords

💡Zettelkasten

Zettelkasten is a German term referring to a system of knowledge management that involves taking notes as 'knowledge slips' and storing them in a way that allows for easy retrieval and connection. In the context of the video, Zettelkasten is the core methodology being discussed for note-taking and organizing thoughts. The video emphasizes the simplicity and effectiveness of this system, contrasting it with overly complex digital setups.

💡Obsidian

Obsidian is a note-taking and knowledge management software that is heavily featured in the video. It is described as a tool that can enhance the Zettelkasten methodology by providing a digital platform for creating, linking, and organizing notes. The video outlines how to set up Obsidian to support a Zettelkasten system, highlighting its flexibility and the ability to customize it with plugins.

💡Plugins

Plugins are add-ons that extend the functionality of software. In relation to Obsidian, the video mentions the use of plugins to enhance the note-taking experience, such as 'Sliding Panes' for managing multiple notes side by side and 'Admonition' for creating visually distinct text blocks. The video cautions against overcomplicating the system with too many plugins, which can distract from the primary goal of organizing thoughts and ideas.

💡Markdown

Markdown is a lightweight markup language used for formatting text. In the video, it's mentioned that Obsidian uses Markdown documents for its notes, which can be edited in any software that supports Markdown. This feature is part of what makes Obsidian flexible and compatible with a Zettelkasten system.

💡Vault

In Obsidian, a 'vault' is a container for all of a user's notes. The video explains that the vault is the highest level of organization, where notes can be structured in nested folders and linked to one another. It's likened to a 'tiny universe' of knowledge, reflecting the interconnected nature of a well-organized Zettelkasten.

💡Atomic Idea Nodes

Atomic Idea Nodes refer to individual notes that capture a single concept or idea. The video discusses how these nodes are the building blocks of a Zettelkasten system within Obsidian. They are stored in a single folder and linked together to form a network of knowledge.

💡Templates

Templates in Obsidian are pre-defined note structures that can be quickly applied to new notes. The video explains how to set up and use templates to streamline the process of creating new atomic idea nodes, emphasizing the importance of keeping the template simple to avoid complicating the note-taking process.

💡Graph View

Graph View in Obsidian is a feature that visualizes the connections between notes as a network graph. The video uses this concept to illustrate how the structure of a Zettelkasten can emerge organically as notes are linked together, with clusters of notes forming around central 'ghost nodes' that act as tags or themes.

💡Maps of Content (MoC)

Maps of Content, or MoC, are notes that act as hubs or central nodes for clusters of related atomic idea nodes. The video describes how MoCs can emerge from frequently linked ghost nodes and can be used to organize and summarize related ideas, providing a higher level of organization within the Zettelkasten system.

💡Evergreen Notes

Evergreen Notes are notes that remain valuable and relevant over time, continually being updated and linked to as new information is added. The video briefly mentions the concept of evergreen notes, suggesting that the notes in a Zettelkasten should be evergreen, reflecting their ongoing relevance and utility.

Highlights

People often have many questions when starting with zettelkasten and note-taking.

The speaker uses Obsidian with 25 plugins, custom Python scripts, and CSS snippets for their zettelkasten system.

The speaker has 253 different tags organized into a complex system of content mapping.

The benefits of a note-taking system decrease with its complexity, contrary to common belief.

The original zettelkasten system by Nicolas Lumin was built using paper cards.

Digital tools can introduce distractions and pull users away from the fundamental principles of note-taking.

The speaker's simple and elegant solution for zettelkasten in Obsidian consists of just four folders and two main tags.

Obsidian functions as a wrapper on top of local text files, treating each note as a markdown document.

The speaker's zettelkasten system in Obsidian is organized into four core folders: zettelkasten, reference notes, files, and templates.

The speaker advises against using the Zerocast Prefixer plugin due to its impact on note aesthetics and workflow.

Two essential plugins for the speaker's system are Sliding Panes and Admonition, enhancing the note-taking experience.

Templates in Obsidian save time and effort by allowing users to apply pre-made note structures.

The speaker's core template for new notes includes the current date and time, tags, and a title.

