You can finally stop worrying about the perfect knowledge graph– and focus on what’s inside your notes, instead.

This step-by-step guide shows you how to take minimalist, simple, streamlined notes in Obsidian. This is Obsidian MD for the rest of us.

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Build a minimalist note taking system in Obsidian.

Ditch the overthinking and perfectionism.

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When you discovered Obsidian MD, you finally thought this would be the one. The note taking software that made everything feel simple. Lighter. More free.

You love the idea of building your personal knowledge management system in Obsidian Notes. You appreciate its support for Markdown. You like how you can customize it with your favourite Obsidian themes.

But now you’re feeling overwhelmed. Stuck in analysis paralysis. So you watch YouTube tutorial after YouTube tutorial of Obsidian setups, not sure where to start.

There are so many powerful settings in Obsidian… where should you begin? Should you start using the [[double bracket syntax]] and build bidirectional links? Focus on visualizing your linked notes with a knowledge graph? Start playing with settings in the API? Should you use the Obsidian Canvas to mindmap all your notes?

After binge-watching way too many YouTube tutorials, you close your browser window, frustrated, with a mounting headache, and no closer to actually organizing your notes for work (or grad school, or your blog, or your book).

In reality? Spending hours setting up a fancy graph view or a complex mind garden of bidirectional links in Obsidian (probably) isn’t going to help you get more done.

Sure, there are some people for whom these features make perfect sense, for very specific scenarios. And if you’re one of those people, you’re most likely already happily tinkering under the hood of Obsidian, adjusting settings that make a difference for your own specific use case.

(And you’re probably not reading this page.)

Obsidian Notes can be a powerful, minimalist note taking app for busy people. But not if you let yourself get waylaid by all the highly complex bells and whistles that you don’t actually need to use.

At its core, Obsidian is a speedy, secure, lightweight Markdown file manager, perfect for taking simple, quick, low-friction notes and organizing them flexibly.

Sounds good. Sounds perfect, really. So why does it feel daunting to actually get started with Obsidian?

Sometimes too much freedom can feel daunting. Too many options can lead to overwhelm.

Obsidian is a highly customizable, flexible note taking app that puts you in the driver’s seat. But it’s easy to feel pressure to maximize, to use every last feature and customization and plugin available.

But just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. It’s okay to leave things on the table. To choose a simpler path. To minimize choices and overwhelm. To opt out of too many features and customizations. To come across other people’s complex Obsidian setups and say, without any lingering fears of missing out, “good for them– not for me.”

Course Overview

Discover how to take a minimalist approach to your Obsidian Notes vault...

Introduction & Welcome

A quick overview of what you’ll learn in the course, including a PDF Obsidian cheatsheet/quick start checklist guide for you to follow as you work through the course contents.

Install Obsidian

You'll learn how to choose a sync option, get a step-by-step overview of downloading and installing Obsidian on your computer, and learn how to set up your first vault in Obsidian.

Make it minimal

Build your own minimal aesthetic in Obsidian. This module shows you how to simplify and streamline your Obsidian interface, so your screen isn't clogged up with features and tools you're not using. You'll also choose and install a minimalist Obsidian theme.

Curate your plugins

Learn how to find the best Obsidian plugins. You'll learn how to streamline your core Obsidian plugins, mindfully choose and install a curated handful of community plugins, and adjust a few key default settings to make your Obsidian setup feel more spacious and effortless, and minimize distraction.

Build your structure

Build a streamlined, sustainable structure in Obsidian, with step-by-step instructions on setting up your folder structure, inbox, and attachments folder.

Write future-proof notes

Write notes that last. Discover how to write keyword-rich, future-proof notes, so that you can effortlessly find your ideas and research weeks, months, and years down the line.

Create and capture

Easily add content to your Obsidian vault. Discover multiple ways to quickly and effortlessly create new notes. Find the best browser add-ons and capture tools to simplify your workflow.

Process and search

Discover the most efficient ways to find what you're looking for with Obsidian search. Learn how to search by note title, using full-text search, and searching within a single note. Practice the art of efficient processing to make sure your Obsidian vault is always organized and up-to-date.

Share and export

Learn the quickest and simplest ways of exporting to PDF, Markdown, HTML, RTF, Word, and Google Docs from Obsidian.

Bonus Materials: PDF guides

✅ PDF checklist guide of the course contents
✅ PDF cheatsheet of Obsidian keyboard shortcuts
✅ PDF cheatsheet of Markdown formatting for Obsidian

Ready to take a minimalist approach to Obsidian Notes?

