the_information_nexus/personal/obsidian_getting_started.md

Quick Start Guide: Tagging in Obsidian

Using tags in Obsidian can help you organize, search, and connect your notes more effectively. This Quick Start guide will help you set up a basic tagging system, while the full guide provides more advanced techniques and integration with Obsidian features.

Introduction

Tags in Obsidian allow you to categorize and structure your notes in a meaningful way, making it easier to manage and navigate your knowledge base.

Step 1: Create Main Category Tags

Define broad themes that encapsulate your notes:

• #personal
• #work
• #research
• #ideas
• #projects

Step 2: Add Essential Sub-tags

Break down main categories into specific sub-tags:

• #personal
  • #personal/journal
  • #personal/goals
• #work
  • #work/meetings
  • #work/tasks
• #research
  • #research/articles
  • #research/books

Step 3: Use Descriptive Tags

Apply cross-category tags to add meaningful context:

• #productivity
• #finance
• #technology

Step 4: Apply Status Tags

Indicate the progress of your notes:

• #status/to-do
• #status/in-progress
• #status/completed

Step 5: Follow Consistent Naming Conventions

Maintain consistency for easier navigation:

• Use lowercase letters
• Use hyphens or underscores to separate words
• Use numbers for sequences or dates

Example of a Tagged Note

Here's a practical example of how to tag a note:

# Meeting Notes - Project X
- Discussed project timeline #projects/projectX
- Assigned tasks to team members #status/to-do
- Reviewed budget and expenses #finance

#type/meeting-notes #work/meetings

By implementing this basic tagging system, you'll start to experience the benefits of improved organization, searchability, and insight generation in your Obsidian knowledge base.

The Benefits of Using Tags in Obsidian

Improved Organization

Tags allow you to categorize and structure your notes in a meaningful way, making it easier to navigate and manage your knowledge base. They offer a flexible and intuitive organizational system beyond a simple folder hierarchy.

Enhanced Searchability

Tags make it easier to find and retrieve specific notes or groups of notes. Instead of relying solely on search terms or remembering exact note titles, you can quickly access all notes related to a particular topic by searching for the relevant tag.

Increased Flexibility

Tags enable multiple ways of classifying and connecting notes beyond a rigid folder structure. A single note can have multiple tags, allowing it to belong to different categories or contexts simultaneously, promoting a more dynamic and interconnected knowledge management approach.

Insight Generation

Tags can reveal patterns, connections, and relationships between ideas that might otherwise remain hidden. By exploring notes that share common tags, you may discover new insights, generate creative ideas, or identify areas for further research or development.

Customization

Tagging systems can be tailored to suit individual needs, workflows, and preferences. Whether you prefer a simple or complex tagging hierarchy, you can adapt your system over time to reflect your evolving knowledge base and goals, providing a personalized and efficient note management approach.

Integration with Obsidian Features

Tags can be used in combination with other powerful Obsidian features to create a highly interconnected and functional knowledge management system. For example:

• Use links to create a network of related notes.
• Employ queries to automatically generate lists of notes based on specific tag criteria.
• Set up saved searches for frequently used tag combinations.

This integration amplifies the overall power and utility of your Obsidian workspace.

By leveraging the benefits of tags in Obsidian, you can transform your collection of notes into a well-organized, easily searchable, and insightful knowledge base that supports your learning, creativity, and productivity.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide: BrainArchive

Step 1: Create a New Vault

1. Open Obsidian.
2. Click on "Create new vault."
3. Name your vault BrainArchive.
4. Choose a location for your vault and click "Create."

Step 2: Set Up Main Categories

1. Open a new note and title it Main Categories.
2. List the primary themes or categories:

   #personal
   #work
   #research
   #ideas
   #projects
   #learning
   #hobbies
   #reference
   

Step 3: Create Sub-tags

1. For each main category, create a note and list the sub-tags. For example, create a note titled #personal and add:

   #personal/journal
   #personal/goals
   #personal/health
   

2. Repeat for other categories:

   • Work: #work/meetings, #work/tasks, #work/projects
   • Research: #research/articles, #research/books, #research/experiments
   • Ideas: #ideas/blog, #ideas/business, #ideas/creative
   • Projects: #projects/001, #projects/002, #projects/003
   • Learning: #learning/courses, #learning/books, #learning/notes
   • Hobbies: #hobbies/travel, #hobbies/photography, #hobbies/cooking
   • Reference: #reference/tools, #reference/resources, #reference/templates