Obsidian's fuzzy search helps users find and elaborate on existing notes, preventing duplication.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of linking notes as the fundamental pillar of the zettelkasten system.

Ghost nodes in Obsidian can function as tags, even if they are not actual notes, helping to cluster related ideas.

The speaker introduces the concept of 'maps of content' as a natural evolution of tags in a mature zettelkasten system.

The speaker advises starting simple with note-taking systems and adjusting them as personal needs evolve.

The speaker's workflow is presented as a work in progress, suggesting that systems naturally evolve over time.

Transcripts

when people first hear about zettle cast

and note taking they often have a heap

of unresolved questions like what do i

write down which app do i use when about

tagging and how should i structure it or

at least i felt that way i already

talked about choosing the right

application in this video right here so

you might want to check this out but if

you go on the internet to find the

answers you'll be met with an

overwhelming variety of different setups

many of which contradict one another and

seem like rocket science well it's

really simple guys really simple i just

use obsidian and 25 plugins on top of it

along with a folder of custom written

python scripts and css snippets i have

253 different tags each with four

subtitles corresponding to four

different levels of my maps of content

while maps of content are organized into

dashboards all of my notes are also

evergreen with 12 different flavors of

greenness and sorted into 39 different

folders with special simple preferences

encoding status field products subtopic

lunar phrase and the blood type of the

author

but what i came to learn the hard way is

the benefits of the system don't

increase with its complexity in fact

most often quite the opposite tinkering

with tags and thinking how to best

structure your notes can distract you

from what actually matters absorbing

ideas writing them down and finding the

connections remember the original zelda

casting system pioneered by nicolas

lumen was built using paper cards yes

computers can make the workflow more

convenient and more efficient but they

also have an inherent danger of pulling

you away from the fundamental principles

and distracting you with shiny colorful

lights and i think this is what's

happening right now today i'll tell you

about my quite simple and elegant

solution without any over complications

that i built over a year ago and it

still does an amazing job for me on a

daily basis if you're interested buckle

up

[Music]

my name is artem i'm a computational

neuroscience student and researcher here

we explore mental and digital tools to

help us study and learn more effectively

if you're interested consider

subscribing to the channel not to miss

anything

what i'm about to show you is my very

simple but yet quite powerful

implementation of xenocast in obsidian

which consists of just four folders and

two main tags i will walk you through

step by step on how to set it up from

scratch but before we begin a little

technical detail about how epsilon works

under the hood i think it's important to

know what you're dealing with when

you're creating files and folders inside

of obsidian as you may know it functions

as a wrapper on top of your local text

files obsidian basically gives

superpowers to a folder of text that

means that each node is actually just a

single markdown document on your hard

drive which can be opened and edited in

any software the most upper level

structure of obsidian is the vault i

think it's a really great term because

it reflects the meaning a vault is where

all of your nodes live inside the vault

they can be structured in nested folders

everything can be linked with everything

else really but obsidian has no access

to what's outside the boat

this is like a boundary of your own tiny

universe but on the hard drive the vault

is actually just an ordinary folder

where files can be copied deleted

organized into subfolders just like

anywhere else on your computer one

little detail though obsidian creates a

hidden subfolder called dot obsidian

where it stores all its system

information like the theme and the

plugins

but you don't need to access it directly

so forget it's even there let's step

inside the vault and see how the folders

are organized as you may remember the

key idea behind zettlecast is that you

don't impose an artificial structure on

the system you don't create folders to

separate the topics instead you put

everything into one place and let this

structure emerge by itself through

interconnections i have a video

dedicated specifically for the

philosophy of xerocustom and the link to

it would be somewhere in the top right

corner this is how lumen originally went

about his slip box and similarly i have

one single folder in the root of the

vault titled zeddle casted where all of

the atomic idea nodes are stored on

absolutely every topic now you might ask

a question didn't you say it had only

four folders what the is this

monstrosity then the thing is

the zettocastion itself consists of

those four folders and nothing else

however since i use obsidian more

generally as a notebook i have other

folders as well such as lab notes where

i store everything related to my

research youtube video scripts as well

as some personal stuff these are

completely separate from this edel

casten system so we won't talk about

these but pretend they don't exist so

what are those four folders first of all

the main one with all the ideas

reference notes are something that i

jolt down on books papers lectures etc

many of them don't contain any actual

information but serve as a fast way to

insert a reference to know where a

certain idea came from files is where

all of the attachments are stored mostly

images

and templates is where all the template

nodes are stored but we'll get to the

templates later in this video

[Music]

