Go From PARA Method Beginner to Second Brain Pro with Obsidian MD (Free Setup Templates and Course)

Summary

This video script outlines a method to enhance the PARA (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives) system using the note-taking app, Obsidian. It guides viewers from basic folder organization to advanced techniques like linking notes and utilizing templates and queries for automated organization. The tutorial aims to help users transition from folder thinking to a more dynamic and interconnected note system, ultimately building a 'second brain' for efficient knowledge management.

Takeaways

• 📂 The script discusses the limitations of using folders for organizing notes and introduces the PARA method as a more advanced system.
• 🔗 The PARA method leverages the power of links to overcome the limitation of folders by allowing notes to be referenced in multiple places simultaneously.
• 💡 Level 2 of the PARA method suggests using notes to organize notes, rather than relying solely on folders, by utilizing headers, bullet lists, and other organizational tools.
• 📝 Level 3 of the PARA method involves personalizing notes with different properties, enabling automatic organization and retrieval of notes when needed.
• 🧠 The video emphasizes the importance of moving beyond traditional folder-based thinking to a more dynamic and interconnected note-taking system.
• 🛠️ The script introduces the use of the templator plugin in Obsidian to automate the creation of note structures based on predefined templates.
• 📝 Templates are used to classify and personalize notes, adding properties such as status, tags, links, and deadlines to enhance organization and retrieval.
• 🔍 The use of data view queries in Obsidian is highlighted to further organize and display related notes within a note, effectively turning a note into a dashboard.
• 📚 The PARA method is presented as a fraction of a larger system needed to fully capture, organize, distill, and express knowledge within Obsidian.
• 🎓 The video offers a free email course for viewers to learn how to set up a comprehensive system for knowledge management using Obsidian.
• 👋 The presenter, John Maverick, encourages viewers to like, subscribe, and stay mindful, indicating the end of the video and a call to action for engagement.

Q & A

What is the main issue with using folders to organize notes in a digital age?

Folders are a physical organization method from over a hundred years ago and are limited in the digital age because they can only store a note in one place at a time, which is not flexible for organizing interconnected information.

What is the PARA method and how does it relate to note-taking in Obsidian?

The PARA method stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. It's a system to organize notes in a way that mirrors how our brains naturally work, and in Obsidian, it can be implemented beyond just folders by using links and properties to create a more interconnected note organization.

Why should we consider using notes to organize notes instead of relying solely on folders?

Using notes to organize notes allows for more flexibility and interconnectedness. Notes can be linked in multiple places, overcoming the limitation of folders which can only contain a note once, thus allowing for a more dynamic and organized system.

How can Obsidian's linking feature help in organizing notes in a way that reflects natural brain organization?

The linking feature in Obsidian allows a single note to be referenced in multiple places, similar to how the brain makes connections between different pieces of information. This helps in creating a more associative and accessible system of note organization.

What is a 'template' in the context of Obsidian and how does it help in note organization?

In Obsidian, a template is a pre-structured note that can be automatically used when creating a new note. It helps in note organization by ensuring consistency and the inclusion of necessary properties or fields that are relevant to the type of note being created, such as a project or an area.

What is the purpose of the 'Data View' plugin in Obsidian and how does it enhance the PARA method?

The 'Data View' plugin treats Obsidian notes like a database, allowing users to create queries to filter and display information based on specific properties. It enhances the PARA method by enabling users to automatically organize and view related notes, such as resources or projects, within a single note, effectively turning it into a dashboard.

How can properties in Obsidian notes be used to further classify and personalize notes?

Properties in Obsidian notes can be used to add specific metadata to each note, such as status, tags, links, and deadlines. This allows for a more detailed classification of notes and makes it easier to filter and sort them based on their attributes.

What is the significance of using different emojis to represent the status of a project in Obsidian?

Using emojis to represent the status of a project in Obsidian provides a quick visual indication of the project's progress. For example, a red emoji might mean the project is not yet started, yellow indicates it's in progress, and green signifies completion.

How can the 'templator' plugin assist in automating the process of creating structured notes in Obsidian?

The 'templator' plugin in Obsidian automates the creation of structured notes by loading predefined templates when a new note is created in a specific folder. This ensures that each note has a consistent structure and includes all necessary properties relevant to its type.