Step 4: Apply Descriptive Tags

1. Create a note titled Descriptive Tags.
2. List general tags:

   #productivity
   #finance
   #marketing
   #technology
   #creativity
   #psychology
   #wellness
   #education
   #innovation
   

Step 5: Special Tags for Note Types or Status

1. Create a note titled Special Tags.
2. List tags for note types and status:

   #type/meeting-notes
   #type/book-summary
   #type/article-review
   #type/brainstorm
   #status/to-do
   #status/in-progress
   #status/completed
   #status/archived
   

Step 6: Use Nested Tags

1. Create notes for nested tags under relevant main categories.
2. Example for projects:

   #projects/project1/task1
   #projects/project1/task2
   #projects/project2/phase1
   #projects/project2/phase2
   

Step 7: Consistent Naming Conventions

1. Add a note titled Naming Conventions.
2. Describe your rules:

   - Use lowercase letters.
   - Use hyphens or underscores for spaces.
   - Incorporate numbers for sequences or dates (e.g., #project/001, #idea/2023/05/22).
   

Step 8: Combine with Other Obsidian Features

1. Create a note titled Using Tags with Other Features.
2. Outline how to use tags with links, backlinks, queries, and the tag pane.

Step 9: Regular Review and Refinement

1. Set a periodic reminder (monthly, quarterly) to review and refine your tag system.
2. Adjust the hierarchy, merge similar tags, and remove unused ones as needed.

Example Note

Create a sample note to illustrate how to use the tags:

# Meeting with John - Project Update

- Discussed progress on #projects/001
- Identified bottlenecks in #projects/001/task2
- Brainstormed ideas for improving #productivity
- Scheduled follow-up meeting for next week #2023/05/28

#type/meeting-notes #work/meetings #status/completed

Summary of Starting Point Tags

Main Categories

• #personal
• #work
• #research
• #ideas
• #projects
• #learning
• #hobbies
• #reference

Sub-tags

• #personal
  • #personal/journal
  • #personal/goals
  • #personal/health
• #work
  • #work/meetings
  • #work/tasks
  • #work/projects
• #research
  • #research/articles
  • #research/books
  • #research/experiments
• #ideas
  • #ideas/blog
  • #ideas/business
  • #ideas/creative
• #projects
  • #projects/001
  • #projects/002
  • #projects/003
• #learning
  • #learning/courses
  • #learning/books
  • #learning/notes
• #hobbies
  • #hobbies/travel
  • #hobbies/photography
  • #hobbies/cooking
• #reference
  • #reference/tools
  • #reference/resources
  • #reference/templates

Descriptive Tags

• #productivity
• #finance
• #marketing
• #technology
• #creativity
• #psychology
• #wellness
• #education
• #innovation

Special Tags

• #type
  • `#type/meeting-notes

`

• #type/book-summary
• #type/article-review
• #type/brainstorm
• #status
  • #status/to-do
  • #status/in-progress
  • #status/completed
  • #status/archived

This setup will provide a robust, organized structure for your notes, making it easier to manage and navigate your knowledge base.

---

List of Enhancements for Obsidian: Functionality and Free Tools

To further improve your Obsidian workflow, here are some functional enhancements and free tools to consider. These enhancements will help you maximize the capabilities of Obsidian and streamline your note-taking process.

1. Folder and Tag Structure Enhancements

• Inbox Processing: Create an Inbox folder to capture quick notes and ideas. Regularly process and move notes from the Inbox to appropriate folders or tag them accordingly.
• Tag Pane: Use the Tag Pane to get a visual overview of your tags. It helps in navigating and managing tags more effectively.
• Tag Aliases: Use tag aliases to handle different variations of tags (e.g., #task and #tasks). This can be managed with the Tag Wrangler plugin.

2. Templates

• Daily Notes Template: Customize a template for daily journaling, including sections for tasks, events, and reflections.
• Project Template: Create a template for new projects that includes sections for goals, milestones, tasks, and notes.
• Meeting Notes Template: Enhance your meeting notes template with predefined sections for agenda, attendees, notes, and action items.