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Hi! 👋 I’m Elizabeth Butler, MD, PhD.

I help creative, idealistic professionals build streamlined note-taking and productivity systems to fit their busy lives.

I’m a physician, a former humanities professor, working parent, and fellow over-scheduled human being.

My blog post, How to use Obsidian Notes: a step-by-step guide, remains one of the most popular pages on my blog.

I’m also the creator of the Calmer Notes course, designed to help busy, creative people craft tailored personal knowledge management (PKM) systems that truly fit their life.

Since launching the Calmer Notes course, I’ve had people reach out to ask if I had any advice in how to set up their Obsidian Notes vault in a simple, streamlined way.

I built the Obsidian for Minimalists course to provide a framework to craft a basic, simple, streamlined note taking system in Obsidian without the overwhelm.

The signature Obsidian for Minimalists course

This step-by-step, high-yield course shows you how to set up a minimalist, simple Obsidian vault for your written notes. Work through the text-based modules (with annotated screenshots) at your own pace.

PDF Setup Checklist

Download the accompanying PDF checklist to keep track of every step of your setup.

Obsidian PDF Cheatsheets

Always have easy access to reference Markdown formatting and Obsidian keyboard shortcuts with these PDF cheatsheets.

✅ Obsidian for Minimalists will be a great fit for you if…

✅ You want to build a minimalist note taking system in Obsidian to organize text notes

You want one organized place to capture all your written notes, ideas, outlines, lecture notes, meeting minutes, travel plans, lists of gift ideas, novel drafts, thesis ideas, exam prep notes, and everything else that’s floating around a half-dozen different apps on your computer right now.

✅ You’re ready to listen to your intuition and ditch the overwhelm

You’ve spent more evenings and weekends than you’d like to admit going down the rabbit hole, searching for inspiration to find the best Obsidian note taking system setup. Still you end up with more questions than answers. You see people describing complex systems with endless plugins, automations, backlinks, knowledge graphs, and tags, and you’re starting to doubt yourself. You’re pretty sure that you don’t need those features… but what if you’re wrong? What if they will instead save you hours of time and make you “effortlessly productive”?

Listen to your intuition. Say with confidence, “good for them– not for me.” Obsidian doesn’t need to be complicated. Obsidian for Minimalists will give you a quick, streamlined system so you can spend your time thinking and writing– instead of tinkering with plugin settings.

✅ You’re a linear thinker

You like organizing your thoughts in lists and outlines. You’re most comfortable using nested folders to organize your files on your computer.

✅ You’re comfortable storing your notes locally (with a sync/backup option)

You’re happy to store your notes on your computer– and in fact appreciate the security benefit.

✅ You’re a reader

You’re a text-based learner. You enjoy reading, and find that you process information best by highlighting, making notes, and revisiting written text.

✅ You’re an independent learner

You’re an independent, self-motivated learner. You have a full, busy, unpredictable schedule with many existing commitments— you don’t have the ability to just clear your schedule for a group Zoom call in another time zone. You value the flexibility of asynchronous, self-paced learning.

✅ You’re a busy person who values simplicity & efficiency above complexity

You’re a busy person looking for a streamlined, efficient approach to digital note taking. You don’t want to add unnecessary complexity to your system, though you’re happy to add in details that actually make your life easier. You’re looking for a minimalist, “less, but better” approach to personal knowledge management. You want to design a customized, tailored personal knowledge management system in Obsidian that fits your life.

❌ It wouldn’t be the right fit if…

🚫 You want to organize non-text content in Obsidian

Obsidian does have the capacity to embed and organize non-text content (including files such as PDFs, audio files, or images). However, Obsidian for Minimalists is designed specifically to organize text-based notes, and doesn’t include support for adding and managing PDFs or other documents. The Obsidian for Minimalists course is designed to give you a simple, basic Obsidian setup to get you started.

🚫 You want to use tags and backlinks to organize your Obsidian vault

Obsidian offers many different ways to organize knowledge– there’s something for everyone. The Obsidian for Minimalists course deliberately does not include use of tags or backlinks, instead using solely a note and folder system. This choice was thoughtfully made since the concept of folder and note feels familiar and intuitive to many people (similar to the way that file managers work, or even binders and paper) in a way that tags and backlinks don’t. Tags and backlinks are wonderful features for those who enjoy them, but aren’t a part of the Obsidian for Minimalists setup.

🚫 You want to use Obsidian Canvas or the knowledge graph/graph view

The Obsidian for Minimalists setup intentionally and mindfully opts out of all but the most essential Obsidian settings. In the setup, we turn off the knowledge graph and Canvas settings, to create more blank space and fewer distractions.

