Obsidian
Obsidian Properties Explained (how-to for beginners)
Obsidian Properties let you add more information to a note in a database style. Including text, links, dates, checkboxes, and numbers. They are also a great way to supercharge Obsidian when combined with some community plugins.
How to add the current date and time to #Obsidian notes (automatically).
People keep asking me how to create new notes with today’s date on Obsidian. So, I just published a quick how-to. And now I’m thinking about the possibility of creating more brief videos on other subjects. Would you like that?
Must-Have Feature still MISSING (#Obsidian 1.6)
Obsidian 1.6 has many great new features, but there’s one I’ve been waiting for a while, and it’s not here yet.
Auto Template Trigger plugin (how-to)
What if I told you there’s a way to set Obsidian to always know what template to add to each of your notes?
3 mindful options to send #Supernote notes to #Obsidian.
Ever wanted to send your Supernote notes to Obsidian? Well, there are some ways to do that. Some examples include converting a note to PDF, opening Supernote notes in Obsidian, and even screenshotting notes directly into Obsidian. Check out my video below to learn how.
I’ve been testing alternatives to make #Obsidian and my #Supernote Nomad play nice with each other. Obviously, a video is in the works š
On how #Bookmarks became the backbone of my #Obsidian system.
I recently made an adjustment to the system I use on Obsidian to collect ideas and follow-up with my creator work. Bookmarks are now playing the main role.
Hey #Evernote, please allow us to personalize the new Home.
Today’s video is an experiment. I always liked the chronology vibe of a vlog, and I wanted to add it to my channel. But instead of my daily routines, what I would like to do would be to share a constant stream of content related to my interactions with products and services I use and love.
It’s of course, easier said than done, but I think I’m getting there. Today’s videoĀ is as close to what I have in mind as I could ever get. The first important element is that it starts as a follow-up to Saturday’s video. Then there are the related topics. The beginning of the video has everything to do with one of Obsidian’s vaults, which in turn is linked to what I find interesting in Scrintal.
I use Evernote, Obsidian, and others. Why isn't one app goodĀ enough?
Not all applications in my Toolbox are incorporated into my personal workflows.
There are two groups of apps in my Toolbox. First, there are the ones I use in my workflows and to help my clients. The second group consists of apps that I donāt use. They are options for my clients that are regularly selected from the numerous tests and experiments Iām constantly doing. Occasionally, they are also featured on my YouTube channel.
The MightyĀ Trio
For example, Trello, which I don’t personally use, is one of my preferred options when it comes to helping companies build workflows. My clients usually donāt have much time and donāt want to spend it with settings. They appreciate how simple and intuitive it is to understand and use Trello.
In other words, the team doesn’t waste time during the implementation of the new process or, after that, in production. Furthermore, it typically takes me only five online sessions to assist small business in establishing their workflows, acquiring knowledge of Agile and Kanban principles, and applying them to Trello.
The same is true for Evernote. I am constantly approached by CEOs and managers, who are overwhelmed with the amount of time they are wasting with all the possible configurations apps like Notion offer.
The fundamental components of Evernote, namely notes and notebooks, require minimal effort to understand and use. Then thereās the outstanding search. Give busy people a way to quickly find information, even in a messy environment, and theyāll be forever grateful.
Its simplicity is still unmatched today. That’s why I still use Evernote for many things, especially the ones related to the calendar, even though I’ve been using Obsidian a lot. More on that soon.
Its powerful search is also very much appreciated. For instance, if someone contacts me, and Iām not sure if weāve met before, Iāll search for their email address on Evernote looking for notes related to past interactions. This is something I frequently do and it’s magical.
More recently, I moved my tasks back to Evernote to try two new features. The full-screen view and tasks on the calendar.
Then thereās Google Workspace, which is equally easy to use and intuitive. But that doesnāt make it less powerful. The real-time collaboration it offers is unparalleled and almost unbreakable. When you add in the fact that documents can be linked to Evernote, Trello, and so many other services, itās a truly unique product. Sometimes it even works as a bridge between apps.
Many of my clients, from different industries, adopt a variation of a workflow that starts with outlines on an Evernote note and resources clipped into a notebook. When the time comes, a Google Doc is created and linked to that note. These two simple steps ensure that the research material, outline, and draft of the final document are all easily accessible.
Eventually, the document reaches a stage where more team members are required to collaborate on it, and it is now shared on a Trello board. Other times, it is shared on Slack, instead of Trello. And that’s fine because the document is always the same. No matter where it is, everyone will be able to work on it while Googleās real-time editing will be doing its magic.
Itās also a matter of taste. Like many of my clients, I simply cannot stand all the buttons and so many settings on Microsoft products. Iāve been a happy Workspace user since 2015 and have no intention of leaving anytime soon.
