268: Modern Note-Taking for Lawyers with Obsidian

Digital note-taking for lawyers is no longer just about transcribing ideas—it's about weaving them together. Enter the world of "Personal Knowledge Management" (PKM), a realm where Evernote once reigned supreme but now faces more powerful contenders.

 Obsidian is the best note-taking app for lawyers who want a powerful, user-friendly tool that also happens to be completely free. With its interconnected system of notes, it offers unparalleled speed and efficiency. Want to learn more? Tune in as PKM specialist Mike Schmitz shares his insights.

 Listen to the episode and check Mike's top resource links.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Importance of digital note-taking and how it can revolutionize the way individuals capture and leverage ideas.
• Introduction to Obsidian, a digital note-taking tool, and how to use its features effectively.
• Discussion on Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) and how being selective with the information we consume can fuel creativity.
• The advantages of using Obsidian for note-taking, including its seamless integration with markdown language and various plugins that extend its functionality.
• Overview of Obsidian 101 and Obsidian University – courses designed to help users get the most out of the tool.

Show Notes

• Join: '80/20 Inner Circle' (valuable business insights for small firm owners)
• Read: The 80/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More with Less, by Richard Koch
• Get my new email course: ChatGPT for Lawyers (it's free)
• Craft: A note-taking app mentioned alongside Obsidian as part of the PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) stack.
• Roam Research: Another app mentioned as part of the PKM stack, emphasizing the need for a PKM app to manage different apps' information.
• Notion: Mentioned in relation to PKM and note-taking, highlighting the various options available for managing information.
• Drafts: An Apple-based quick capture tool was mentioned in the conversation, and there was a question about how to move content from Drafts to Obsidian.
• Evernote: The OG of note-taking tools, although many people now want more effective alternatives.
• Mike’s PKM stack is: To-Doist for tasks, Notion for work projects, and Cron for calendaring
• Obsidian University Cohort
• Mike’s Obsidian Newsletter
• Obsidian 101
• Book an Obsidian Setup Call with Mike
• Mike’s YouTube channel
• Jobs to Be Done, a well-known article by Clayton Christensen
• Liminal Thinking: Create the Change You Want by Changing the Way You Think, a book by David Gray

General Resources

• The 80/20 Principle (my email newsletter)
• The 5 Pillars of a Tech-Powered Law Practice
• The Inner Circle (an online community for law firm owners)

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