Using Obsidian as a Programming Journal

7 months ago | Career
A journal is critical for your career - but it's more than just throwing words on a page. How do you organize things, and what process do you use? Let's find out...

In my last note I mentioned that I put my precious Bullet Journal on the shelf (which really does make me sad) and switched to Obsidian as my full time journal. I wrote about this process in The Imposter's Roadmap as well.

I did this for these reasons:

  • I like to review what I've done for a given month, and often need to find a specific reference. That's difficult with a paper-based book.
  • I like saving code snippets.
  • I like using tags so I can roll up my notes and entries based on who or what.
  • Searching is a massive time saver!
  • I love adding photos and screenshots. This is especially useful with Obsidian's canvas feature.

I tried it for a month to see if it would make a difference and yes, without a doubt, it has changed everything for me. 

As Requested: A Video

There is so much to explain as to the how and why, so I made a video for y'all which you can watch right here.

Hope this is helpful! Bullet Journaling is a wonderful process that keeps you focused on what matters and allows you to forget what doesn't. Something that can help all of us.

Talk to you soon!

Rob

Need to brush up on Computer Science stuff?

I wrote a best-selling book for self-taught programmers without a degree, just like me: The Imposter's Handbook.
Have some thoughts? You can always reply to this post (if you're receiving as a newsletter) or shoot me an email at rob@conery.io. If the conversation is a good one, I would love to add it here, with your permsission, of course. Otherwise, you can always take it to HackerNews.

There's More...

👹 The Wrath of the Junior Developer

There are a lot of opinions about AI, whether it helps or hinders our coding process and our team in general. Many are concerned that junior devs will be the ones impacted the most.

Following Your Imagination

I learned to play ice hockey when I was 11 and, as a kid from Southern California, it wasn't easy. I learned how to skate and how to play the game at the same time, all while going through a massive growth spurt. My sister once called me a "baby giraffe on a frozen lake". Nice.

It wasn't what you said, but how you said it

I make videos for a living and I swear: each one is an adventure. You would think I would have a system down by now but, as it turns out, each video is a unique thing that demands it's own type of story telling.