How HACKERS Take Notes!! (Obsidian & More)
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Blue Cosmo from CCS shares effective note-taking strategies, both physical and digital. He discusses using three types of notebooks for different purposes and introduces Obsidian, a powerful markdown-based note-taking app. Cosmo demonstrates how to use headers, lists, tables, code blocks, LaTeX, images, and wiki links in Obsidian, as well as organizing notes with folders and tags. He also covers the PARA system for note organization and recommends plugins to enhance the Obsidian experience, including Advanced Slides, Tables, and the Calendar plugin.
Takeaways
- π Physical note-taking involves using three notebooks: a field notebook for quick ideas, a standard notebook for project planning, and a sketch pad for temporary notes.
- π Obsidian is recommended as a powerful digital note-taking app that uses Markdown for organization and documentation.
- π·οΈ Tags in Obsidian allow for flexible and powerful note organization, providing an alternative to traditional folder structures.
- π Obsidian's calendar plugin can be used to manage tasks and events, with the ability to link notes directly to calendar events.
- π You can create tables, lists, and code blocks within Obsidian using simple Markdown syntax, making it versatile for various content types.
- π Obsidian supports embedding images, other files, and links to different notes, enhancing interconnectivity within your notes.
- π§ The PARA (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive) method is recommended for organizing notes, helping users know where to store and access their notes efficiently.
- π Obsidian's search and tag functionalities make it easy to locate and categorize notes, even across large collections.
- π¨ Customization is key in Obsidian, with various themes, plugins, and CSS styles available to tailor the app to individual preferences.
- π Recommended plugins for Obsidian include Advanced Slides, Calendar, Tag Wrangler, and Templater, each enhancing different aspects of note-taking and organization.
Q & A
What are the three types of physical notebooks mentioned in the script for note-taking?
-The three types of physical notebooks mentioned are a field notebook, a notebook for general notes, and a sketch pad.
What is the primary purpose of the field notebook as described in the script?
-The primary purpose of the field notebook is to keep track of ideas that come up on the fly and to have a general to-do list on hand.
What is the main function of the notebook in the creator's note-taking strategy?
-The main function of the notebook is to serve as a larger surface for planning projects, drawing flowcharts, designing UI, and other creative tasks.
What is the scratch pad used for in the script?
-The scratch pad is used for temporary notes, writing out math equations, and drafting ideas.
Why does the creator recommend using graph paper for note-taking?
-The creator recommends using graph paper because it's great for making diagrams and flowcharts, especially for those with poor handwriting.
What digital note-taking app does the creator use and why is it preferred?
-The creator uses Obsidian because it is a powerful note-taking app that organizes notes written in Markdown, a simple markup language used for documentation.
What is Markdown and how is it used in Obsidian according to the script?
-Markdown is a simple markup language used for documentation and note-taking. In Obsidian, it is used to organize and format notes with various elements like headers, lists, tables, and code blocks.
How does the creator describe the use of the calendar feature in Obsidian?
-The creator describes the calendar feature as a mini-calendar that shows a condensed version of events and allows users to add different events, such as homework due dates or personal events like a pool party.
What is the purpose of the Pomodoro Timer plugin in Obsidian as mentioned in the script?
-The Pomodoro Timer plugin helps the creator stay on track with work by setting intervals of 25 minutes for work and 5 minutes for breaks, preventing distractions and promoting healthy breaks.
How does the creator explain the use of tags in Obsidian for organizing notes?
-The creator explains that tags in Obsidian allow users to connect multiple topics to one note, similar to hashtags on social media, making it easier to search and organize notes by topics.
What is the PARA system mentioned in the script and how does it help in organizing notes?
-The PARA system stands for Projects, Area, Resources, and Archive. It guides users on how to store and access their notes by categorizing them into short-term tasks (Projects), areas of responsibility (Area), easily referenceable notes (Resources), and notes that are no longer needed but kept for potential future use (Archive).
Outlines
π How to Effectively Take Notes: A Comprehensive Guide
This paragraph introduces the video and its focus on effective note-taking strategies, both physically and digitally. The speaker, Blue Cosmo from CCS, shares their approach, including the use of three different types of physical notebooks: a field notebook for quick ideas and to-do lists, a larger notebook for detailed project planning, and a scratch pad for temporary notes. The importance of using graph paper and annotation stickers is also emphasized to enhance the note-taking process.
