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Zettelkasten Setup

Setting Up Your Zettelkasten in Obsidian

yo, let's talk about how to actually set this shit up. Check out the About page if you need to figure out what I am doing. Or check out Fun With Notes if that is what you need. i wasn't always this organized - used to just have random thoughts scattered across memo pads and 3am notes on my phone. but then i hit this point where i needed something better. you know those late night wikipedia dives where you find the coolest shit and then can never find it again? yeah, that's what we're fixing.

why this setup actually works

the beautiful thing about zettelkasten in obsidian is it works with your brain, not against it. no more forcing stuff into rigid folders. no more "this kinda fits here i guess?" just write your thoughts and link them together. it's like your brain but searchable.

the actual setup

first, get these:

  1. obsidian - your new second brain

  2. some essential plugins (for your personal vault, maybe not for this):

    • PDF++ (for academic reading and note-taking)
    • kanban (for when you need actual organization)
    • smart typography (makes your writing prettier)
    • advanced cursors (coding background? you'll love this)
    • cursor location (pairs with above)
    • git for version control (only on computer tho, I use a-shell for phone)

basic structure

how I do it in my own little kasten Set up your template so that you can just immediately make one of these notes whenever you want to write something new: keep it dead simple:

YYYY_MM_DD_title-in-this-format.md

example: 2025_02_22_why-i-love-obsidian.md

But in this repo, you should keep them titled: this-kinda-title.md since all your info will be inside each note metadata anyways. make sure the title matches so that your links match.

for each note:

---
title: Your Title
Date: YYYY-MM-DD
Tags: [Related Topics, Go Here, For other stuff]
---

your actual content here...

why markdown is actually amazing

markdown lets you just fucking write. no clicking buttons, no formatting menus, just pure thought-to-text pipeline:

  • want a header? #
  • want a list? -
  • want to link something? [[like this]]

and the best part? you can reference other notes while you're writing just by using [[double brackets]]. your brain makes connections? your notes do too.

how to actually use this

  1. daily notes: brain dump everything. seriously. filter later.
  2. linking: see something related to another note? link it. don't overthink it.
  3. tags: use them for broad categories, but don't go crazy
  4. search: trust obsidian's search. it's better than your memory

why this matters

look, we're all drowning in information. tabs open everywhere, random thoughts, cool shit we want to remember but can't. this system isn't about being perfectly organized - it's about being able to find your thoughts when you need them.

i hate stagnation, and this setup gives you the tools to grow faster. the earlier you start, the more connections you build, the more useful it becomes. it's not just note-taking - it's making your brain work better for you.

pro tips

  • use git to sync between devices
  • don't try to organize too much upfront
  • let the chaos happen, the structure emerges naturally
  • actually use it for those 3am thoughts - they're sometimes the best ones

remember: this isn't about making a perfect system. it's about making something that actually works with how your brain thinks. start messy, stay weird, let it grow.