# Obsidian is great, but learning is inherently hard 2025-04-03 #### If you are looking into switching to Obsidian, maybe my journey can help you. The very first video about Obsidian was published on my YouTube channel on March 14, 2023. What some of you may not know is that I had been using it for longer than that to help clients here and there. However, that amount of time is nothing when compared to the muscle memory I have developed from using #Evernote for every little thing in my life for 16 years. The problem with the new is that it is always unwelcoming. It’s not only the different way of doing things; it’s also the constant uncertainty about doing anything. And at that point, Obsidian was not only new to me, but there's also the sheer number of settings and plugins making it feel so overwhelming. ![[vladcampos.com/Static/Toolbox/Evernote/Evernote posts|Evernote posts]] To make matters worse, I decided to bring my YouTube audience along with me on that new journey. For a long time, I have had the idea of creating a vlog-style productivity series on my channel that would show how I organize life and work. I thought that learning #Obsidian would be a great opportunity to try that, but it ended up creating unnecessary confusion, as it is challenging to film myself figuring out things happening in real time. Back to my point. After so many trials and errors, I’m now much more comfortable with how Obsidian works. Some of the setups I came up with, like the homepage demonstrated in the video below, are now running for a considerable amount of time and working so well. Furthermore, my [[vladcampos.com/Static/Timeline System|Timeline System]] has matured to the point where it allows me to seamlessly navigate my daily activities.  Don’t tell anyone, but because of all of that, I feel like recording many of my past videos again. Anyway, you are not here for this. Let's go through my tips for switching to a new app. Before that, a disclaimer is needed, right? The following is how I did things. It’s also based on the strategy I use to help my [[vladcampos.com/Action/💡 Consulting|clients]], but it may not be suitable for you. So think of the suggestions below as just that, suggestions. #### From Evernote to Obsidian First, I didn’t abandon Evernote. I knew how things worked there, which mad it my safe haven during the transition period. With that in mind, the first actual homework was to learn the basics about the mysterious #Obsidian. Because of my clients, I had already done part of that before. But now I needed to move a step further and see how things would work in real life. To accomplish that, I created the first of many local vaults on my Mac to work as a sandbox. Once that was done, I copied, I repeat, copied, not moved, parts of my notes. In some ways, Obsidian is so similar to #Evernote, but in others, like how files are stored, it’s an entirely different approach. However, it works in such a way that you can have as many vaults as you wish and easily delete the ones that didn’t work. As long as you are coping your files, you can consider the multiple vaults to be a process of prototyping and iterating. Like I mentioned at the beginning of the article, there’s a universe of settings and plugins. I suggest avowing all plugins as you are getting to know your way around. As for the settings, try to look for the answers as you need them. For example, when you feel like you have to learn how to format text, go look for tutorials on how to do that. ![[vladcampos.com/Static/Toolbox/Markdown/What is Markdown|What is Markdown]] As you get used to it, move some more parts of your system, but I would still think of what you are doing on the new app as in experimental mode. It will take a while for you to get used to the numerous new things that are still making you uneasy. If you followed my progress on [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@vladcampos), you know that I was constantly changing my setup and being frustrated by all the new ways of doing things. And let’s not forget that I was doing all the above while still using Evernote. So much so that at a certain point, I had a good portion of my activities being managed with the help of both apps, and that was driving me crazy. To make things even more miserable, Evernote decided to redesign its mobile app. Now, on top of learning a new system, I had to adapt to a new way of doing things on the app I was so familiar with. It was a lot, but it was worth it. It felt like a final partnership with my old friend, Evernote. The new design and new ways to do things helped me eventually find a way to implement the [[vladcampos.com/Static/Timeline System|Timeline System]] that had been brewing in my head for so many years. Yes, the Timeline System I use in Obsidian and in the [Supernote](https://vladcampos.com/sn) came to be because of my struggles with Evernote. With that settled, the next step was to replicate the system in Obsidian and start moving all my files. But I did it one notebook at a time. I would export an Evernote notebook, import it to Obsidian, organize all the mess, and, just as a last resort, keep the exported notebook as a backup. In case you are wondering, yes, I still have them in a backup drive. ![[vladcampos.com/Static/Toolbox/Obsidian/Obsidian posts|Obsidian posts]] #### Plugins But we are not done just yet. As I have already mentioned several times, Obsidian is full of settings and plugins. My strategy here is the same as at the beginning of this process. Whenever I need something that Obsidian cannot do, I start looking for a plugin. I try to stick with the ones that do one of a few things, but every so often that's not possible. For example, the [Tasks plugin](https://youtu.be/c6A0u6NQccw) is too much for my needs, but I couldn't find a lighter alternative that would work for me. Templater and all its features is one that I'm avoiding, as the [Auto Template Trigger](https://youtu.be/hzNg1_mNoT4) does almost everything I require. But when it comes to having fun, it looks like that rule doesn't apply. I love using and tweaking every detail possible on the [Map plugin](https://youtu.be/sZdmJdOZuSs).  Which brings us to one of the reasons I switched to Obsidian. Evernote has been on a downward trend of removing features since version 10 was released. I thought for a moment that Bending Spoons was going to bring old features back, but they kept removing them. Guess what, many of the removed features I used to love in Evernote exist on Obsidian as a setting or are available as a plugin. And in most cases, these are better variations of what existed on Evernote. And that makes me so full of joy! It's like being in a parallel universe, where Evernote evolved to what Obsidian is today. Back to reality, I'm definitely happy. So happy! In summary, what I'm trying to say is first, have a safe haven. Second, take your time. Really, take your time. This will be a long project. Third, you already have a lot on your plate, don't create more problems for yourself. Go look for settings and plugins only when you genuinely need to fulfill a specific requirement. ![[vladcampos.com/Timeline/Blog/Posts|Posts]]