It’s wild to think that I’ve been using Notion for more than three years now. Three years. Notion impressed me so much that I became a paid member on Day 1—it was only $6 a month, but for an 18-year-old college student, it felt like a prized possession.
Notion became my brain outside of my brain, the place where I could organize everything. My thoughts, my random ideas, my projects—all connected, all accessible. Databases, linked pages, templates… Notion just made sense.
Obsidian was always at the back of my head.
But before choosing Notion as my “go-to tool”, I did my fair share of research. I came across Evernote, Roam Research, and then there was Obsidian.
The WHY behind going through all this trouble was that I’d been searching for a way to organize my knowledge and my life in one seamless system and that’s why choosing between Notion and Obsidian was such a tough decision. Changing tools midways was not possible.
And then one day, I found Thomas Frank’s Second Brain Template. That template literally changed the game for me.
.When I saw that template in action, everything clicked. It was like watching someone solve a puzzle I didn’t even realize I’d been struggling with. I felt this wave of ideas, possibilities—like my brain was lighting up with “what ifs.” Notion went from being just a tool to being my second brain, just like the template promised.
And yet, here I am again… standing at the crossroads. This time, it’s Obsidian that’s caught my eye, and damn, it is fu**ing exciting…
The Birth of the Curiosity
I’d been reading Keep Going by Austin Kleon when I came across this quote from Sally Mann: “For anyone trying to discern what to do with their life: PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU PAY ATTENTION TO.” So as you know or don’t, I started maintaining a 5 year diary in which I have to write something that makes me “sit up in my seat; lines that jolted me awake.” daily.
So, naturally, I wanted to save that quote. I grabbed my phone, used Google Lens to capture it, and went to add it to my Notion Quotes page. But something caught my eye—a little search result at the bottom of Google Lens with the same quote. It linked to a page called Arend’s Digital Garden with an Obsidian domain.
Curiosity piqued, I clicked on it. And wow… I was blown away. This wasn’t just some blog. It was like a sprawling web of knowledge, a living, breathing archive of thoughts, connections, and insights. I went from page to page, each one linking to another idea, another thought. It was like being inside someone’s brain, but in the best way possible.
What hit me was the depth and richness of knowledge they’d created, all organized in Obsidian. I realized then and there that I had to try this for myself. I needed to dive into Obsidian, to see what it could unlock for me.
So yeah, this was another incident when just following my curiosity took me to un-f**king-known places. And now, I’m standing at the edge of a whole new way of thinking. I need to learn how to use Obsidian!!!
It’s crazy how I got this excited about Obsidian, just because I followed a random link. But that’s the beauty of it, isn’t it? Just following my curiosity led me to this place, this new path. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that following your curiosity can take you to places you didn’t even know existed.
Now, I’m still in love with Notion. It’s been with me since day one, and I’ll always appreciate what it’s given me. But Obsidian… there’s something different here. It’s like I’m opening a door to the uncharted, to a way of capturing thoughts and making connections that’s deeper, maybe even more personal. I don’t know where this is going to lead, but I’m ready to find out.
Here’s to exploring Obsidian, to building another part of my mind, and to trusting that curiosity can lead us exactly where we need to go.
Ps. I am not gonna stop using Notion but I am gonna integrate Obisidian with Notion…
Notion + Obsidian = Ultimate Brain?
Only time will tell!
See ya!
~ Dewansh Jain
