Obsidian

I started adding my notes, and I found it helpful during my career as a consultant. I started writing, collecting, and compiling my notes after a long time. I already shared my notes on this blog about D365 finance and operations.

I still believe Gary Vee advises, “Document, don’t create.”. Creation is not easy.
You can find this post here.

Document, Don’t create: Creating Content that Builds Your Personal Brand

What is PKM, or Personal Knowledge Management? The term gained popularity in Pendamic, particularly with the emergence of digital note-taking applications.

To me, its personal notes, experience, extraction form different blogs, websites, webbastes, podcasts and then rewrite them for your future references. As time progresses, we transform into knowledge workers. All consultants are actually knowledge workers.
It is a hub of knowledge based on which you can recall any past experience and compile that knowledge to solve the current problem.

I am doing this form couple of years, and from the starting of my career.

Let’s discuss how my journey started and how I am still learning and experimenting with my personal knowledge management.

Now I am facing the problem of organizing my notes.

When I started writing notes, I used Evernote. However, as time went on, I decided to move away from Evernote. Then I started writing my blog post in Word documents.

Then start using OneNote. It felt awkward initially, but the folder and file structure really helped me there.
Later, I will start using Notion and then move towards the Personal Pro version, which has cost 5 dollars per month for the last 4 years.
As Pakistanis, we often find ourselves thinking about saving money. Surprisingly, I am currently experiencing a severe financial crisis. However, this $5 is still worth it because my growth notes with images go beyond the free version.
I worked in a little hierarchical folder. My basic structure is quite similar.

I used to write daily logs under the logs, year, and month folder structure. On the month page, I recorded all my thoughts, findings, challenges, plans, and ideas for a specific date, separating them by simple division.

I returned to Pakistan this year and began working as a principle consultant for an organization. On Logseq, I found one video. After watching that video, I love the way LogSeq works.

I love its graph view. That graph view is a game changer for me. 
It helps me connect my notes. That helps me to avoid repeating the same thoughts, notes, and ideas over and over again. Initially, I encountered a problem where the notes were stored in folders and were not connected to each other. Additionally, Notion does not offer a graph view. Notion later provides the back linking functionality. However, it lacks the power of Obsidian and Logseq.
The grap view was created after working on it as a daily log after using it for the last 7 months, as follows:

This graph is game changer for me. I think human mind also have evulation stages. Couple of years back. I saw similar network graph in obsidian, but that time, I can not understand what is network of notes and did not feel this idea right.
But now my notes are huge. From almost more then 5 years notes. Some shared on my blog some are not.
One of the best thing I found in log seq is task manager.
In the morning, when I reach office. I just add a few task something similar

In this I make notes and todo. It is really easy for me that I can get all information for single project in screen for example

Now I face two problems. Logseq is file-based; Notion is cloud-based. Logseq has the strength to store all files in a local folder. 
The second problem is that Logseq is an outliner. You can make logs. Bullet points. sub-bullet points. It’s good for making meeting notes. However, it’s not ideal for writing lengthy articles. It’s good for brainstorming.

For file-based, I found one plugin that helps sync my logseq daily note to Notion. That helps me a lot.
But the network graph makes me more hungry. I start to read more about personal knowledge management systems. Finally, we get to Obsidian.
Obsidian did not provide the same functionality as Logseq, such as a single page with all of the back link’s details. However, this platform allows us to create MOC pages on our own.
Backlinking and network graphing are its core powers. File-based did not attract me. I already have all my notes organized by topic. And nothing personal. These are just my day-to-day problems, solutions, and personal dairy, and I don’t care if they come to light.
When I exported all my concept notes in markdown format and imported them into Obsidian, I discovered the following graph view:

Now, my notes or personal knowledge are making things more messy.
I wrote my daily notes in Logseq. That sncy to Notion. Notion doesn’t sync images or uploaded files.
My details, or long notes, which I wrote in Obsidian, also sync with Notion.
But my daily workflow for notes starts to get messy. Backlinking creates a problem.
I have left my notes unstructured, copied them from a concept, and included images as links.
I need to organize and structure my notes, so these will be helpful for me. If I create something well, I can share it on the internet.

Now I start reading notes them comes different methodlogy.
Building a second Brain by Tiago Forte:
First is Para method or Building a second brain. By Tiago Forte.

Diving organize folder structure by following way.

I used that method in notion. However, I typically store my notes in subfolders, such as Area. 
The project will incorporate office work notes. 
People who are well-organized, especially knowledge workers, typically use this method. 
I am both a knowledge worker and an ERP consultant. Tage Foritor is also a business analyst. 
I was unaware that Tage Foritor specialized in software-related business analysis and management consulting. 
This structure helps me organize my old notes effectively. As you start to develop your “second brain,” store everything that you previously had in the Archieve folder. 
All non-professional articles, blogs, screenshots, and notes go into the resources folder.

The Areas folder can contain notes related to personal finance, health, or habit tracking activity.

Zettelkasten Method
This is one of the traditional methods of organization. Whenever you visit a public library, there is a separate section with a slip box, where each card contains a book reference and indicates the book’s placement on the bookshelf. More than that, I can’t understand. Only what I understand is thatBuild your notes in a common place, refine them, and finally make permanent notes.
Those with a more organized mind typically reserve this for themselves. This certainly did not fit my mindset.
There is also a famous book on how to take smart notes by Sonke Ahrens.
https://www.amazon.com/How-Take-Smart-Notes-Nonfiction/dp/1542866502

Johnny Decimal method.

Let’s talk about Johnny’s decimal way of personal knowledge management. It’s similar to the traditional method we use for creating accounting charts. I did not use this method, but it is in use. I think if you have an accounting or finance-related job, this method certainly works for you. This can be found by following the link.
https://johnnydecimal.com/

Linking your thinking by Nick Milo
Initially, when I started using Obsidian, I saw some of his videos on YouTube, but I did not consider him.
However, as my notes become disorganized, Instead, these help me to make myself more stressed.
I discovered a new way to connect your thoughts. You can get more detailed information from this link, or you can follow him on his YouTube channel.
https://forum.obsidian.md/t/linking-your-thinking-resources/6177

He also provide a sample obsidian Vault. You can study PKM after download and connect with your Obsidian. download link is here
https://www.linkingyourthinking.com/myideaverse/start

I am studying this and organizing my notes, inspired by the “linking your thinking” methodology.

I learned from his concept of MOCs. I applied the concept of the map of contents to my own understanding.

Now let me share with you how I started organizing my mess.

I start making notes in folders. There is one folder that contains all of my MOCS.
For example, the article I am writing in Obsidian is in the “PKM” folder, but I have one in the MOC folder.
note with the title  PKM_MOC. 
Instead of making generic folders, I make specific folders, and all relevant notes will be there.

Both the Second Brain and the Zettelkasten Method encourage students to write down notes in a specific folder. Move your finalized notes to a specific folder. I did not follow that methodology. Using the second-brain method, I kept my notes in daily logs without ever moving them or purifying them.

I make it a practice to write a note in its relevant folder. It’ll be there even if incomplete or uncompiled.

I sync my notes to Notion after finishing them.

I didn’t realize that all incomplete notes would go into a specific folder and then move there once finalized. I have to work in a specific folder. When the note is complete. I sync it to notion.

The purpose of PKM is to generate personal knowledge, which you can then use to compete with other knowledge workers.

My journey to Personal knowledge Management is still in progress. How about yours?