What if you did not have to choose one platform to do all your work? What if you could design a system that incorporates everything you want to do, regardless of platform?
It is not as complicated as it seems; all it requires is thinking and the confidence to make your own system.
Over the months, I have spoken about building a second brain or personal knowledge system and doing this your way rather than following the advice given.
Like a chef, take a little from this menu, a little from that and make your fabulous meal.
The Journey Start
My life has two distinct parts to it, like many of us. I run a tutoring company by day and write by night. This requires two very different systems to stay on top of everything.
A year ago, all of this information, such as who was working with what student and what article was being published on what platform, was all kept in my head. My stress was through the roof, and even when I didn't have to work, I could not enjoy time with my family because my head was full.
Something had to change before I hit major burnout. Then one day, I was looking through Medium and spotted an article from Todd Bison on his favourite books. I had attended several of his webinars with Tim Denning, so I was curious to see what he read.
One of the suggestions was Smart Notes by Sonke Ahrens. So I thought I would check out the book. For those that do not know, the book describes a system called Zettelkasten, which I have spoken about before.
Rabbit Holes
Full disclosure the book, although hugely influential, was also quite confusing as it described a system I had never been introduced to before. Not a person who gives in, I went onto YouTube to see if visually this system was described and could give me some help.
That was when I fell down a huge rabbit hole and was introduced to applications such as Evernote, Roam, Obsidian and Notion, to name a few. I also found Tiago Forte, who introduced me to his Second Brain system, which was much easier than Zettelkasten.
If you, like me, are starting this journey, you might wonder where to start and which platform to choose. The easy answer is there is no easy answer; you have to find one that works with your personality or creative style.
I advise trying a couple for a maximum of two weeks; by this time, you will have a good idea of which works well for you and which you can't get used to. Once you have selected, spend a minimum of three months working with that application before you change.
Learn everything there is to know about this one platform, not the others. If you do not, you find yourself in productivity procrastination, you spend all your time building a system and none of the time using it.
Which Application
If you are still confused, here is a quick rundown of some of the applications I tried, what made me stay with them or ditch them, and how I still use a number of them.
Obsidian
Obsidian was the first program I learned, and what a learning curve it was. Obsidian is a more complex application to learn but has some excellent features, such as back-linking between documents so you can send a trail through your research. It also saves all the data a text forms to your system. The information is not stored on a cloud; it is yours to keep, transfer and back up as you see fit.
A year later, I still use Obsidian for all my writing life. I keep my research there and write my articles there. The lack of structure, or rather a structure I have built, means I have more freedom to create; I can't see myself changing.
For those familiar with Tiago Forte's PARA system, this is what my projects and resources are.
Notion
I was late to the party with Notion and had only been using it for the last couple of months. Notion is much more structured and database driven. You can build hugely impressive systems on Notion with links from home pages and different pages.
Notion has a free version; if you need a higher upload rate, the basic package is £42 a year and is worth the expenditure. In Notion, you can have many different areas for your life's different aspects. It is also a much better resource than Obsidian for sharing projects among team members.
Notion is the home of my tutoring company, as this area of my life requires a much more rigid and formal system. Again within the PARA system, this is the area's part of my system.
Evernote
Full disclosure, I have used Evernote in the past, I don't now. One factor causing many loyal users to leave is the price hike they have just introduced.
Evernote, however, has some excellent features, especially when capturing information and storing your knowledge. It is also an application that works with other applications to make this process even more seamless.
Apple Notes
The only disadvantage of Apple notes is that it is only in the Apple ecosystem. Apple Notes is hard to beat if you want a quick, easy method of storing research and designing your second brain.
As an Apple user, you can access a quick note in any application you are working on and seamlessly transfer your documents to devices. Apple Notes always remains in my workflow, regardless of my applications.
The search capabilities make notes easy to find, and the application will scan handwritten and typed notes meaning nothing is lost. There are also now Smart Folder options that make searching within tags very easy.
I have written about how I used Apple Notes before; this is part of my capture system and my archive from PARA.
Here is an option many people don't suggest: good old fashion pen and paper.
Which to Choose
There are too many platforms and applications for me to go through; the list is extensive, especially as personal knowledge is becoming so popular. Names such as Bear, Roam, Tana and Simplenote are a few.
Regardless of your choice, here are five tips you can not go wrong with.
1. Pick a platform that suits your personality; if you like order, go for one with folders and structure. If you like freedom when creating, go for an application such as Obsidian or Roam.
2. Once you have this application go on YouTube and search for some basic tutorials on getting started. You don't need the technical ones; watch the ones marked for beginners.
3. Spend two weeks setting up your system and getting to know the features of your chosen platform.
4. Work with that system; use the platform if you are happy with your creation. Do not be distracted by the shiny new platform; stick with what you know.
5. You use the system to create your outputs, whether writing, YouTube videos or work projects.
Remember, you do not need to know how to operate every function the program has; all you need to know is how to make it work for you. You could also use various programs like I do for your needs.
Write in one place and store research in another; no one should be telling you this is wrong if it is a system you can use.
With both Obsidian and Notion, I do not know all the features. But I am not distracted by what I don't know. I know enough to produce output, which should be any system's primary goal.