how i use Obsidian
This note mimics Steph Ango's "How I use Obsidian", replicating word for word and deviating only where I materially diverge from his system.
I use Obsidian to think. This is my bottom-up approach to writing and organizing my world views. It embraces emergent structures and the "chaotic beauty of personal collections and idiosyncratic tastes" 1. In Obsidian, a "vault" is simply a folder of files. This is important because it adheres to my software for joy and simplicity principles. If you want to create digital artifacts that last, they must be files you can control, in formats that are easy to retrieve and read. Obsidian gives you that freedom. The following is in no way dogmatic, just one example of how you can use Obsidian. Take the parts you like.
Theme and related tools
- Default theme.
- I start with zero customizations or plugins. I don't forbid myself from using customizations, but I understand that tinkering has a distraction price.
- No clipper. I generally prefer some friction in my intake processes.
Personal rules
Rules I follow in my personal vault:
- Avoid splitting content into multiple vaults
- Avoid folders for organization.
- Always pluralize categories and tags.
- Use internal links profusely to connect ideas, but do not link proper names like people, places and companies; linking is a slippery slope.
- Use YYYY-MM-DD dates everywhere. Having a consistent style collapses hundreds of future decisions into one, and gives me focus. For example, I always pluralize tags so I never have to wonder what to name new tags. Choose rules that feel comfortable to you and write them down. Make your own style guide. You can always change your rules later.
Folders and organization
I use very few folders. I avoid folders because many of my entries belong to more than one area of thought. My system trusts the emergent order of my thoughts and I don't want today's me to create an artificially tidy harness.
I do not use nested sub-folders. I do not use the file explorer much for navigation. I mostly navigate using the quick switcher, backlinks or links within a note.
My notes are in a notes folder that sits at the root of the vault. There is one single sub-folder underneath and I rarely use it. It's attachments.
Links
I use internal links profusely throughout my notes. Often the link is unresolved, meaning that the note for that link isn't created yet. Unresolved links are important because they are breadcrumbs for future connections between things.
Serendipity
From time to time, unscheduled, I revisit notes in two ways:
- I use the random note hotkey to quickly travel randomly through my vault.
- I often use the local graph at shallow depth to see related notes. This helps me revisit old ideas, create missing links, and find inspiration in past thoughts. It’s also an opportunity to rethink an idea.
Properties and templates
I don't use templates and I don't keep track of the history of notes, like creation or update dates.
I only use properties to track published content by manually adding first published and last published.