A while back, I started looking for a better way to organize my notes, to-dos, and those random thoughts that pop into my head while juggling daily work and family life. After trying a handful of note-taking apps, I settled on Obsidian. Here’s why:
What I Like About Obsidian
Local Storage & Ownership: Your notes are simply Markdown files on your computer. I love knowing that I don’t have to rely on a cloud service. It gives me peace of mind, especially when dealing with sensitive work-related information.
Linked Notes & Graph View: The ability to link pages and see how they’re connected visually is a game-changer. It’s almost like building a personal wiki of my thoughts, helping me discover patterns I didn’t notice before.
Customization & Plugins: Obsidian is highly extensible. There are tons of community plugins that can tailor the app to your unique workflow, whether you’re a developer, project manager, or a parent like me trying to keep track of the kids’ schedules.
Markdown Familiarity: If you’re comfortable with plain text and simple formatting, Markdown feels natural. It’s both human and machine-readable, which makes it easy to share notes, move them around, and back them up without any issues.
What Could Be Better
- Learning Curve: Obsidian can feel a bit overwhelming at first. It’s not as straightforward as a basic note app because of its many features and plugins.
- Mobile Syncing: While it’s possible to sync notes through services like Google Drive or iCloud, it’s not as seamless as some built-in cloud options. I’ve got it working, but it took a bit of tinkering.
Why Use It?
If you’re the kind of person who values flexibility and control over your data, or you enjoy the idea of building a personal knowledge base that grows over time, Obsidian is worth a shot. With its mix of simplicity (Markdown!) and powerful linking features, it encourages you to explore your own thoughts more deeply. Plus, once you get the hang of it, it might just become the place where all your best ideas live and grow.