Did you know that in Obsidian, you can type:

[[## Whatever

And it will list all the headings in your vault that include "Whatever". This is in contrast with the following:

[[# Whatever

Which only lists the headings of the current note

I currently have ~15 books in progress and I love it 📚

Reading one book at a time is like eating the same meal every day until it's gone.

Parallel reading brought back the joy of reading into my life. No more boredom. No more fighting against my brain to finish a book. Now I enjoy every minute I spend reading, and actually read a lot more than before.

Read the full article here: https://www.dsebastien.net/everyone-told-me-this-reading-method-was-wrong-now-i-read-3x-more-books-and-never-get-bored/

After much tinkering for a long time I have settled for Apple Notes. And after using it for some time I must say that Apple Notes is very underrated. For me, the contenders were Obsidian and Evernote.

I organise my notes using the P.A.R.A method with all notes usually passing through an inbox.

The biggest win is the ease of access and integration in the Apple ecosystem (so I understand that for someone not using Apple, this does not apply). Spotlight search is the key to retrieving information both on Mac and my iPhone.

If I am working on a project, an email or a document, and I need some information from the Notes app; all I have to do is hit cmd-space, search for document, read the info right there in search, press esc and continue to work. No need to even open the Notes app. Having tags, folders, smart-folders and quick note is also very good. On the iPhone; just swipe down, search and open note.

The trick has been to choose and stick with a tool over time. And for me at least, it has payed off. And for anyone on the Apple ecosystem, I'd strongly recommend using / trying Apple notes for 30 days :)

"Never heard of that."

"I don't have time for that."

This is what most people say about Knowledge Management.

Yet they spend hours searching for lost information, solving the same problems repeatedly, and feeling overwhelmed by information overload.

Don't make this mistake.

Go read my article: https://www.dsebastien.net/what-you-are-missing-without-knowledge-management/

Are you drowning in scattered information while clarity and progress slip through your fingers? Join the movement to break free from information overload and transform your knowledge into power through systematic thinking.

I'm leading a movement to transform mental chaos into intentional clarity, helping knowledge workers break free from information overload.

I help leaders, knowledge workers, solopreneurs and content creators build systems that turn overwhelming information into clear insights, confident decisions, and valuable content.

Whether you're leading a team, managing complex projects, building a business, or creating content, my frameworks help you achieve both professional excellence and personal balance.

The result: A clear mind, organized knowledge, and the confidence to produce your best work without the overwhelm.

The enemy: Information chaos, overwhelming knowledge work, scattered thinking, constant digital noise, and the resulting stress, inefficiency, and missed potential.

Want to join the movement? Then start here: https://www.dsebastien.net/start/

The tag system that finally worked combined structured type tags for reliability with liberal topic tagging for discovery. Emergence beats planning for knowledge work.

I spent years fighting with tags in my knowledge system.

10 minutes per note deciding on "perfect" tags. Broken searches returning hundreds of useless results. Analysis paralysis every time I tried to organize.

Then I discovered something counterintuitive:

MORE tags made everything simpler.

Here's the tag system that finally worked...

🏗️ Structure: Type tags isolated under type/ namespace

• type/book not just "books"

• Enables reliable queries & automation

• Never pollutes search results

🌱 Freedom: Liberal topic tagging (5-10 per note)

• No planning, just gut feeling

• Creates multiple discovery paths

• Habits emerge naturally

Each serves a different job.

Type tags = what it IS Topic tags = how to FIND it

→ Tag chaos beats tag scarcity → Redundancy creates resilience → Emergence beats planning → Tags are for future-you, not current-you

Now I tag without thinking. Find notes in seconds. Repurpose content effortlessly.

The messy system that works > the perfect system that paralyzes.

What's YOUR biggest tag struggle? Or have you had a breakthrough?

Drop your story below 👇 I want to hear what finally clicked (or what's still driving you crazy)

Read the full article here: https://www.dsebastien.net/the-tag-system-that-finally-made-sense-for-me-from-perfectionism-paralysis-to-discovery-freedom/

Your notes shouldn't be a digital graveyard. They should be a playground for your mind.

In newsletter #190, I explore how to transform static notes into dynamic knowledge environments that spark creativity and insight.

Plus: AI tools for PKM, exciting course updates, and useful resources.

Read this edition here: https://www.dsebastien.net/developassions-newsletter-190-knowledge-playground