These apps are formidable, as they are all intuitive and work seamlessly together. I canāt remember how many companies I helped with this trio.
Obsidian
Some of you may recall the series of videos I made about moving the files I had in Evernote to Google Drive. That idea came from Obsidian, which I started using long before Evernote was acquired by Bending Spoons.
My written content has many media elements. Sometimes it is a thumbnail like the one you see in this article, other times itās a clip that I plan to use in a future video. Sure, all these files can be added to Evernote, but thereās no easy way to work on them out of the note.
The thumbnail in this article, for instance, was initially created on Pixelmator before being converted to a JPG. And that is an ideal use case for Obsidian, which keeps notes and all files in our computer files system. We can access and use them from Obsidian or from the computer file system. It doesn’t matter. In other words, I can include the thumbnail in a note, like the one I created for this article, and, at the same time, edit it using whatever app I wish.
While we are discussing this topic, I have always had the desire to post directly from Evernote, but I was never able to find the proper solution. Thatās not the case anymore. For a while now, all my articles and short posts start their lives as a note on Obsidian, which brings us to another tool I love.
Micro.blog is now my hub from where I manage all my online presence. Itās a great tool and there are many videos about it on my channel.
Another interesting workflow is the draft of my next book, which I can write on Obsidian and synchronize with Scrivener. Again, thatās only possible because of how Obsidian notes and files are stored on our computers.
I believe you got the point. Iām using Obsidian for all file-related workflows.
Workflow as aĀ Concept
Since English is not my primary language, I frequently require assistance from technology. LanguageTool is my grammar and spelling tool of choice, particularly because itās a European company with a strong privacy policy. Sadly, there is no Android app available, but thatās okay since most of the time Iām writing on a computer. Which brings us to a workflow I established for my writing.
As you can see in this video, LanguageTool saves temporary or permanent texts. When I have an idea, I create a permanent text, work on it for days, weeks, months or for as long as it takes, then I paste it to Obsidian, format it, and publish it on my blog from there. The last step is adjusting the text saving format to temporary, which will automatically delete it from LanguageTool after a few days.
Thatās what I call a Workflow as a Concept. You donāt need to use a Kanban board or an app to plan and keep track of all the stages. If the process is clear to you, a simple temporary-permanent text setting will suffice.
Hardware
I recently started using a Supernote, and similar to what I described above, it is now part of a Workflow as a Concept. I don’t know why it happens, but very time I come back from a run, I have this storm of ideas that I have to write down.
Writing all of that on my computer or phone was never a viable option. Thereās too much friction. What I do now is grab the Supernote and take notes with tags that will help me filter that information in the future. Sometimes itās just an outline, other times itās a sentence or two.
Iām in love with how simple and efficient this is and will soon talk about it on the Supernote series on my YouTube channel.
And talking about running, my watch of choice is a Garmin Instinct 2. I stand for all the reasons I listed in the 2-year-old video below. The only complaint I have is something I found out much latter. Its battery is not replaceable. And although it’s still averaging 20 days in between charges, a sealed device is something that makes no sense in todayās world.
There are, of course, more software like Firefox, Signal, Final Cut, Apple Motion and others, but this article is already too long, and Iād say the above are the ones that really make my workflow flow.
Two Web Clipper solutions I use to send information toĀ Obsidian.
Collecting information is an important part of my learning process, but Obsidian doesnāt have something as powerful as the Evernote Web Clipper.
To find a solution, I tried different ideas until I came up with one that works well for me. I use two different tools, and I hope that they will inspire you to create your own system.
There are two types of clippings I do.
Sometimes, I need to preserve the page format, and even Evernoteās Web Clipper is not always good at that. This is the reason why I began using the print to PDF function and then dragging the PDF into a note in Evernote. You can see how I do it by watching the video below.
For this specific type of clipping, I am doing the same on Obsidian. But, since thereās nothing there similar to the āforward email to Evernoteā feature, Iām also āprinting to PDFā the emails I what to keep. However, like I explained in a recent video, Iām not creating notes for PDFs anymore. I’m simply saving them as files in the related folders.
The other type of clipping I do is text. Most of the time, all I need is the information, the text, and Evernoteās Web Clipper was always excellent at that. As for Obsidian, here’s where Steph Ango amazing solution was super helpful.
Like other Obsidian features and plugins, there are many options and a different one may be more suitable for your needs. In my case, I am enjoying the Web Clipper created by the CEO. A post on his blog even provides instructions for customizing it, which I did. How cool is that?
His post has everything you need to understand how to install, use and customize the Web Clipper. And in my video below, I share my reasoning for doing what I do and how I customized his solution to better work with the Proprieties I use in my Obsidian notes.