the first thing to do is to create four

aforementioned core folders

zeddle casting reference notes files and

templates next up go to settings and

then files and links

change the default location for nodes to

in the folder specified below and select

the title casting folder we created

similarly change the default location

for attachments to the files folder

you can change the theme that is how

your obsidian looks for something more

pleasant in the appearance section of

the settings for example i really like

the dark version of the atom theme so

i'll select that note that when you

install a particular theme it's just a

dot css file in the hidden.obsidian

folder with just a little bit of css

knowledge you can take obsidian

customization to a whole new level next

go to settings hotkeys one hotkey that

we'll use very often is the templates

insert template go ahead and assign your

desired key combination to it i have it

as a command t

in settings go to core plugins this is

just additional functionality that's

pre-built in obsidian but disabled by

default i really like the following

plugins tag pane to see all your

existing tags on a nice panel

and templates

this one is essential i have no idea why

they left it off by default oh and when

you see the zerocast prefixer plugin

leave it off despite the temptation this

will make the titles of your notes look

ugly plus it introduces friction in

creating a new note in a moment we'll do

something more elegant next up community

plugins and oh boy once you turn off the

safe mode there is a lot to choose from

but be careful not to get lost in this

rabbit hole i know that feeling we

searched for plugins installing insane

amounts of them customizing different

options and all of this feels productive

like you're actually doing something but

in fact it's just another form of

procrastination just like the exact

software you choose for digital casting

hardly matters

plugins better even less

so don't let this tweaking get in the

way of you actually writing down ideas

however i will mention two plugins that

i use every time i open up sitting

there's also a third one but it's only

irrelevant when you're working with

bibliographies and citation managers if

at some point i make a video about

zotero and how i use it with obsidian i

will mention it then but for now to

build a very simple and elegant yet

quite powerful xero casting system just

two plugins are enough the first one is

sliding panes it allows you to open

multiple nodes side by side and easily

slide through them as if they are paper

cards lying on your desk the second

plugin is called admonition and this

this is the plugin i've just fallen

absolutely in love with basically it

allows you in to insert sections of text

in your node which then get rendered as

really great looking blocks there is

quite a few types of those admonitions

available you can find the full list on

plugins github page

templates is an amazing function that

lets you save time and effort when

creating a new node so let's configure

our templates folder go to settings

plugin options templates and select the

templates folder which we created

earlier now just press command t or

whatever hotkey you happen to have set

up and select the template

now since we don't have anything in the

templates folder this menu would be

empty let's fix that so what is a

template basically any node can act as

one and when you apply it the contents

of this node will be pasted to where

your cursor is currently located but

this wouldn't be so useful if you

couldn't tell obsidian that in this

template this piece of information

should be unique for each time you apply

it for example you can insert the

current date time title of the active

note and other useful things and with

special plugins you can take it to a

whole new level but again this is the

territory where it's easy to get lost in

a variety of features and get distracted

from what really matters putting ideas

into notes

that's why i use it in a very simple

fashion which is good enough to get the

job done but doesn't get in the way the

most important template in my system is

the one that which i use 99 of the time

is titled core settle idea that scary

line at the top will paste the current

date and time at which you created the

note kind of like the zettocast graphics

or plugin status indicates that this

note is one atomic idea tags is where i

classify notes in one way or another but

we'll get to tegan in a bit title will

automatically make the heading

with that notes title now the folders

are set up plugins are turned on the

template is created so let's dive deeper

into creating the notes before we begin

a quick tip you can create nodes with a

usual hotkey command or control n and

this will immediately create a new node

but i strongly encourage you to use

command or control o instead

what it does is that it opens a window

where you can start typing the title of

the note you want to create and it will

show you whether you already have

something like this so that you can

elaborate on the existing note instead

of creating a duplicate this becomes

extremely useful several months into

note-taking when you start to forget