π» Exploring Obsidian: A Powerful Digital Note-Taking Tool
In this section, the speaker delves into their digital note-taking method using the Obsidian app. Obsidian is introduced as a versatile note-taking tool that utilizes Markdown for organizing notes. The paragraph covers the basic setup of Obsidian, including the file directory, tags, and calendar features. The speaker explains how notes are interconnected within Obsidian, providing an overview of the app's capabilities, including a graph view that visualizes the connections between notes, a Pomodoro timer, and a math pad for plotting equations.
π Mastering Markdown in Obsidian: Lists, Tables, and Code Blocks
This paragraph offers a deep dive into using Markdown within Obsidian, focusing on how to create structured notes. The speaker explains how to use headers for organizing content, as well as different types of lists (bulleted, numbered, and checkbox). Instructions on creating tables and code blocks are provided, along with a brief introduction to LaTeX for incorporating mathematical equations. The speaker also covers embedding images and other files within notes and introduces Wiki links for connecting notes in a manner similar to Wikipedia.
π Organizing Your Notes with Tags and PARA System
Here, the speaker discusses advanced organizational strategies in Obsidian, comparing traditional folder structures with a more dynamic tagging system. The paragraph explains how tags can connect multiple topics and make notes easier to find. The speaker also introduces the PARA system, which categorizes notes into Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives, offering a flexible approach to note organization. This method ensures that notes are easily accessible and well-organized for both short-term and long-term use.
π Enhancing Your Obsidian Workflow with Plugins and Themes
The final paragraph showcases several plugins and themes that can enhance the Obsidian experience. The speaker highlights plugins like Advanced Slides for creating presentations, Advanced Tables for better table management, and various calendar plugins. The speaker also mentions personal themes they've developed, such as 'M Mini Flow' and 'Protocol Blue,' and gives a shoutout to another content creator for their CSS contributions. The paragraph concludes with a call to action, encouraging viewers to like, subscribe, and engage with the content.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Note-taking
π‘Markdown
π‘Obsidian
π‘Graph Paper
π‘Annotation Stickers
π‘Pomodoro Timer
π‘Table
π‘Code Block
π‘LaTeX
π‘Wik Links
π‘Tags
π‘PARA System
Highlights
Introduction to the physical note-taking strategy using three notebooks: a field notebook, a regular notebook, and a sketch pad.
Field notebook described as the essential, on-the-go tool for capturing quick ideas and to-do lists.
Notebook used for planning projects, drawing flowcharts, and designing user interfaces.
Sketch pad mentioned as a tool for temporary notes, math equations, and drafting ideas.
Recommendation to use graph paper for creating diagrams and flowcharts, especially for those with poor handwriting.
Introduction to Obsidian, a powerful digital note-taking app that uses markdown language.
Overview of Obsidian's user interface, including the file directory structure, tag directory, and calendar.
Explanation of how to create notes in Obsidian using markdown, including headers, lists, and checkboxes.
Demonstration of creating tables in Obsidian using markdown syntax.
Introduction to code blocks in Obsidian, including inline and multi-line code blocks with syntax highlighting.
Explanation of using LaTeX for writing math formulas in Obsidian.
Demonstration of embedding images and files within Obsidian notes, along with organizing them in a specified folder.
Description of using wikilinks to connect notes within Obsidian, similar to links on Wikipedia.
Introduction to the PARA (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives) note-taking system for organizing notes in Obsidian.
Recommendation of several plugins to enhance Obsidian's functionality, including advanced tables, calendar, and tag management.