What is the benefit of setting up queries within a note to display related notes based on their type?

Setting up queries within a note to display related notes based on their type allows for a more organized and accessible overview of interconnected information. It turns a single note into a dashboard that not only contains content but also provides a dynamic view of related notes, enhancing the overall organization and navigability of the note system.

Outlines

00:00

📂 Upgrading Organizational Skills with Obsidian

The video script introduces the limitations of using traditional folders for organizing digital notes and proposes a transition to a more advanced system using the Zettelkasten method within the Obsidian note-taking app. It outlines three levels of expertise: Level 1 involves basic folder organization, Level 2 introduces linking notes to overcome the limitations of folders, and Level 3 suggests personalizing notes with properties for automatic organization. The script guides viewers through setting up a basic folder structure in Obsidian, identifying the problem of single-folder limitation, and transitioning to using notes as a more flexible organizational tool.

05:02

🔗 Embracing Links for Enhanced Note Organization

This paragraph delves into the use of links within Obsidian to reference notes in multiple places simultaneously, which is a significant upgrade from the limitations of folder organization. It demonstrates how to create a note for a project and link it to relevant resources, thereby allowing for a more interconnected and dynamic organization system. The script also discusses the process of converting folders into notes and using headers, bullet lists, and other formatting options to organize the content within notes more effectively.

10:02

📝 Personalizing Notes with Templates and Properties

The script moves on to Level 3 of the Zettelkasten method, focusing on personalizing notes through the use of templates and properties. It guides the viewer through installing the Templator plugin in Obsidian to automate the creation of structured notes. The process includes creating a 'Project Template' with properties for status, tags, links, and deadlines. The video also covers how to set up templates for 'Area' and 'Resource' notes, emphasizing the importance of classifying and organizing notes based on their type to streamline the note-taking process.

15:03

📊 Utilizing Data Views for Advanced Note Management

The final paragraph introduces the DataView plugin in Obsidian to create queries that function like database queries, allowing for advanced organization and retrieval of related notes. The script explains how to set up queries to display related resources and projects within a note, effectively turning the note into a dashboard. It also demonstrates how to create tables and lists sorted by various properties such as status, deadline, and alphabetical order. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to sign up for a free email course to learn more about setting up a comprehensive knowledge management system in Obsidian.

Keywords

💡PARA Method

The PARA Method is a digital organization system that stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. It is designed to help individuals structure their digital notes and information in a way that mimics the natural organization of the human brain. In the video, the PARA Method is used as the central framework for organizing notes in the Obsidian app, with the aim of moving beyond traditional folder-based organization to a more dynamic and interconnected system.

💡Obsidian

Obsidian is a powerful note-taking app that is favored for its ability to create a network of interconnected notes through linking. The app is highlighted in the video as the tool used to implement the PARA Method, emphasizing its features that allow for rich note organization and retrieval beyond the limitations of traditional folders.

💡Folders

In the context of the video, folders refer to the traditional method of organizing files and notes in a hierarchical structure, typically used in file systems and early note-taking apps. The script discusses the limitations of folders, such as the inability to place a single note in multiple folders simultaneously, which is a key issue the PARA Method and Obsidian aim to address.

💡Links

Links in Obsidian are a way to reference and connect notes to one another, allowing a note to be part of multiple 'folders' or categories without duplicating the note. The video promotes the use of links as an advanced feature of the PARA Method, enabling a more flexible and interconnected organization of information.

💡Templates

Templates in Obsidian are pre-defined structures for notes that can include properties and formatting to standardize the way notes are created. The video demonstrates how to use templates to automate the process of adding properties to notes, which is a key component of personalizing and organizing notes according to the PARA Method.

💡Properties

Properties in Obsidian are custom attributes that can be added to notes to classify and organize them further. The script explains how to use properties like 'status', 'tags', and 'links' to add metadata to notes, which is crucial for the personalized organization aspect of the PARA Method.

💡Data View

Data View is a community plugin for Obsidian that allows users to query and display information from their notes in a structured format, similar to a database. The video uses Data View to demonstrate how to create dynamic lists and tables of related notes, enhancing the organization and retrieval capabilities of the PARA Method.

💡Kanban Board

A Kanban Board is a project management tool that visually represents work items and their status, often used in agile development. In the video, the concept of a Kanban Board is applied to the organization of projects within Obsidian, using Data View queries to create a visual representation of project statuses.

