obsidian-power-user

Obsidian Power User

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• User asks about obsidian power user techniques or best practices
• User needs guidance on obsidian power user concepts
• User wants to implement or improve their approach to obsidian power user

Do NOT use when:

• The request falls outside the scope of obsidian power user
• User needs a different specialized skill for their specific situation
• The topic requires professional consultation beyond general guidance

Questions to Ask First

1. What is your primary purpose for Obsidian? (Note-taking, research, writing, project management, PKM)
2. What does your current note-taking system look like? What's working and what isn't?
3. Are you familiar with Markdown?
4. How much content will you be working with? (Dozens, thousands, tens of thousands of notes)
5. Do you need to sync across devices?
6. Will you publish any of your notes?
7. Are you comfortable installing community plugins?
8. What other tools do you need to integrate with? (Zotero, Readwise, Todoist)
9. Do you prefer structured organization (folders) or emergent organization (links and tags)?
10. How much setup time are you willing to invest?

Zettelkasten Method in Obsidian

Core Principles

1. Atomic notes: Each note contains one idea, fully developed
2. Linking: Notes connect to other notes, creating a web of knowledge
3. Your own words: Never just copy -- restate ideas in your own understanding
4. Emergence: Structure emerges from connections, not pre-defined categories

Note Types

The Zettelkasten Workflow

1. CAPTURE: Encounter idea -> write fleeting note immediately
2. PROCESS (within 24-48 hrs): Write permanent note in own words,
   give clear title, add links, tag for discovery
3. CONNECT: Ask "What does this relate to?" Link to 2-5 existing notes.
   Update existing notes with backlinks. Add to relevant MOCs.
4. DEVELOP: Review clusters periodically, find patterns/contradictions,
   write synthesis notes
5. CREATE: Use note network as raw material for articles, essays, decisions

Linking Strategy

Types of Links

• Direct [[Note Name]]: Connecting directly related ideas
• Aliased [[Note Name|Display Text]]: When note name doesn't fit naturally in prose
• Block [[Note Name#^block-id]]: Referencing a specific paragraph
• Embedded ![[Note Name]]: Including another note's content inline (use sparingly)

Best Practices

1. Link generously but meaningfully -- every link should represent a genuine connection
2. Use descriptive titles -- "The Paradox of Choice in Decision Making" not "Note 47"
3. Bidirectional awareness -- when linking A to B, consider if B should also link to A
4. Context in links -- add a sentence explaining WHY you're linking
5. Avoid orphan notes -- every permanent note should have at least 2 links (in or out)
6. Link to concepts, not containers -- [[Compound Interest]] not [[Finance Folder]]

Graph Navigation

Graph View Settings

Filters: Show tags Off, Show attachments Off, Show orphans On
Groups (color code): MOCs: Blue, Literature: Green, Projects: Orange
Display: Center/Repel force Medium, Link force Low, Link distance Medium

Using the Graph

• Finding clusters: Dense groups indicate deep knowledge areas
• Finding gaps: Sparse areas suggest unexplored connections
• Finding orphans: Isolated nodes need more links or may be low-value
• Local graph: More useful for daily work -- shows only immediate connections

Essential Community Plugins

Must-Have

Recommended

Dataview Essentials

Add metadata via YAML frontmatter, then query it:

TABLE source, status, created
FROM "Sources"
WHERE type = "literature"
SORT created DESC LIMIT 10

Other useful queries: LIST FROM #productivity SORT file.mtime DESC, TASK FROM "Projects" WHERE !completed, notes modified this week using file.mtime >= date(today) - dur(7 days).

Templates

Daily Note Template

---
type: daily
date: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}}
---
# {{date:dddd, MMMM Do, YYYY}}

## Morning Intentions
- ONE most important thing:
- Energy level (1-10):

## Tasks
### Must Do
- [ ]
### Should Do
- [ ]

## Notes and Ideas

## End of Day Review
- What went well?
- What could be improved?

---
<< [[{{date-1d:YYYY-MM-DD}}]] | [[{{date+1d:YYYY-MM-DD}}]] >>

Permanent Note Template

---
type: permanent
topics: []
status: seed
created: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}}
---
# {{title}}

[One clear statement of the main idea]

## Explanation
[100-300 words in your own words]

## Connections
- Related to [[]]
- Supports/contradicts [[]]

## Source
[Where this idea came from]

Daily Notes Workflow

Morning (5-10 min): Open today's daily note, review yesterday for unfinished items, set top 3 tasks, check calendar.

Throughout the day: Capture fleeting notes in daily note, use [[double brackets]] freely, add tasks as they arise.

Evening (10-15 min): Process fleeting notes (create permanent notes, literature notes, or delete), check off tasks, write reflection, set tomorrow's priorities.

Making Daily Notes Discoverable

• Tag with topics: #meeting/project, #idea, #learning
• Use Dataview to aggregate across daily notes
• Link to relevant project and topic notes
• Monthly review: skim last 30 daily notes for missed insights

Publishing

Publish: Well-developed permanent notes, MOCs, how-to guides, original frameworks. Keep private: Fleeting notes, journals, incomplete thinking, sensitive info, daily notes.

PKM Principles

Vault Structure (Zettelkasten + PARA Hybrid)

/Inbox          Fleeting notes waiting to be processed
/Notes          Permanent notes (Zettelkasten)
/Sources        Literature notes
/MOCs           Maps of Content
/Projects       Active projects
/Areas          Ongoing areas of responsibility
/Templates      Note templates
/Archive        Completed and inactive material

Core Principles

1. Capture everything -- the cost of not capturing is higher than capturing too much
2. Process regularly -- unprocessed captures are worthless
3. Connect actively -- every note links to at least 2 other notes
4. Write in your own words -- copying without thinking is not learning
5. Use it for output -- a system only has value if you create from it
6. Trust the system -- search and link, don't try to remember locations
7. Simple beats complex -- the best system is one you actually use

Maintenance Schedule

Daily: Process inbox, update daily note
Weekly: Weekly review, process fleeting notes
Monthly: Review orphan notes, update MOCs, archive completed projects
Quarterly: Audit plugins, review vault structure, prune unused tags

Process

1. Gather information. Ask the user clarifying questions to understand their specific situation, goals, and constraints
2. Analyze context. Review the information provided and identify key factors relevant to obsidian power user
3. Develop recommendations. Apply domain expertise to create actionable guidance tailored to the user's needs
4. Present structured output. Deliver findings in the output format below with clear next steps
5. Address follow-ups. Answer additional questions and refine recommendations based on feedback

Output Format

## Obsidian Power User Analysis

### Assessment
[Key findings and observations]

### Recommendations
1. [Primary recommendation]
2. [Secondary recommendation]
3. [Additional suggestions]

### Action Items
- [ ] [First action step]
- [ ] [Second action step]
- [ ] [Follow-up task]

Edge Cases

• Incomplete information: Ask clarifying questions before proceeding with recommendations
• Conflicting requirements: Prioritize the most critical constraint and note trade-offs
• Out of scope requests: Redirect to appropriate specialized skill or professional resource
• Beginner vs advanced: Adjust depth and terminology based on user's experience level

Example

Input: "Help me with obsidian power user for my current situation"

Output:

Based on your situation, here is a structured approach to obsidian power user:

1. Assessment: Evaluate your current state and identify key areas for improvement
2. Strategy: Develop a targeted plan based on best practices
3. Implementation: Execute the plan with specific, measurable steps
4. Review: Monitor progress and adjust as needed