Transcripts
hey hackers blue Cosmo from CCS here
welcome back to the channel today I want
to show you guys how to effectively
create notes both physically and
digitally before we begin make sure to
subscribe leave a thumbs up on the video
and leave a comment saying hi I love
hearing from you
guys my physical note taking strategy
consists of three notebooks a field
notebook a notebook and a sketch pad my
f notes are the dirty carry around shove
it in your pocket notebook it's
practically a phone to me at this point
point the purpose of it serves mostly as
a way to keep track of ideas I come up
with on the Fly and general to-do list
to have on my person here's a snapshot
of my current field notes in the front I
have general information written down so
if I lose it I can have it be returned
to me on the left Page I keep Theo list
of tasks I want to complete and stuff I
really need to buy well really need on
the right or general notes of things I
kind of need to remember or don't want
to forget moving on to my notebook this
baby is what brings my projects to life
it serves as a bigger surface for me to
plan projects draw flowcharts design UI
a ton of other stuff I'll show you a few
snapshots so you can get a better
picture the last notebook I use is the
scratch Pad it's great for temporary
notes writing out math and different
equations drafting ideas Etc that's
pretty much the extent of my physical
note taking Services I do recommend
using graph paper especially if you have
shitty handwriting like myself it's
great for making diagrams flowcharts Etc
also if you have the ability to put
annotation stickers or sticky notes
within your notebook they help a great
deal so I definitely do recommend
that moving on to the digital landscape
when typing notes I use obsidian not
sponsored anything but obsidian is an
ultra powerful note ticking app that
will organize notes written in a
language called markdown if you don't
know what markdown is it's a simple
Market language used for documentation
and no ticking let me show you how to
use
it this is my obsidian notebook it has
has been pretty heavily rised so don't
expect yours to look just like this when
you first install obsidian um to the
left I have my general file directory
structure you guys can see the different
folders I have and all of my notes now
you'll notice my notes are actually not
in a folder and I'll get into the reason
why this is later in the bottom left I
have the tag directory structure to show
the different tags and how they are
organized in the top right I have a mini
calendar which is showing a more
condensed version of this calendar right
here this calendar isn't real I just
kind of made this so that way you can
see what my calendar would typically
look like you can add different events
for example I can say we have homework
du on Monday we'll say it's a daily note
make it a task event and save and you
can see that now it's saying that we
have homework due on this day we can
also add different events so let's say
on Tuesday we have a pool party and the
pool party let's say it's a personal
thing and let's say it goes from 4:30
all the way until 900 p.m. for some
reason and boom you have your pool party
and you can move it around wherever you
want but I'll just keep it there for now
um that's pretty much the extent of the
calendar there's not too too much that
goes into it but you can connect notes
and stuff if you want to have uh notes
oh actually connected to the actual note
that you have on the calendar it's
pretty powerful stuff but I'll leave
that for you to explore in the bottom
right I have the obsidian graph view you
can just see how my notes are all kind
of interconnected between each other
it's really cool thing that aidian does
you're trying to show that your notes
should be your second brain if you will
so this is kind of representing that um
I also have a timer here a Pomodoro
Timer padaro timer is just like a 25
minute work timer it's 5 minute break
timer and you kind of just interval
between the two and you can do work I
kind of like to have it kind of keeps me
on track and allows me to take healthy
amounts of breaks from my work without
getting too distracted from the stuff
that I do need to get done I also have a
math pad on the corner as well so I can
do things like I don't know plot sign of
X and boom I can have this plot and I
can put this plot into any of my notes
that I might need to have this is a
plugin most of these are plugins but we
will get into plugins and all those
other things
later in order to actually create notes
in obsidian go ahead and hit crln to
make a new note and we'll just call this
notes I could probably make a better
name but we we'll stick with notes for
now in order to type notes you just type
notes type notes right um I still
couldn't have spelled that right somehow
type notes there you go I also have Bim
uh key bindings enabled on my obsidian
notes just so you guys know don't feel
the need to do that but just know that I
do have that set up so if you're
wondering how I'm flying through all
this stuff that is the reason why now
notes are cool but we also want to have
General titles in our notes to kind of
help us organize the different content
between them so in order to do this you
can use something called headers so I'll
make a header one so you make one single
hashtag with a space and header one so
this is kind of like a title you can
type uh text under here and the thing
with um headers is that they decrement
in size so header one is the largest
size that uses one hashtag so you would
use two hashtags to decrement the size
to a header two and then you can use
three hashtags to make a header three
and you kind can kind of see how these
are organized between each other which
is pretty cool
so past headers let's look at list so I
will say these are lists they're
different lists that we have in markdown
/ obsidian so let's go ahead and check
those out the first list is a bulleted
list so
bulleted list and in order to create a
bulleted list you just do a minus sign
space and it creates the bullet so you
can just type bulleted one bulleted
oops two I can't type bulleted 3 cool
and you guys can kind of see how that
works the second type of list we'll
cover is a numbered list and a number