💡Second Brain

The term 'Second Brain' refers to a personal knowledge management system that acts as an external brain to store, organize, and retrieve information. The video's goal is to guide viewers in setting up their own 'Second Brain' using the PARA Method and Obsidian, emphasizing the importance of an advanced note-taking system for knowledge management.

💡Community Plugins

Community Plugins in Obsidian are additional tools created by the user community to extend the app's functionality. The video mentions the need to enable community plugins to access features like templating and data viewing, which are essential for implementing the advanced organizational features of the PARA Method.

💡Knowledge Management

Knowledge Management is the process of capturing, distributing, and effectively utilizing knowledge. The video's overarching theme is setting up a personal knowledge management system using the PARA Method and Obsidian, which allows for the efficient organization and retrieval of personal and professional information.

Highlights

Folders are just the first level of the PARA method and are limited in the digital age.

Obsidian is a favorite feature-rich note-taking app for enhancing the PARA method.

Level 2 of PARA overcomes folders' limitations by organizing notes like the brain does.

Level 3 allows personalization of notes with properties for automatic organization.

A free second brain and lessons on incorporating the PARA method are offered at the end of the video.

Folders are created in Obsidian for each part of the PARA method: Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives.

Prefixing folder names with numbers helps maintain order in Obsidian's alphabetical sorting.

Thiago Forte recommends creating folders based on projects, areas, or resources in life.

Folders cannot link a single note to multiple places, which is a limitation.

Level 2 introduces links to reference a note in multiple places.

Instead of subfolders, notes are used to organize notes for greater flexibility.

Headers, bullet lists, and other formatting tools allow for more organized note structures.

Links within notes create a more dynamic and interconnected note organization.

Templates in Obsidian can be used to automate the structure of new notes.

The Templator plugin helps in creating templates for different types of notes.

Properties within notes allow for classification and personalization of each note type.

Data View plugin treats notes like a database, enabling queries to organize and display related notes.

Queries can be set up to display related resources and areas within a project note.

The video provides a comprehensive guide to setting up a second brain in Obsidian.

A free email course is offered to learn how to set up a system for knowledge management in Obsidian.

