Brief summary

How to Take Smart Notes in Obsidian shows how to digitally implement the Zettelkasten system with Obsidian. It describes step by step how to organize, link, and index notes. The goal is to systematically connect thoughts, more easily retrieve knowledge, and develop new ideas from notes. The book combines the principles of How to Take Smart Notes with practical application in a digital note-taking system.

Contents

Obsidian facility

A structured work environment begins with a clearly organized storage location.

1. Create a vault to store all data centrally.

2. Use Daily Notes to capture daily, fleeting notes.

3. Create a Reference folder to collect literature notes.

4. Create a note-taking folder for permanent notes.

5. Create a Projects folder to store project-related information.

Adding notes to the note box

The difference between the physical card index and the digital version lies in the structuring.

Physical system:

Notes are inserted directly after the referenced note or at the end of the box and are numbered. Each note receives an ID, is linked to others, and is included in the index.

Digital implementation in Obsidian: New notes are created through continuous sequences. Connections between related notes are established via direct links and backlinks. Entries in the index point to the relevant notes or topics.

Start a sequence

Notes are grouped in logical sequences. They are given consecutive numbers such as 1, 2, 3. If notes fit between existing ones, letters are added, for example 8a or 8b. A hierarchical, rigid categorization is avoided.

Links to existing notes

Connections create context. New notes are linked to existing ones. Backlinks show which notes are connected. This network structure promotes cross-referencing and new connections.

Index notes

The index serves as a central entry point. Only a few targeted keywords should be used to mark topics. Keywords must be chosen so that they can be found again in the correct context. Secondary structural notes help to group related topics. They connect notes from different areas and serve as overviews for more in-depth topics.

Navigating through notes

For navigation, only keywords in index and structure notes are used. Other notes are assigned only IDs. Instead of using the search function, browsing is recommended to organically discover connections.