list is using a number and then the
period space and then now you have your
numbered list we can just do
numbered one numbered two and numbered
three the last type of list I'll show
you guys how to make is a checkbox list
so you can just do a checkbox and in
order to create a checkbox you do a
minus sign with an open opening and
closing curly braid with a space in
between them and that's how you make a
checkbox we can just say checkbox one
checkbox 2 and checkbox 3 cool and the
cool thing with check boxes is again I
mean they're they're check boxes so you
can kind of check them off as you kind
of complete stuff within your notes so
it's pretty helpful to make to-do list
and things like that next up is going to
be how to make tables so in order to
make a table you have a pipe it's the
little vertical bar over your Enter key
on the right and you have your pipe and
then you can just put the title of the
table you want to make so I'll just say
title and then close pipe so these pipes
kind of represent columns so like in
between these two pipes would be a
column on our table so we'll just say
title value and have another columns now
title is the First Column value is the
second column now under there you can
basically kind of open the pipe do a few
minus signs and then close the pipe and
it'll automatically format the table for
you there is an obsidian plugin to help
you with tables to make them a lot more
fun and easy to work with but for now
just ignore that we'll get to that later
but know that you can make table so
we'll just say item one cool and then
item two cooler right and then boom
that's how you make a table so it's
pretty simple stuff that you guys can
kind of work through if you want to have
a table in general the ways to kind of
take notes next thing I want to cover
for you guys are code blocks so code
blocks are ways for you to have code
represented within obsidian so if you
can have it one of two ways you can have
it inline an inline code block looks
like this and basically you would have a
back tick it's the backwards apostrophe
it's in the top left of your keyboard
and here you can just put let's put some
python code which is do print hello
world so yeah just like that you have
your you know in line code block
alternatively you can have a multi-line
code block by using three ptic it'll
Auto format for you and we can type in
our code here hello
world you guys can see that you have the
code block here allows you to copy it if
you want to and put it into some other
code editor or something like that if
you want syntax highlighting at the end
of the first row of btics feel free to
just type in the language you're working
in and obsidian for the most part will
probably have the syntax highlighting
language for you so that's pretty
helpful when taking notes next up let's
look at latex so latex is a way of
typing math within obsidian so in order
to do inline latex looks like this and
then what you basically have is dollar
signs so in between two dollar signs you
can type in I'll just use chemistry
right
H2O and boom you have H2O which is
pretty cool and also if you want
multi-line you just do two dollar signs
and enter and in between those two
dollar signs you can have your latex so
I just do H2O again and you guys can
kind of see the difference between them
right uh the multi-line kind of gets
centered on your MSD notes which is
pretty cool let's cover how to do images
and embeds so in order to do images and
embedding within your obsidian notebook
let's go ahead to a terminal type Neo
fetch I just need a screenshot of
something so we'll get a screenshot of
my Neo Fetch and you can just paste the
image and it automatically gets embedded
into here now you'll notice that the
format for actually having images within
obsidian is an exclamation point with
two brackets and whatever the name of
the images in between in obsidian if you
go into your settings go into files and
links in the default location for new
attachments you can specify folder for
you to save your attachments you guys
can see I have saved mine in a folder
called assets so every time I I paste a
image into obsidian it gets saved into
this assets folder that I have which is
pretty helpful now note that you don't
only have to embed images you can also
embed other files this way right I can
embed the notes file for example within
our own notes file just you get an idea
and you can embed it just like that now
I'm not going to keep this embedded cuz
it looks kind of weird but if you want
to embed other files within your other
files you can totally do that and the
last thing I'll show you guys is how to
do wik links and basically allow you to
actually connect other files into your
files but instead of like an ed it's
more like a link like if you've been on
Wikipedia and you can click on other
links to visit other Pages it's just
like that so visit other pages
with and then in two brackets you can
put the name of the file that you want
to visit so if we make a new file let's
call it new file and we can just put
like hello in
here then in our notes we can put the
new file
and boom so instead of this we say like
check
out our new file and you guys can see
that new file is actually like linked
and you can click it and it'll take you
to the new file which is pretty cool um
I'm going to go ahead and delete this
you also see that now that I've deleted
the new file note is kind of gray down
here because that file no longer exists
but I want to delete this cuz we don't
really need that anymore
anyway when it comes to organizing notes
folders are by far the most popular
method most of you are already familiar
with folders as a method of storing
files by similar subjects for example if
you had a folder called python you can
store all of your python notes in there
but what if you had taken notes on how
to build python classes for example what
would you put this file in would you put
it in a folder called python or your
folder called programming resources tags
are a different method of organizing
notes a tag allows you to connect
multiple topics to one exactly how a
hashtag allows you to connect to
multiple topics to like a social media
post we can use tags within obsidian to
organize our notes more