Transcripts

if all you're doing to implement the

pair method is create folders to put

your notes in then you're severely

limiting the capabilities of your second

brain the truth is folders are just the

first level at which you can use the

para method

folders were made over a hundred years

ago to organize physical files in

cabinets but now we're living in the

digital age so in this video I'll help

you level up your pair system and take

you from Level 1 folder beginner to

level 3 information expert using my

favorite feature Rich note-taking app

obsidian

in level 2 we can overcome the main

problem of folders by organizing our

notes the same way our brains naturally

do

and in level 3 we can personalize our

notes by adding different properties

which we can then use to automatically

organize and find our notes when needed

if you stay until the end you'll get a

chance to download and try out the

second brain I'm making in this video

and you'll also get free lessons on how

to incorporate the other parts of the

code method

anyways it's time to finally unlock the

power of a second brain

but to do so we need to start at the

basics let's start from level one which

is folders and work our way up in

expertise

so in obsidian we can go to the left

sidebar over here and we can find the

folder view which we can use to create

folders for each part of the para method

so if I just click on this button create

a new folder make one for projects make

one for areas resources

and archives since this is sorted in

alphabetical order

we'll actually have to prefix them with

the number since we're sorting based on

actionability projects goes first then

areas third resources then last is

archives so from here on out you're

pretty much done Thiago Forte recommends

you to create folders based on each

project area or resource in your life

but before you do so I want to outline a

problem with using folders so let's say

I had a project I was working on which

was a video on how to use a pair method

in obsidian very random idea I have no

idea where I got it from and as part of

this project I had a note on how to use

folders in obsidian but at the same time

let's say I also had a resource or

obsidian itself because I have other

notes on how to use the app

how to format notes in obsidian I don't

know about you but this note on how to

use folders in obsidian should be

accessible in both this project folder

and this resource obsidian folder

but unfortunately folders are not made

to do that since a note will only be

able to be stored in one folder at a

time that's why I wanted to introduce

links which is level 2 of the para

method

with links you can reference a note in

multiple places at once but to achieve

this we have to go against Thiago

Forte's advice instead of making

subfolders for each project or area of

our life we need to make notes yeah

that's right we're going to use notes to

organize notes instead of seeing them

just as things where you put text in you

can also try to see them as a more

customizable version of folders for

example instead of creating a folder to

keep all notes related to this video

project I can create a note instead so

I'm going to create a new note called

para method in obsidian inside my

projects folder and with a folder we

could only organize the notes via

alphabetical order as seen by when we

were trying to create the para folders

but now we can choose how we can

organize our notes through the power of

headers bullet lists and more so now I

can model the structure of my note

organization based off of my script

which has different levels of using the

pair method and then inside I can have

subheaders for the different levels so

level one is where I would include using

folders in obsidian and here is where we

can start making links to create a link

you just type the left square bracket

twice and as you can see

you can now type in the name of any node

or select it from here so we can choose

how to use folders in obsidian now if we

click on it

we go straight there but that's not all

our folder kind of comes to life now as

we now have a space to think and record

other information we can now add

contacts as to why we included this note

in this outline

and say easiest way

to set up Pera but is also the most

limiting and we now have

the ability to include other information

like maybe the titles I want to use

the thumbnails

and the script in its entirety and of

course the main reason why we did switch

to using notes instead of folders We can

now go to

resources create a new obsidian note and

then also make a link to how to use

folders in obsidian

as well as the other note already in

there which is how to format notes

so now I can take both of these notes

and drag them into the root folder and

safely get rid of these folders so yeah

just look at the difference instead of

only using that subfolder as a means of

organization we can add life and other

ideas into it so yeah congratulations

you've taken the first step to stop

thinking in folders next it's time to

add some personality to each part of the

pair method and to further connect all

this information together we can agree

that projects areas and resources are

all different so why do we create each

one based off of a blank note

we need to be able to classify each node

type and personalize each node based on

its type this brings us to level 3 of

the pair method using templates and

queries to automate this process and

establish the structure to do this

though we're going to need a bit more

assistance so we can head to settings

and turn on community plugins for more

features first I'm going to look for the

templator plugin which lets us

automatically

create the structure of a node whenever

we create it so I'm just going to

install enable the plugin so now we can

close this and first we'll need to

create a folder to store all these

templates in so I'm just going to create

one called templates let's first create

a template for the project note

so we can go to the top here and create

a folder to store all of our templates

in and in here you right click create a

new note I'm going to name it project

template so with obsidian notes you can

include different properties in them

and to do so we can just open up the

command palette which is control or

command p

and we can search up property there's a

command to add file property and we can

also do this just by pressing Ctrl and

semicolon so if I click this we can

create a property for status and in the

status we can use different emojis like

red to mean that it's not yet started

yellow to mean it's in progress and

green to mean it's finished next we can

add a property called Tags to classify

what type of node it is to differentiate

between the different notes we have

so in this case it will just be project

I'm going to press enter and it'll

create the tag and lastly I'm also going

to have one called links which can let

me link it to the higher order node it's

related to in this case a project will

be part of

my projects node so I can link it to my

projects but you can also add a deadline

and we can change the type of the

property from text to A Date to better

fit the occasion

if I click on this calendar icon I can

choose maybe next week I don't know why

it looks like that but we'll just ignore

it and lastly to connect it with the