what you have created and when and the

fuzzy search is just amazing in case you

don't have anything related from this

menu you can create a new note with that

title so suppose you're reading a book

and you discover an interesting idea

create a new note apply the template and

explain that idea in your own words for

example

i really think that this concept of

habits compounding over time is really

valuable under references i usually

write down where this idea came from

because it can be useful later on and

the exact format of the references

doesn't really matter as long as you can

find the source if you need to for

example when i'm watching a lecture on

youtube i can just insert a link with a

timestamp if i'm working with a source

that could potentially contain a whole

collection of ideas that i'm likely to

turn into zeddles like a book or a huge

online course

i will create a separate note dedicated

for this source and put it inside the

references folder this is primarily to

save time since i can easily insert a

link to that preference note instead of

writing down the title and author every

time which by the way takes us to link

this is the most powerful feature of

obsidian and the fundamental pillar of

zellcaston system itself to insert a

link from onenote to the other just type

double square brackets and it will bring

the menu where you can start typing the

title of the note you want to link to as

your knowledge base grows you start to

have a lot of linking material

but now what about the tags field at the

top of the template the thing is you can

create a link to a note even if the note

itself does not exist you can write down

pretty much anything here and because

there is no such note the link would be

of a darker color now importantly

once you put a link to a non-existent

note obsidian remembers that and the

next time you type double square

brackets it would be on the list

that way single nodes can function as

tags and these non-existent ghost nodes

will be displayed on the graph view

pressing ctrl command g will show you

the graph of the entire vault where the

nodes are the nodes and the edges are

links between them as you add more and

more nodes

and tag them eventually in the graph

view you will see the emerging structure

that is the main zedl idea chord notes

will be clustered around some ghost

notes which initially played the role of

tags if you see these hubs emerging that

means that this particular topic is

recurring over and over again in your

second brain so it must be important and

this is the next level of organization

kind of like folders would be in a

conventional note-taking system but

unlike folders which come before you

create the notes this structure emerged

from the content itself i have adopted

the terminology that's quite popular in

the obsidian community nowadays we're

going to call these hubs maps of content

or mocks for sure when you see that a

lot of atomic idea nodes cluster around

something you can then create an actual

file for this instead of it just being a

ghost and here is where the second

template comes in a template for a map

of content it's practically the same as

the core ideas idle template is just the

status is changed to hashtag mock and

references are removed once the note is

created it can

serve purely organizational purposes and

remain empty or you can actually write

something down or insert diagrams you

can see how the system is dynamic new

marks appear some get split some merge

don't be afraid to change the

architecture on the go if it feels

necessary

[Music]

if you have a system that's already

working for you and which is totally

different from what i just showed you

also everyone is different and every

second brain is different as well if

some points resonate with you great use

them as the inspiration to slightly

tweak and adjust your system if you feel

like you want to but don't go and spend

a week completely restructuring your

bolt just because someone on the

internet has a different layout if on

the other hand you feel lost frustrated

and don't know where to start

i totally feel your pain give this

simple workflow a go for a few months

see how it works out the point is to

start simple go with the flow and then

adjust your system one step at a time

depending on your personal needs as your

second brain matures it will kind of

tell you the most natural structure it

will be apparent if for example you are

a mathematician and you find yourself

writing a lot of theorems as entries it

could make sense to introduce a hashtag

theorem note status but don't over

complicate things from the beginning

instead take the notes connect them and

see where it takes you

also note that this is a work in

progress if you ask me in the year

probably my setup and my workflow will

change but that's the natural process as

your personal knowledge system absorbs

more and more ideas it evolves and the

structure evolves along with it that's

all i have for you today if you like the

video press like button share it and

subscribe to the channel if you haven't

already stay tuned for more interesting

stuff coming up goodbye and thanks for

the interesting knowledge

[Music]

you