I understand that everything has a cost and that there’s no free lunch. Thus, I don’t mind paying for software if I get value from it.

Especially, given the fact that operating systems and digital environments evolve fast. Yet, the developers of any given app still need resources to keep things up to date. This is exactly why I bought Obsidian’s catalyst licence. It may not be a lot, but I know that those $50 supported the development:

I recommend starting with a FLAT structure. A flat structure implies that you start with no folder at all. This is how you truly replicate Niklas Luhmann’s Zettelkasten. Remember that the word “Zettelkasten” is composed of two words: Zettel (notes) and Kasten (box). All notes were contained in one giant box. This box is nothing else than your Obsidian vault.

You can always add folders later on in the process. But to start out, make things simple. Organizing your notes in Obsidian does not have to be complicated.

Start with a FLAT structure. Ditch folders.

Zettelkasten templates for Obsidian?

Some people use templates in Obsidian to kickstart their notes: may it be for taking booknotes or journaling.

There’s no right or wrong way. And it’s not an immutable science but more to get inspired.

You can check out Reddit or the Obsidian Forum to see what others are doing. But beware of frying your brain with overcomplicated productivity wizardry.

Again, I’m not a fan of overcomplicated templates .

The word permanent is here for a reason. Think of those notes as permanent residents of your Zettelkasten.
Technically speaking, Creating a permanent note is nothing else than described earlier in this guide when it came to “creating your first note.” You simply create a new note in Obsidian with the content of your fleeting note.

However, to create a great permanent note, the goal is to rewrite everything in your own words (also called the Feynman technique.)

Here’s an example: