The Obsidian app supports writing, thinking, linking, and organizing your connected notes of information, thoughts, and ideas. I use Obsidian for my PKM system based on Linking Your Thinking (LYT) and Ideaverse for Obsidian.
Sharpen your thinking.
Obsidian is the private and flexible writing app that adapts to the way you think.
~ obsidian.md
This amazing app unleashes my thinking with key features for making notes and maps, linking and integration, journaling, ideas and knowledge, visual canvas and graphs, and extensive plugins for templates, dataview queries, periodic notes, and note refactoring.
It uses Markdown (plain text) files as an Obsidian vault in a local file system folder on my desktop iMac (macOS), which syncs with Obsidian Mobile on my iPhone (iOS) using the Obsidian Sync service. The app is also available for other platforms: Windows, Linux, and Android.
Obsidian Notes
I think that Obsidian is the best app for notes in my PKM system. Sometimes, there is a tendency to make it do more, like manage tasks and calendars; there are some features available in Markdown, such as bullet, numbered, or even checklist items that can mark items completed. Also, there are many plugins that add calendar features like daily notes and some that even incorporate tasks into your Obsidian notes, and they are quite sophisticated, such as Periodic Notes and Obsidian Tasks.
However, I don’t like the idea of making my linked note system into a task manager or calendar. I believe it’s better to use multiple apps that are each great in their area, rather than trying to making Obsidian do everything. I know it can be tempting, but I think it leads to unnecessary complications as you try to extend this further. I think the better solution is to integrate these other apps with Obsidian, so you have the best of them all together without diluting each one by making it something else.
Introduction
- Website - Visit the Obsidian website for an overview of the app
- Download the free Obsidian app for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, or Android
Resources
- Obsidian for Beginners – Learn the basics: Markdown, Linking, Hotkeys, Settings, Themes (free)
- Ideaverse for Obsidian – Download a basic starter kit for your PKM system. This free initial Ideaverse kit replaced the original LYT Kit, and now an enhanced Pro product is available.
- Ideaverse Pro - Pro and Zero Obsidian vaults, course, lessons, videos, documentation, initial 1.0 launch (Dec 2023), version 1.5 (Aug 2024) and 2.0 upgrade (Apr 2025), 12 months free updates ($250). I use this as the foundation of my Obsidian vaults for linked notes in my PKM system.
- Obsidian Flight School – A foundational Obsidian learning experience with hands-on vaults, videos, and exercises. Make notes at the speed of thought ($129). There have been 3 major releases: 1.0 (2021), 2.o (Jan 2023), and 2.5 (Mar 2024). See their webpage for more information on Flight School.
- LYT Workshop - A 30-day live cohort workshop that teaches a dynamic thinking system to organize ideas, develop knowledge, and create effectively. More workshop information is available at their website.
- Knowledge Accelerator - A comprehensive package that includes access to LYT Workshops; self-paced courses on Notemaking Mastery (NMM), Writing Original Works (WOW), and How to Work a Book; products such as Ideaverse Pro and Obsidian Flight School; community events and expert sessions. See their website for more Accelerator details.
