How I Would Learn Obsidian MD (If I could start over)

Learning Obsidian “MD” effectively comes down to a simple sequence: start by using it immediately, build note-taking habits first, then expand into linking, plugins, and community support as curiosity and real pain points demand it. The payoff is a personal knowledge system that grows into a connected “web of ideas,” not just a place to store text.

The recommended starting point is to treat Obsidian as a writing and capture tool before treating it as a complex platform. Early on, users should focus on basics like creating notes, using the quick switcher and search bar to find them, and formatting with Markdown. As familiarity grows, the core practice becomes “blinking your notes”—a shorthand for repeatedly revisiting and reworking notes so they stay alive and searchable. That repetition is what turns scattered entries into a personal Wikipedia of ideas, where old notes become foundational references for new thinking.

From there, the strategy shifts to structure: linking notes together in a way that mirrors how ideas connect in the brain. Instead of writing isolated documents, the approach emphasizes a linked-based workflow where new information can resurface earlier notes through connections. A key example is the “Evergreen notes” method associated with Andy Matuschak, described as “atomic” notes—each note focused on a single concept. Those small, Lego-like building blocks make it easier to assemble articles, guides, and goal-focused plans because each piece can be reused and recombined.

Once fundamentals are in place, the next phase is controlled expansion into Obsidian’s ecosystem. With daily notes for tracking “temporal thoughts,” tables for organizing content, and tools that go beyond text with diagrams and visuals, the platform can support far more than simple journaling. The challenge is that the plugin universe is large—mentioned as “700 plugins”—so the guidance is to avoid trying to learn everything at once. Instead, rely on other people and structured learning.

Community support is positioned as a practical accelerator: Obsidian’s Discord, the Forum page, and Reddit can help users find learning buddies, share resources, and even run weekly check-ins to troubleshoot obstacles. Even after months, improvement continues; the process is framed as never-ending, with the creator citing 500 days of use and still learning new techniques.

To keep pace with new workflows, the transcript recommends Eleanor Connex’s “Obsidian Roundup” for curated plugin and theme highlights, plus discussions drawn from Discord and Reddit. Finally, Obsidian is treated as a tool inside a larger goal: personal knowledge management. Two books anchor that philosophy—Sönke Ahrens’s “How to Take Smart Notes” for zettelkasten principles, and Thiago Forte’s “Building a Second Brain” for an end-to-end workflow from capturing knowledge to creating outputs. The endgame is to condense what matters, transform it into connected notes, and apply the system to real learning and creation.