Use these 10 Obsidian tips to level up your note taking productivity

In this video, I distill my overall productivity philosophy into ten tips for Obsidian usage.

Before you watch this video, ask yourself: ARE YOU PROCRASTINATION BY WATCHING THIS VIDEO? If so, go do your work! Come back to this video later. :)

This video is a slight departure from my other videos. Usually, my content is very hands-on and in-the-weeds, because that's how my brain works. I don't watch videos just to hear a bunch of words—just show me *how* to do something and tell me *why* I'm doing it that way.

However, this video is less *how* and more *why*, so it's the opposite of how my content usually is. But hopefully you find it useful and interesting anyway. I sure wish I had this knowledge when I was first getting started with Obsidian.

If you like this, and want to see more content, please let me know by liking, commenting, subscribing, or otherwise making yourself heard.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:52 Don't just work ON your system
1:34 Think in systems
2:31 Build system around how you're working
3:10 Make sure to use your notes
3:45 Productivity ebbs and flows
4:48 Treat it like a living knowledge base
5:25 New information comes from intersections
5:56 Writing is thinking
6:27 Publish!
7:05 Mimicry is a shortcut
8:12 Outro

Links from this video:

Additional Obsidian Videos:

My Gear:

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Where to find me:

Thanks for watching!

[DannBerg]

Are there any note taking tips you wish you could give your younger self?

[swalkner]

It's rare that someone delivers 10 tips of something and for 7 of those I think that that tip alone was worth watching this video. Very, very useful stuff.

[keithbell]

You just made me realize I've been working on my system for 50 years.

[Kaanu-vmvc]

Yep this is one of the best Obsidian videos ever, tysm! I have immediately started implementing these tips.

[hussam]

wow, this type of videos must be paid ! unbelievable benefits without repeating same things over and over again from others with minor switching and adding .

Absolute gem

[patrick_now_or_never]

The encouragement to not be too precious about your notes - to instead treat it all as a Living Knowledge Base (point 6) - is so spot on to my mind. You have to train the muscle, but there is such value in revisiting and reworking your thinking in different areas. Personally I make it easier by thinking of it as 'polishing', as refining. 'Everything in life is a work in progress' I say to myself. The greatest dividend is that actually getting your hands dirty and reworking stuff also definitely improves not only your understanding of your past thinking, but also your recall of it. Great video Dann - thanks for sharing such solid ideas.

[francoisdp]

Thanks Dann. I am an expert user and Obsidian is my go-to tool for thinking. Your video is excellent. You presented YOUR gems that you discovered and it has a lot of value to me. You were compact, to the point and supported every idea with a concise example. Very good video. Please keep them coming.

[ahmedabdallah-]

As a non native English learner, I do resonate with "writing is thinking", I can't agree enough. Keep creating meaningful content.

[dongentelman]

It's rarely that I comment on youtube, but I would love to say that I have watched a lot of videos about obsidian and note taking systems, and by far this is one of the best ones in term of explaining the basics in a very simple way, thank you

[moussaidabdelwahab]

This is definitely the best video for taking notes. Every piece of advice is important and very profound if you think about it. Thank you very much and I hope you continue.

[tietscho]

I have a big document (around 50 pages) with notes from the last years. I’m planning putting it into obsidian. This will take me forever.

[davidvalentine]

You delivered invaluable success tips when it comes to note taking and systems, but also tips on life! You made note taking not about using some techy fancy gadget, but suiting the writing, systems and tools to your life. My favorite takeaway was "Writing is thinking" and making a system you can jump out of and come back in (I didn't know what ebbs and flows meant, but you explained that well)

[mollytt]

Not at all what I expected but exactly what I needed. Loved all of this. Thank you

[MichealScott]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

00:00 *📝 Setting the foundation for effective note-taking in Obsidian*
- Importance of distinguishing between working on the note-taking system and using it for actual work,
- Explanation of an Obsidian system consisting of an index page, template file, and data view table,
- Emphasis on building note-taking systems based on actual usage rather than predetermined structures.
01:34 *🔄 Balancing productivity and system flexibility*
- Acknowledgment of productivity fluctuations and the need for adaptable note-taking systems,
- Recommendation to build systems that support re-entry after periods of reduced productivity,
- Encouragement to view notes as dynamic resources for continuous improvement rather than static archives.
03:09 *📚 Maximizing the utility of note-taking systems*
- Highlighting the challenge of utilizing notes effectively after creation,
- Importance of implementing a structured review process to ensure active engagement with notes,
- Emphasizing the necessity of integrating note-taking into regular workflows for optimal results.
04:31 *📝 Strategies for generating new insights through note-taking*
- Promotion of synthesizing existing ideas to create new knowledge,
- Assertion that writing is a form of thinking, encouraging early and frequent engagement with writing,
- Advocacy for sharing written work publicly as a means of refining ideas and building a personal brand.
06:24 *🔍 Leveraging expert models for accelerated progress*
- Recommendation to study and emulate successful practitioners in a given field,
- Explanation of how mimicking established practices can expedite skill development,
- Encouragement to seek inspiration from experts while maintaining individual creativity and integrity.

Made with HARPA AI

[johnfromberkeley]

I like how you get to the point. I’m always skipping over fluff, and I like your efficient communication style.

[ShakeAndBakeGuy]

I’ve been using Obsidian for 4 years and am trying to help others benefit as I’m getting back into the PKM as well. This was very incisive and I’ve added a lot of your others videos to the watch later playlist. Thanks for sharing!

[optimalmktg]

Your video touched on every single pain point of my Obsidian struggles. Thank you!

[ricklorion]

1:33 Kinda like getting your side mirrors perfect before driving.

[markcoren]

What a great video and channel discovery! Your points are spot on. Most of all, I fall back on #3 constantly. Any time I find myself getting stuck (even on non-Obsidian related tasks), I'll whip out some quick notes just to brain dump and get some perspective. Quite often, I'll find structural details and nuances that help me clean up my thinking. From that point, I can toss the unneeded fleeting notes and tag the worthwhile ones for additional consideration later.

[concertautist]

First of three obsidian videos that I watched that actually provided some value. Thanks.