📋 Video Summary

🎯 Overview

This video is a 2-year update from Reysu on his experience with Obsidian, a note-taking app. He shares his current setup, favorite extensions, and insights on why he switched from Notion and Apple Notes. The video provides a comprehensive look into his Obsidian vault, highlighting its features and practical applications.

📌 Main Topic

Reysu's transition to Obsidian, his current setup, and tips for effective note-taking.

🔑 Key Points

• 1. Why Obsidian Over Other Apps [0:53]

- Obsidian offers free, local storage for notes, avoiding subscription fees and ecosystem lock-in.

- Notes are stored as Markdown files, ensuring longevity and easy migration. - Offers fast and instant searching. - Doesn't require an account to start using. - Backlinks are a key feature that makes Obsidian stand out, allowing notes to connect to each other.

• 2. Backlinks and Note Organization [3:14]

- Backlinks connect notes, creating a visual graph of connections.

- Improves note understanding and recall. - Helps prevent notes from getting lost.

• 3. Theia Study Integration [4:06]

- Reysu integrates Obsidian with Theia Study (sponsored), an AI-powered study app.

- Allows users to upload Obsidian notes to create quizzes and study guides.

• 4. Obsidian Vault Overview [5:57]

- Uses the Minimal theme and SF Mono or Source Code Pro font for an IDE-like appearance.

- Employs the Notebook Navigator extension for an Apple Notes-like UI. - Uses double shift to easily search notes.

• 5. Essential Obsidian Extensions [6:26]

- Obsidian Web Clipper [7:00]: Saves articles and videos directly into Obsidian, with customizable templates.

- Thumbnails [7:32]: Adds thumbnails for YouTube videos. - Obsidian Databases [8:10]: Organizes book notes. - Auto Template Trigger [8:32]: Applies templates when creating new notes. - Various Compliments [9:14]: Suggests linking of notes while typing. - Map View [9:40]: Displays notes on a map, useful for tracking locations and restaurants.

• 6. Document Management [10:16]

- Uses Obsidian to store and quickly search for documents like invoices and licenses.

• 7. Tips for Beginners [10:48]

- Start simple and gradually add features and organization.

- Avoid over-complicating the setup by watching long tutorials.

💡 Important Insights

• • Markdown file format ensures notes remain accessible and portable across different software. [2:19]
• • The Obsidian Web Clipper is highly versatile for saving content from the web. [7:00]
• • The backlinking feature significantly enhances note organization and recall. [3:14]

📖 Notable Examples & Stories

• • Reysu's experience with Notion and Apple Notes, highlighting the drawbacks of subscription models and ecosystem lock-in. [0:53]
• • Using the Obsidian Web Clipper to save and take notes on YouTube videos with an LLM API for summaries. [7:00]
• • Using the Map View extension to track restaurants and places visited. [9:40]
• • Using Obsidian to easily search for essential documents like driver's licenses. [10:16]

🎓 Key Takeaways

• 1. Obsidian is a powerful, flexible, and free note-taking app, especially for those who value data ownership and organization.
• 2. Leveraging backlinks and extensions greatly enhances note-taking efficiency and knowledge management.
• 3. Start with a simple setup and customize it over time to suit your needs.

✅ Action Items (if applicable)

□ Explore Obsidian and experiment with its features. □ Try out the Minimal theme and the recommended extensions. □ Consider using Theia Study to enhance your learning process.