ideally in obsidian let's go ahead and
create some tags we can easily identify
and search for this file within obsidian
in obsidian there is a search tag at the
top which allows you to search different
ideas folders files properties of your
notes within obsidian to create a tag
you just use the hashtag and then the
name name of your TX we'll just call
this markdown course because this is a
file that we created from our markdown
course now I'm going to create a new
note and in here blah blah blah let's
just say this is notes from the markdown
course we learned more advanced stuff
about markdown all the coolest features
and now we can also connect this to our
markdown course so now if you click on
it it will automatically be searched for
and you can see the two notes from our
markdown course this file specifically
from the course is a really good
resource for me to remember how to write
certain pieces of markdown right let's
say if I forget how to do a code block
and markdown I already have it in my
notes that I can refer back to but I
don't want to search through the entire
markdown course I just want to search
for this specific file so this file I'll
go ahead and give a resources tag so now
I know that this file is not only part
of a markdown course but also is a file
that I want to refer to in the future
for how to write basic markdown syntax
so now instead of having tode between
two folders I can just give it both tags
and easily identify
it tags actually have a subdirectory
structure I don't remember the exact um
professional title for this but
basically you can add a file path to
your tags to give them more specifical
instead of resources I can do resources
SL you can see some of the resources I
already have here like resources for
Linux resour resources for mobile
resources for military resources for a
bunch of stuff so in here I'll do
resources SL markdown so now all
resources that I want to have for
markdown stuff I can check out and the
thing is too like I can go on resources
you guys can see the different resources
I have here you guys can see marked down
with my notes right there and this is
amazing because you can now basically
have one file linked to quote unquote
multiple
folders I quickly wanted to cover the
pera not taking system per p a r a
standing for projects area resources in
archive is a system of organizing notes
that guides users to know exactly how to
store and access their notes projects
are shortterm tasks that you're
currently working on for example the
script of this video would be considered
a project an area is representative of
an area of responsibility for me areas
usually consist of notes from courses or
long-term projects like the development
of my website resources are notes that
you want to be able to easily reference
in the future like those get commands
you can never remember or like in the
video the markdown syntax that we wrote
down last of all archives are notes that
you no longer need but instead of
throwing them out you kind of should
keep them you should honestly keep most
if not the majority or if not all of
your notes uh that at least that you can
keep uh you'll be surprised how often
I've come back to Archive notes they can
be really really
helpful before I head out I wanted to
show you some cool resources to spice up
your obsidian workflow here are some of
the notable plugins that I like to use
Advanced slides a way to create
slideshows with within obsidian Advanced
tables helping you create better tables
within your obsidian notes the calendar
plugin allowing you to have a mini
calendar within your obsidian notebook a
Scala draw a way to draw within the
obsidian notebook tends to be pretty
helpful for handwritten notes the full
calendar plugin allowing you to have a
full scale calendar within your obsidian
notebook paste URL into selection makes
it a lot easier to have links within
your obsidian notebook cuz you can just
highlight a piece of text and paste the
link on top of it so it's automatically
formatted to the obsidian form structure
of links if you are a Vim user like me
you might appreciate the relative line
numbers plug-in tag Wrangler can be a
helpful way to organizing your tags if
you want to rename tags across your
entire notebook it can be helpful for
moving tags that used to be in your
archive to a resource or vice versa or
however else you want to organize your
tags the tag folder is a visual way of
seeing your tags throughout your
obsidian notebook it's the one that I
have in the bottom left of the screen
here templator is awesome it's a great
way to create templates for different
files that you will have within your
obsidian notebook if you don't feel like
having to retype your notes over and
over again the cin board plug-in
allowing you to create well cam in
boards I do have this cam in board for
the development of my website currently
if you guys uh want to see progress on
that just check out some of the streams
that have been going on recently and
again this is all in markdown in fact
you can actually open this as markdown
and you can see the markdown
structure if you guys are curious about
the theme that I have been using I using
M mini flow it's a pretty awesome
obsidan thing to use I also have the
custom style settings on it so that way
I can make it a little bit more pretty I
also suggest checking out protocol blue
this is an obsidian theme that I made on
obsidian you guys can see blue Cosmo so
if you guys want to support me and some
of the stuff I worked on you guys can
also use this obsidian theme I also want
to give a special shout out to fellow
YouTuber San foxal he has some
incredible CSS files to pretty up the
look of of your obsidian Vault so
definitely suggest checking out his work
other than that thank you so much for
watching be sure to leave a like And
subscribe to the channel happy hacking
Browse More Related Video
Como formatar texto no Obsidian
How to organize your notes in Obsidian // The LATCH method
Note-taking Apps for Command-line People
Here Is How I Use Tags π·οΈ And Links ποΈ In Obsidian To Manage My Zettelkasten ποΈ
Zettelkasten Smart Notes: Step by Step with Obsidian
What Nobody Tells You About Organizing Folders in Obsidian
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)