My Second Brain has seen many forms over the last 2 years. From being all in Notion to going analog for a little, I have tried a lot of methods for keeping myself organized.
I was changing applications and workflows so often that It came to a point where I started to believe I liked the idea of having a second brain more so than I liked using it. 🤯
I love developing systems to help me get things done that's no question but I needed something that could be sustainable and that I could trust long-term and no system has done that better than the one I currently use.
I use a mix of Notion, Obsidian, Apple Notes, and a physical Notebook in a very specific way to keep myself organized, productive, and motivated and this is how and why I use them the way I do! 😌
✅ Notion
Notion used to be the main pillar of my system but nowadays it's much more of a balance between Notion and Obsidian which hold my second brain together.
Notion holds the information and content which I do not plan to develop over time. 🎵
Obsidian holds any knowledge I gain that could be turned into something bigger in the future. 🧠
These lines seem like they could easily get blurred at first glance but to me, it's clear when something should go into Obsidian vs Notion...
"Oooo! New album release for my top artist I've been addicted to lately! Let me rank the new music!"
This would always go into Notion as it's a piece of content that I never plan to develop.
"New assignment due this Thursday gotta write that down so I don't forget!"
This would also include tasks, assignments, deadlines, and trackers too!
Currently, Notion holds my Music and Movie tracking systems and my Student Operating System which I have been using this past summer to track my progress within CS50x and plan to track my education this semester!
I also have a page in Notion dedicated to my goals for the year which helps me stay on track and take in the bigger picture! ✨
💡 Obsidian
Obsidian is a new tool for me. I know it's been out there for a while but the learning curve was rough for me at first so it took a while for me to get into it. Now I could never go back! 💪
Obsidian is the central hub for all the knowledge that I gain from the content I consume.
From the book I read last month, to the random YouTube video I watched yesterday, to the new method I learned from one of my bosses at work on how to deal with processing time management more efficiently. It all goes into Obsidian!
The reason I pick Obsidian for this over an app like Notion is for 2 reasons:
Markdown 📝Links 🔗
Markdown is so fast and so future-proof that I never need to stress about switching platforms!
Links in Obsidian are so powerful for discovering ideas and thoughts you never even knew you had.
I write all my Thought Jumble posts inside Obsidian first so I can see if there are any connections between what I am writing about and what content I have saved over time! ✍🏻
I am going to be writing a separate Thought Jumble all about my Obsidian setup because it is pretty in-depth but in a short version, these are the capture sources I use:
ReadwiseBooksReaderNotebook
Obsidian has also been extremely helpful while taking the CS50x course online and taking notes to keep me on track! 💻
📱 Apple Notes
I wrote a separate Thought Jumble all about my experience using a pocket Notebook and why I prefer it as my main capture method so for now I will finish up by going over how the bits that don't seem to fit into either category of Notion or Obsidian grow over time inside Apple Notes!
Let's say I want to start a new project.
I like tech so maybe I have an idea for a new web app I could create. I sketch something out inside of my notebook and I am ready to move it digitally.
Where does it go now? 🤔
It's not an idea I can grow into something substantial quite yet but It's also not a tracker or deadline.
This is where Apple Notes comes in! 🤩
It's the place where the distilling step of CODE starts for new ideas when they don't have an obvious home yet.
All of my current projects at one point started inside of an Apple Note and eventually grew into their own Notion page, setup, or MOC inside Obsidian!
✍🏻 Iteration
The system I have now is far from perfect and I can guarantee that in a month something will have changed whether that is big or small I couldn't tell you, but I can say iteration is how these workflows come together!
You shouldn't look up someone's top productivity setup and try to copy it. ✨
Sure download an app or two and see if you like it but if you don't no sweat! Uninstall and move on!
Keep iterating over your systems and the best parts of each stage you are at will stick with you throughout your journey! 🔥