🚫 You don’t have administrator privileges to install Obsidian

If you want to use Obsidian on your work computer, you’ll need administrator privileges that allow you to install new software. Obsidian is a local-first note taking software, not a web app, so you’ll need to be able to install local software.

🚫 You’re looking for a video-based course

The Obsidian for Minimalists self-paced course is intentionally designed as a text-first course, with content delivered on a text-based course platform, supplemented with annotated screenshots and downloadable PDF checklists.

🚫 You struggle with self-paced learning

If you have trouble staying on track while working independently, this course might not be the best fit for you. It’s designed to be self-paced, so anyone can fit it into their schedule (no matter their time zone or other commitments).

🚫 You’re looking for personalized coaching or individual tech support

The current version of the course is designed to be an affordable self-study option for independent learners. Unfortunately, we’re therefore not able to offer individualized tech support, Obsidian trouble-shooting, or personalized coaching or recommendations to students enrolled in the course. We may opt to offer personalized coaching in the future at a higher price point: please do join the newsletter to be notified if/when this service becomes available.

How much does the course cost?

The current price of the course is $397.

Is the course available in Spanish, French, German, or other languages?

Yes, you can easily translate the Obsidian for Minimalists course to any preferred language. Since the course is primarily text-based (with supporting screenshots), you can easily translate the members-only course page right in your browser, or export the content to your translation software of choice.

We recommend the following translation process:

1. Visit the members-only course website (you’ll receive this URL and your login after course purchase) in the Google Chrome browser.
2. Right-click and select “Translate to [preferred language]”.
3. Browse and enjoy the full course in your chosen language.

Do you offer student discounts for the course?

A few times a year, we’ll offer a limited number of discounted course registrations at a scholarship rate for students (undergrads, grad students, post-docs, fellows), recent grads, or people experiencing significant financial hardship. You’re invited to sign up for the scholarship list to get notified when these spots become available.

Does the course include any individual Obsidian coaching or tech support?

The current version of the course is designed to be an affordable self-study option for independent learners. Unfortunately, we’re therefore not able to offer individualized tech support, Obsidian trouble-shooting, or personalized coaching or recommendations to students enrolled in the course.

We may opt to offer personalized coaching in the future at a higher price point: please do join the newsletter to be notified if/when this service becomes available.

If you’re seeking out a specific answer to a technical question, we recommend searching the following resources:

• Obsidian Official Help/Support Guide
• Obsidian Forums
• Obsidian Reddit

Are there any videos included in the course?

Obsidian for Minimalists is intentionally designed to be a text-first learning experience.

If you’re someone who learns best from the written word, screenshots, and images, you’re going to love the text-first learning environment of the course. You can read it anywhere, any time, without fumbling around for headphones to watch a video, impatiently skipping ahead to the right section, rewinding again, or trying to make out the fine print in a screenshare before it changes.

However if you’re someone who learns best from video, you’ll likely be happier exploring the plethora of Obsidian tutorials on YouTube. There is not a video component to the Obsidian for Minimalists course at this time. There’s a possibility we may add videos to the course down the road, but video is currently near the bottom of the course development map list.

What tech setup do I need to use the Obsidian for Minimalists course?

To access the course content itself, you only need a web browser– it’s accessible from any platform, mobile, or tablet.

What tech setup do I need to install Obsidian?

To install Obsidian itself, you’ll need to make sure you have the requirements outlined at obsidianmd.com/download. The software is currently available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, as well as mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Important note: you will need administrator privileges on your computer to install Obsidian– if you’re thinking of using Obsidian on a work computer, for example, please make sure that you have privileges to install software locally. Obsidian is a local software, not a web app, so you’ll need to make sure you can install software on your computer.

What is your refund policy?

Since students receive complete access to the full course contents and curriculum upon purchasing the digital course, we do not offer refunds after purchase. Therefore, we want to ensure that all students who enroll in the Obsidian for Minimalists course are confident this training is a good fit for their current needs before purchasing the course. If you have any questions about the course content or format, please reach out to our support team and they would be happy to answer any questions you may have prior to purchase.

Obsidian for Minimalists: A Practical Approach for Busy People

When you buy Obsidian for Minimalists, you'll get lifetime access to the:
✅ Self-paced text-based course
✅ Step-by-step instructions & screenshots
✅ PDF Obsidian keyboard shortcuts cheatsheet
✅ PDF Markdown cheatsheet
✅ Lifetime access to all future course updates

Buy the course for $397 →