Give Me 15 Minutes. I'll Teach You 80% of Obsidian

Summary

This video showcases the benefits of using Obsidian as a note-taking app, emphasizing its ability to capture ideas effortlessly, connect them with links and backlinks, and enhance thinking, learning, and writing in an offline, local-first format. It explains Obsidian's simple yet powerful features, like markdown-based notes, graph view, and plugins, while highlighting essential tips and settings to maximize productivity. The video also discusses organization methods, from folder structures to tags, and provides advice on using AI tools, ensuring privacy, and creating a system that suits individual note-taking needs.

Takeaways

• 😀 Obsidian is a local-first note-taking app that stores notes as simple text files in a folder (vault), making it future-proof and accessible across multiple platforms.
• 😀 Notes in Obsidian are written in Markdown, which can be opened in any Markdown reader, ensuring data portability even if Obsidian disappears.
• 😀 You can sync Obsidian notes across devices using cloud storage services like Dropbox or the paid Obsidian Sync for encryption and version history.
• 😀 Obsidian’s graph view allows users to visualize how their notes are interconnected and navigate through their ideas in a dynamic way.
• 😀 Links and backlinks are central to organizing ideas, and Obsidian allows seamless creation and connection of notes by typing within double brackets.
• 😀 It’s crucial to enable 'Automatically Update Internal Links' in settings to avoid broken links when renaming notes.
• 😀 The app allows users to integrate various media types like images, audio, PDFs, and embeds, making notes rich and interactive.
• 😀 Obsidian offers a plethora of plugins and customization options, but it’s recommended to start simple and avoid overwhelming yourself with too many plugins early on.
• 😀 Organizing notes effectively in Obsidian involves creating high-level categories rather than over-foldering, allowing for more flexibility and ease of access.
• 😀 Mastering keyboard shortcuts (like command B for bold or command F to find text) significantly speeds up note-taking and enhances your Obsidian experience.
• 😀 Obsidian doesn’t have built-in AI, but it allows users to integrate external AI tools, such as Claude, to enhance research, note interaction, and data management, all while maintaining privacy.

Q & A

What are the three main reasons to choose Obsidian over other note-taking apps?

Obsidian is a great choice if you want: 1) Near-zero friction to capture your own ideas, 2) The ability to connect ideas through links and backlinks, and 3) To improve thinking, learning, and writing while using an offline, local-first format.

What is Obsidian's core feature, and how does it organize notes?

Obsidian works around a concept called a 'vault', which is essentially a folder of notes stored on your computer. These notes are individual Markdown files, which can be opened in Obsidian or any other app that reads Markdown files, ensuring data portability.

How does Obsidian handle syncing across devices?

Obsidian can sync your vault across devices through third-party cloud services like Dropbox or its paid service, Obsidian Sync. Obsidian Sync provides end-to-end encryption and version history for your vaults.

Why is Markdown an important feature in Obsidian?

Markdown is a future-proof, plain text format that Obsidian uses for its notes. This ensures that even if Obsidian disappears, the notes remain accessible through any other app that supports Markdown, ensuring the longevity and portability of your data.

What is the 'graph view' in Obsidian and how does it help visualize connections?

The 'graph view' in Obsidian visualizes your notes as a network of interconnected dots, where each dot represents a note. As you create links between notes, the graph view shows the relationships, helping you see connections and explore your knowledge base.

What are backlinks in Obsidian, and why are they useful?

Backlinks are references to a note from other notes. In Obsidian, you can see all the mentions of a note across your vault. This is useful for tracking the context and connections between your ideas, improving navigation and discovery within your notes.

What is the significance of turning on 'automatically update internal links' in Obsidian settings?

This setting ensures that when you rename a note, all internal links to that note are automatically updated to reflect the new name, preventing broken links and saving you from manually fixing them.

What are some common mistakes people make when starting with Obsidian?

Common mistakes include importing too many old notes from other apps, chasing after too many plugins too soon, over-structuring ideas with unnecessary folders, and not learning hotkeys for faster note-taking.

How can hotkeys improve your experience in Obsidian?

Hotkeys can significantly speed up your note-taking and navigation process in Obsidian. Examples include using command keys for formatting (e.g., Command+B for bold), navigating between tabs, and opening the quick switcher with Command+O for faster note access.

How can users organize their notes effectively in Obsidian without overwhelming themselves?

Effective organization in Obsidian involves creating broad folder categories as needed, using the quick switcher to find notes fast, and focusing on linking ideas rather than over-categorizing. As your vault grows, you can refine your structure based on patterns that emerge.