Published inObsidian Observer·PinnedMember-onlyThree easy ways to get started with Obsidian when you don’t know what you’re doingPick one of these PKM patterns for a solid foundation for your note system — One of the most common questions people ask about Obsidian is how they should set it up. …Obsidian6 min readObsidian6 min read
Published inObsidian Observer·PinnedMember-onlyFive tips to make backlinks more useful and easier to work with in ObsidianFive tips to give backlinks more context and make them more useful This is one of several posts on backlinks. There’s a super basic intro to backlinks, this post on understanding and navigating your backlinks, and another on using backlinks to generate information. It took me a while to figure out the fuss about backlinks. I started with a zettelkasten-eque, research-focused PKM…Pkm7 min readPkm7 min read
PinnedMember-onlyHow to approach tags in your personal knowledge management (PKM) systemTags work best when they’re useful at the level of an individual note. Updated May 8, 2022 When you use tags, they spread. They want to appear everywhere. And appearing everywhere, we tend to have a global, top-down organization, process, or governance for the tags we use. …Pkm3 min readPkm3 min read
PinnedMember-onlyGet started with easy, evergreen notes for personal knowledge management (PKM)Updated Sunday, May 8 and Saturday, April 20, 2022 Like many of us, I spent some time at the start of the year looking for ways to improve my personal productivity. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this. I’ve been on a long journey to find an approach that’s…Pkm7 min readPkm7 min read
Oct 18, 2022SMART-G, a mnemonic for smart meeting notesSome thoughts on capturing key decisions in my meeting notes. Updated Saturday, November 6, 2022. I always miss an important detail in my meeting notes. My mind is focused on other parts of the discussion and story. Thinking about what I miss, it’s some of the key decisions. Things like…Notes2 min readNotes2 min read
Oct 5, 2022Member-onlyIntroduce yourself to clients: best practices for client introductionsLearn the three parts to a good introduction: reassure clients you’re who they should speak to, soothe their concerns, and telegraph your experience. If you’re like most people, you spend the beginning of a call waiting for your turn to introduce yourself. …Consulting5 min readConsulting5 min read
Published inObsidian Observer·May 22, 2022Member-onlyWhat—exactly—are backlinks?A brief introduction to the secret weapon of networked note-taking applications This is one of several posts on backlinks. There’s this super basic intro to backlinks, a post on understanding and navigating your backlinks, and another on using backlinks to generate information. …Pkm3 min readPkm3 min read
Published inObsidian Observer·May 1, 2022Member-onlyWhy it’s hard to get started: Obsidian’s not really a note-taking appNote-taking apps have ways they want you to work, a grain you should follow. Except Obsidian. Obsidian’s grain comes from you. — Updated May 8, 2022 This might sound odd, but Obsidian isn’t a note-taking app. On its website, the Obsidian team describes the app as “a second brain” and a “powerful knowledge base”, as well as an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for text files. And an IDE for text files isn’t…Obsidian3 min readObsidian3 min read
Apr 25, 2022How to introduce yourself to network at conferencesThis formula makes it easy to introduce yourself and to tailor your intro to who you want to meet. When you introduce yourself in business, you want to present yourself as the right and best person for the job. …Conference2 min readConference2 min read
Apr 21, 2022Six presentation tips to look more polished and smoothThese six tips help you look polished and smooth, regardless of any mistakes you might make during your conference presentation. These six tactics help smooth the rough edges of your presentation and polish the most valuable parts, so they stay shiny in your audience’s memory. Focus on transitions Know what’s…Conferences6 min readConferences6 min read