Before I started using Obsidian, I found myself constantly switching between different note-taking apps without a clear understanding of why I hadn’t yet perfected my system. However, everything changed when I began using Obsidian. The freedom it offered allowed me to truly reflect on my needs and preferences. With its extensive customization options, it prompted me to consider what I truly desired instead of settling for features pre-determined by someone else’s idea of importance.
This newfound flexibility led to a pattern of frequently changing my system, each iteration seemingly better than the last, only to discover that what felt perfect at one point eventually lost its luster. It was during this process that I realized it wasn’t my system that was imperfect; rather, it was my needs that were constantly evolving.
Initially overwhelmed by the plethora of choices, I gradually discerned what truly mattered and developed a newfound resiliency. This allowed me to set up new configurations more swiftly while maintaining a system simple enough to pivot entirely when necessary.
This enhanced ability to think and adapt was largely thanks to the architecture of Obsidian itself. While I initially felt I wasn’t using Obsidian for its intended purpose, I came to understand that Obsidian is designed to empower users. It has a core objective but remains forgiving when users venture beyond it. I firmly believe that the secondary objective of Obsidian is to help users better understand themselves and construct a perfect (though continually evolving) system within the app or even across multiple apps. This core shift in thinking wouldn’t have been possible without Obsidian.
So, even if you no longer use Obsidian in the future, you’ll indirectly employ the thinking skills you’ve honed through your experience with it. It’s a powerful tool for learning and discovery, a bold statement for a note-taking app but undoubtedly true.