other notes in the para method we can

include an area property in this case

this will most likely be used for videos

so I'm just going to link it to my

YouTube channel from there we can just

include the structure we had in our pair

method in obsidian video note

to include titles thumbnails and the

script so now we can go to settings

templator settings set the template

folder location to templates enable this

setting that triggers templator on new

file creation and in this folder

template section we can set it so any

note created in the projects folder will

automatically use the project template

so let's test it out if we right click

on projects and then create a new note

here we go our template gets loaded up

I'm actually going to transfer

the contents here into this new node

just so it uses the template named the

spera method in obsidian and we can fill

out the remaining properties

so status is in progress because I'm

technically doing it right now

area is my YouTube channel

since I'll be uploading this video to my

YouTube and yeah now that we have that

finished let's create the templates for

the other notes as well

so right click on templates new note

name it area template and now I can use

the shortcut to create a property which

is control semicolon

and as you can see we get recommended

properties that are already existing in

other notes but for an area we just need

tags so we can label this as an area

note and we can add links to link it to

my areas and lastly we can also create a

resource template this one also isn't

that actionable so we don't need status

we just need tags

can I make a tag for resource and we

also need to maybe add an area it's

related to and there we go just need to

go to settings

templator and set up the folders to also

use the templates so yeah with this new

classification we can take our links to

another level

right now all the links are viewable

through backlinks which we can see by

opening up the right sidebar if we go to

how to use folders in obsidian we can

see all the notes that are linked to

this note but being the nerd I am I want

to further organize them based on the

Note type and see the results in the

note itself rather than in this Pane and

through this the note doubles as a

dashboard of all related notes

not just the content inside of the note

to do this we can set up different

queries to differentiate the related

notes so to do this we will need another

plugin I'm going to go to community

plugins browse search up data View and

as the summary suggests this plugin

treats our obsidy involved like a

database that we can query from

so I'm going to install it and enable it

and exit so for this to work we'll have

to create some areas and resources with

our newly created templates

so I'm going to just copy the contents

here delete it and then

recreate the obsidian resource

paste the content and set the area to my

YouTube channel and for areas I will

create a new note for my YouTube

channel so now

in my project notes

for pair method in obsidian I want to

have a new header

to show all related resources and to

only look for resource notes we can

create a query and to do so we just need

to type three backticks which will

create a code block

type in data View

since we're going to be using code for

data View and we're looking to list all

of the related resources

so we're going to type in list and and

now we only want to see notes that are

related to this note so we can type from

and then two square brackets to indicate

that it has to be linked to this note

specifically

and

we're looking for only resource notes so

the note has to include the resource tag

so if we exit no note show but if we had

a new note like the pair method and we

had it linked to this pair method in

obsidian note we head back look at

related resources and it's there

so now instead of having to

make the link on both notes you only

have to create it on one and it will

automatically track when you visit this

note so we can add this to our project

template and let's create some queries

for areas and resources as well for

areas it would be quite handy to see

what projects I have ongoing in this

area so we can do something like objects

and then we can create another data view

code block this time we can create a

table and this time we can show

properties like the status and the

deadline of the project and we can make

sure that it's linked to this note and

that it is a project and if we check out

what it looks like the pair method in

obsidian project note shows if you want

to take this one step further and create

subheaders and organize them based off

of the status maybe you wanted something

like a kanban board you can have this

subheader as not started and we can

change this to only include files where

the status

contains the red square and it won't

show anything because pair method and

obsidian has the yellow Square to mean

it's in progress so if we create the in

progress header and do the same thing

then change the icon

and exit

we see the project here and last but not

least we can use these queries to also

just show all the different notes of a

certain type and so I'm going to turn

this my area's link into an actual note

and let's say in here I wanted to

make a list of all the areas I have

sorted by alphabetical order just like

so so to create a query like this we can

just type in the three back ticks data

view we can do list

from any note any note with an area tag

and we can sort the results based on the

file name

by descending order so if we exit we see

that we have the area template showing

here so I'm going to also add another

condition where the note isn't in the

template's folder and I'll get rid of

the area template so now if we were to

create another note let's name it my

second brain if we go back to my areas

note it seems to be in Reverse

alphabetical order so we can just switch

it to ascending

and there we go for something like

projects we can create the my projects

note we can sort it by deadline so then

we can do the same thing data view we

can actually create a table this time

since there's more information to show

so we could do table and then for the

fields we just have status deadline and

area and it would be from any notes with

the project tag and are not in the

templates folder

and we would sort this by

deadline descending no ascending so then

if I were to create another project note

test project change the state to

September 28th

and then go back to my projects you can

see it gets sorted in the correct order

because the year month date format

naturally also sorts it in alphabetical

order unfortunately the pair method is

just a fraction of what you need to know

to fully set up a system to capture

organize distill and express your

knowledge inside obsidian

go to the description and sign up for my

free email course to learn exactly how

to do so

you'll get the Vault I made in this

video for free and you'll learn how to

upgrade it to finally start building

your own second brain

alternatively if this is your first time

hearing about obsidian and you want to

know more about how to learn how to use

it you can watch this video right here

anyways if you enjoyed this video be

sure to like And subscribe for more

content like this this has been John

Maverick stay mindful