An ode to taking notes in Obsidian 🌱 (3 year reflection)

Obsidian as a Garden: A Three-Year Reflection

Key Concepts:

• Obsidian as a garden: A metaphor for managing and nurturing ideas.
• Idea cultivation: The process of allowing ideas to grow and connect organically.
• Structure emerges: The belief that structure in Obsidian should evolve naturally, not be forced.
• Zettelkasten: A note-taking method focused on creating connections between ideas.
• Output-focused: Using Obsidian primarily for writing and expressing ideas.
• Avoiding Premature Judgement: The importance of capturing ideas without immediate criticism.

The Obsidian Garden Metaphor

The speaker describes their Obsidian setup as a garden where ideas are like plants. The gardener (the user) nourishes these ideas, allowing them to thrive and grow. Initially, there might be concerns about planting the "right" ideas or providing the "perfect" environment, but experience shows that ideas naturally want to flourish with minimal intervention. The key is to provide a basic foundation and let them develop organically.

Evolving Structure and Idea Expression

The speaker emphasizes that a perfect structure is not necessary for Obsidian to be effective. Their own structure has remained relatively consistent over three years, but the ideas within have taken on a life of their own, guiding their exploration of books, podcasts, and topics of interest. The natural progression is to connect related ideas, creating "bouquets" and expressing them through writing and publishing. This process is described as a meditative and intellectually stimulating form of "gardening for the brain."

Addressing Common Concerns

Many users ask for help setting up Obsidian, but the speaker asserts that there's no "wrong" way to use it. Even without a perfect structure, shortcuts, or plugins, if Obsidian helps you capture, reflect on, and connect your ideas, you're using it effectively. The speaker recalls a conversation with Nick Milo, who emphasized that structure must be earned over time.

Starting Simple: A Personal Example

The speaker's initial approach involved simply taking quotes from a fictional book, adding personal reflections, and connecting related quotes. This simple act of capturing and linking ideas from a single source sparked the growth of their Obsidian knowledge base. The power of Obsidian lies in consistently tending to the "garden," planting new ideas, and observing the connections that emerge. Sometimes, similarities between ideas become apparent only after they're written down.

Practical Advice: What Not to Do

The speaker provides three key pieces of advice on what not to do when using Obsidian:

1. Don't prejudge your ideas: Capture any idea that resonates with you, even if you can't fully articulate its significance at the time. Ideas can evolve and become more meaningful as your knowledge expands. The speaker has notes that initially seemed unclear but later became sources of inspiration.
2. Don't manage your life in Obsidian: Treat Obsidian as a dedicated space for working with ideas, not as a general life management tool. Avoid using it for calendars or to-do lists (unless they are directly related to idea development) to prevent procrastination and distractions. The speaker intentionally keeps their Obsidian setup basic to maintain focus on writing and output.
3. Don't worry about recording everything you know at the beginning: Start small by capturing ideas from your current reading or experiences. Focus on enjoying the process of connecting ideas rather than trying to create a comprehensive knowledge base upfront. Good ideas will resurface and can be integrated into your Obsidian system when the time is right.

Conclusion: Embrace the Process

The speaker emphasizes that there's no "wrong" way to use Obsidian, as long as you enjoy the process of working with ideas. A perfect system is not required for it to be effective. Even with occasional hiccups, the ability to create output more easily and enjoyably makes Obsidian a valuable tool for managing and nurturing ideas. The key is to embrace the organic growth of your "garden" and allow your ideas to flourish.