3. Plugins for Enhanced Functionality

Essential Free Plugins

• Templater: Allows advanced templating features, including dynamic content generation.
• Daily Notes: Automatically create and manage daily notes.
• Tag Wrangler: Helps in managing and organizing tags more efficiently.
• Calendar: Integrates a calendar view to quickly access daily notes.
• Dataview: Create dynamic views and queries for your notes.

Recommended Free Plugins

• Advanced Tables: Enhance table creation and editing within notes.
• Kanban: Organize tasks and projects using Kanban boards within Obsidian.
• Checklist: Add checklists to your notes for better task management.
• Quick Switcher++: Enhance the default quick switcher for faster navigation.
• Admonition: Add callouts and information boxes for better visual structuring.

4. Advanced Features

• Linking and Backlinks: Regularly use internal links and check the Backlinks pane to discover connections between notes.
• Graph View: Utilize the graph view to visualize relationships between notes and identify knowledge gaps.
• Queries: Use the Dataview plugin to create complex queries and generate dynamic lists of notes based on tags, dates, or other criteria.

5. Customization and Appearance

• Custom CSS: Personalize the appearance of Obsidian using custom CSS snippets. For example, customize headers, lists, and code blocks to match your preferences.
• Themes: Explore and apply different free themes available in the Obsidian community to enhance the visual appeal of your workspace.

6. Productivity Enhancements

• Keyboard Shortcuts: Customize keyboard shortcuts for frequently used commands to improve efficiency.
• Workspace Layouts: Save and load different workspace layouts for various tasks, such as writing, reviewing, or brainstorming.

7. Periodic Review and Maintenance

• Review Routine: Establish a routine to review and refine your notes and tags regularly. This ensures your system remains effective and up-to-date.
• Merge Similar Tags: Regularly check for and merge similar or redundant tags to maintain a clean and efficient tagging system.
• Archive Old Notes: Periodically review and archive outdated or irrelevant notes to keep your knowledge base current.

8. Integration with Other Tools

• Readwise: Integrate Readwise (free plan available) to import highlights from articles and books directly into Obsidian.
• Excalidraw: Use the Excalidraw plugin for freehand drawing and diagrams within your notes.

Summary of Enhancements

1. Folder and Tag Structure Enhancements: Inbox processing, Tag Pane, Tag Aliases.
2. Templates: Daily notes, project, and meeting notes templates.
3. Plugins for Enhanced Functionality: Essential and recommended free plugins.
4. Advanced Features: Linking and backlinks, Graph View, Queries.
5. Customization and Appearance: Custom CSS, themes.
6. Productivity Enhancements: Keyboard shortcuts, workspace layouts.
7. Periodic Review and Maintenance: Review routine, merge similar tags, archive old notes.
8. Integration with Other Tools: Readwise, Excalidraw.

These enhancements will provide a robust and functional Obsidian setup, allowing you to efficiently manage and navigate your notes while leveraging the full potential of this powerful tool.

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Tips, Tricks, and KPIs for the BrainArchive System in Obsidian

To complement your BrainArchive system, here is a collection of tips, tricks, and key performance indicators (KPIs) that can help you optimize your workflow, stay organized, and measure your progress effectively. These suggestions are aligned with the overall structure and goals of your BrainArchive system.

General Tips and Tricks

1. Maximize Use of Shortcuts

• Tip: Customize keyboard shortcuts for frequently used commands to improve efficiency.
• Action: Go to Settings > Hotkeys and assign shortcuts to actions like creating a new note, opening the command palette, or toggling the sidebar.
• Example: Set Ctrl+N to create a new note instantly.

2. Regularly Review and Refine Tags

• Tip: Periodically review your tags to merge similar ones and delete unused ones.
• Action: Schedule a monthly review session to maintain a clean and efficient tagging system.
• Example: Use the Tag Wrangler plugin to easily merge #todo and #tasks into a single #tasks tag.

3. Use Templates for Consistency

• Tip: Create and use templates for recurring types of notes (e.g., daily notes, meeting notes, project plans).
• Action: Set up templates in a dedicated Templates folder and use the Templater plugin to insert them quickly.
• Example: Create a daily note template with sections for tasks, events, and reflections.

