What I save and what Obsidian is

Hey everyone, this is Allan. I’m recording a short video to answer a question I got yesterday about what I save and what Obsidian is.

What Is Obsidian

Obsidian is a program on my computer that shows notes in a visual, hierarchical way. It’s a lot easier to write because I can turn plain text into a heading with just a symbol. I can choose any folder on my computer; I use a folder called “Second Brain” and organize different subfolders for various topics. The best feature for me is the graph view, which shows how each note connects to others. For example, I have a note called “Log” that links to almost everything because it contains my daily information.

What I Save

I save tasks I have to do, ideas, principles, and other things I don’t want to forget. Most of my notes are in Portuguese because that’s my native language. I have a principle that links to several videos, and a word “convergências” that describes how things connect, with two videos attached to that idea. I also store audio recordings I make on my phone, notes from my day, and any other material I want to keep. I don’t trust my memory, so I use Obsidian and Cloud Code to help me remember.

Memory & Cloud Code

I have a poor memory, so if I study something and don’t take notes I will forget it. Cloud Code in Obsidian watches my logs and reminds me of things I’ve saved, making it easier to recall information. Before AI, I already had the habit of taking notes and saving the material I studied to absorb it better. I like studying, remembering, and deeply absorbing the ideas I encounter.

Daily Workflow

A typical day starts with checking my email inbox. I’m subscribed to many newsletters, and I save the ones I find interesting in a system I call the “borrowing reader.” I read about 30 pages a day, mostly newsletters and articles. I filter the best content into my Second Brain, focusing on AI, business, digital marketing, and programming. Only the highest‑quality material makes it into my notes.

Markdown & AI

Obsidian is built on Markdown, a file format that’s widely used with AI. I’ve been using Markdown for a long time because it’s easy to write and to create the visual organization you see now. The big advantage is that it lets me make connections between nodes.

Turning Principles Into Action

When I find a principle that appears in multiple sources, I try to understand it better and then apply it in my daily routine as a habit or concrete action. For example, I realized that building an audience is important, so I started recording videos. I’m currently doing a challenge of recording one video every day for 100 days. That’s how I move from understanding a principle to taking action.

Pattern Recognition

Talking with AI every day helps me see patterns across different sources. Sometimes a video connects with a newsletter I read months ago or a book I’ve read. I have a principle now that “AI is leverage.” I first learned about leverage from a newsletter three years ago, and later recognized it as an idea from Naval’s book. Seeing the same concept in multiple places reinforces the pattern.

Purpose of a Second Brain

I don’t save content just to archive it; I save it so it becomes output. The idea of a second brain is to make it easier to turn what you consume into actions. Saving is only the input part; the connections I create turn those inputs into outputs, actual actions.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow.