Let me ask you something. Have you ever written down a brilliant idea… only to lose it in a sea of random notes? Yeah, me too. My Google Docs were a mess. My phone notes? Forget it. Sticky notes? Don’t even ask. That’s when I stumbled on Obsidian. At first, it honestly felt intimidating. Black screen, strange buttons, and everyone on YouTube was throwing around words like “Markdown,” “plugins,” and “knowledge graph.” I almost gave up. But then I learned one simple trick that completely changed the game: linking notes in Obsidian.
That’s when things clicked. My notes stopped being lonely little islands and started becoming a connected web — kind of like the way my brain works (on a good day, at least).
.jpg "Graph view of linking notes in Obsidian")
Why I Chose Obsidian Over Everything Else
I’d tried Evernote, Notion, even plain old Word docs. They all worked… sort of. But the problem was always the same: my ideas got buried.
Obsidian felt different because:
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My notes were just plain text files I actually owned.
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Instead of tucking notes into folders and forgetting them, I could link them together.
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It grew with me. I didn’t need to set up a fancy system right away.
And you know what? Research backs this up. According to RadReads (2023), knowledge workers lose about 2.5 hours every day just hunting for information. No wonder I always felt behind.
How I Use Obsidian for Note Taking (Without the Overwhelm)
I’ll be honest: when you first install Obsidian, it feels like stepping into the cockpit of an airplane. Too many switches. Too many options.
Here’s what I did to keep it simple:
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Created one vault. Think of it like a digital backpack. Everything lives there.
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Started writing in Markdown. It’s just text with a couple of symbols. Super easy once you try.
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Stopped worrying about folders. If I couldn’t decide where a note should go, I just wrote it down and linked it later.
💡 Quick example: Instead of burying Atomic Habits in “Books → Productivity,” I tagged it #books and linked it to “Habits.” Now it shows up whenever I look at habits OR books. Win-win.
Linking Notes in Obsidian: Where the Magic Happens
Okay, this is the fun part. Linking is what turns random notes into a second brain.
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Type
[[ ]]and you can instantly link to another note. -
Obsidian creates backlinks automatically, so you see everywhere that idea pops up.
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The graph view looks like a spiderweb of your brain — messy but beautiful.
A grad student friend of mine told me, “My Obsidian graph basically predicted my exam themes.” That’s the power of connecting notes: sometimes, the connections show you things you didn’t even notice yourself.
My Favorite Linking Habits
Over time, I picked up a few tricks that made my system flow better:
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Small notes > giant ones. Instead of one monster “Marketing” note, I keep little notes like “SEO,” “Email Marketing,” “Content Strategy.” Easier to connect.
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MOCs (Maps of Content). Basically hub pages. I’ve got a “Health MOC” that links to nutrition, sleep, exercise, etc. It’s like my personal homepage for health.
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Tags + Links. Tags are broad (#books, #ideas). Links are specific. Both together give me context.
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Daily Notes. Every morning, I open a new daily note. If I think of something useful, I link it right away. That habit alone has grown my second brain faster than anything else.
Real-Life Ways Obsidian Changed My Work
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As a writer: I link half-baked thoughts, research quotes, and draft snippets. When I sit down to write, half the work is already done.
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For students: Linking lecture notes to textbook pages reveals hidden connections.
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At work: I link meeting notes to projects, so I don’t lose track of follow-ups.
And it’s not just me. A Ness Labs study found that writers using linked notes in Obsidian finished drafts 30% faster. Makes sense — if your ideas are already connected, writing is just connecting the dots.
FAQs on Linking Notes in Obsidian
Q: Why not just stick with folders?
Because folders lock ideas in one place. Links let them live in many contexts.
Q: Is Obsidian beginner-friendly?
Yes. Start with one note, link it to another. That’s literally it.
Q: Does linking notes in Obsidian really help productivity?
Absolutely. You spend less time searching, more time creating.
Q: Is it free?
Yep. The basics are free forever. Extra stuff like sync costs a few bucks.
Wrapping It Up
Here’s the truth: linking notes in Obsidian isn’t about being a productivity geek. It’s about giving your brain a break. When you connect your ideas outside your head, you actually free up mental space to think better.
If your notes are all over the place right now, don’t stress. Start with one vault. Write a single note. Link it. That’s it. Over time, those links will weave themselves into something bigger — your own second brain.
👉 Go download Obsidian and try linking your notes today. Who knows? Your future self might thank you.
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