4. Leverage the Graph View

• Tip: Use the Graph View to visualize relationships between notes and identify knowledge gaps.
• Action: Enable the Graph View and explore connections between your notes regularly.
• Example: Use the graph view to identify orphaned notes that need linking.

5. Optimize Note Linking

• Tip: Regularly link related notes to create a network of interconnected ideas.
• Action: Use [[Note Title]] to create internal links and check the Backlinks pane to see all notes linking to the current note.
• Example: Link project notes to related research and meeting notes.

Advanced Tricks

6. Automate Daily Note Creation

• Tip: Automate the creation of daily notes with predefined sections for tasks, events, and reflections.
• Action: Use the Daily Notes plugin and customize the daily note template.
• Example: Set up the Daily Notes plugin to create a new note each day with the template below:

  # <% tp.date.now("YYYY-MM-DD") %>
  
  ## Morning Routine
  - [ ] Exercise
  - [ ] Meditation
  - [ ] Breakfast
  
  ## Daily Goals
  - [ ] 
  
  ## Notes
  - 
  
  ## End of Day Reflection
  - What went well?
  - What could be improved?
  

7. Dynamic Note Queries

• Tip: Use the Dataview plugin to create dynamic views and queries for your notes.
• Action: Write Dataview queries to generate lists of notes based on tags, dates, or other criteria.
• Example: Create a query to list all notes created in the last 7 days:

  table date(created) as "Date Created", file.name as "Note"
  from ""
  where date(today) - date(created) < 7
  sort date(created) desc
  

8. Create Saved Searches

• Tip: Set up saved searches for frequently used tag combinations or specific criteria.
• Action: Use the search functionality in Obsidian and save search queries for quick access.
• Example: Save a search for all notes tagged with #status/in-progress to quickly view ongoing tasks.

9. Utilize the Tag Pane

• Tip: Use the Tag Pane to get a visual overview of your tags and navigate them efficiently.
• Action: Enable the Tag Pane in Obsidian's settings and organize your tags visually.
• Example: Use the Tag Pane to find all notes related to #research and its sub-tags.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

10. Note Creation Rate

• KPI: Track the number of new notes created each week or month.
• Why: Helps measure your productivity and information capture rate.
• Action: Use a Dataview query to count notes created within a specific time frame.
• Example:

  table date(created) as "Date Created", file.name as "Note"
  from ""
  where date(today) - date(created) < 30
  sort date(created) desc
  

11. Tag Utilization

• KPI: Monitor the distribution and frequency of tags used.
• Why: Ensures balanced and effective categorization of notes.
• Action: Use the Tag Pane or Dataview plugin to analyze tag usage patterns.
• Example:

  table length(file.tags) as "Number of Tags", file.tags as "Tags"
  from ""
  sort length(file.tags) desc
  

12. Interlinked Notes

• KPI: Measure the percentage of notes with internal links to other notes.
• Why: Higher interlinking indicates a well-connected knowledge base.
• Action: Use a Dataview query to count notes with links and calculate the percentage.
• Example:

  table file.name as "Note", length(file.outlinks) as "Links"
  from ""
  where length(file.outlinks) > 0
  

13. Task Completion Rate

• KPI: Track the number of completed tasks versus outstanding tasks.
• Why: Helps gauge productivity and progress on projects.
• Action: Use the Checklist plugin or a Dataview query to track task status.
• Example:

  table file.name as "Note", task.text as "Task", task.completed as "Completed"
  from ""
  where contains(file.tasks, "completed: false")
  

14. Review and Update Frequency

• KPI: Monitor the frequency of note reviews and updates.
• Why: Regular reviews keep your knowledge base current and relevant.
• Action: Use a Dataview query to list notes updated within a specific time frame.
• Example:

  table date(edited) as "Last Edited", file.name as "Note"
  from ""
  where date(today) - date(edited) < 30
  sort date(edited) desc
  

By implementing these tips, tricks, and KPIs, you can enhance the effectiveness of your BrainArchive system in Obsidian, ensuring a well-organized, efficient, and productive note-taking environment.