Obsidian is more than just a note-taking app — it’s a second brain. I have been using it for years to build a vast network of interconnected thoughts, and for a long time, I thought I had a pretty solid system. But it turns out, I was missing out on some truly game-changing workflows that have since changed my entire process.

This isn’t about small tweaks, but it’s about fundamental shifts in how I capture, connect, organize, and extract information. Let me share several productivity apps and workflows I wish I had tried before with Obsidian.

Using Obsidian with Google Tasks

Fixes a major gap

I really wanted Obsidian to be my one-stop shop for everything — my notes, knowledge, and to-do list. The idea of having my tasks linked directly to my projects and research notes was appealing. I added checkboxes and used tags like #todo to track my progress.

It worked for a while. But I constantly found myself searching through different notes to see what I needed to do, and the system felt slow.

Then, I discovered the Tasks plugin, and I thought my problem was solved. It was a huge improvement over usual Markdown checkboxes. However, it was still nowhere near a dedicated task manager. Then I turned to a tool that was built for handling tasks only: Google Tasks.

It’s simple, free, and lightweight. It lives on my phone’s home screen, so I can capture a task in seconds. The lists are clean and easy to manage, and they sync seamlessly across all my devices. Check out my dedicated post to learn how I integrate Google Tasks in my Obsidian setup.

Trying Obsidian with Google Keep

For taking quick notes

After using Obsidian for a while, I quickly learned that it has one significant weakness: capturing quick thoughts on the go. After all, Obsidian mobile apps don’t win any awards in terms of UI and features. I had to open a vault, go to a relevant folder, and create a note. It was a painfully slow process.

That’s where Google Keep stepped in and completely changed the game. It’s ideal for taking quick notes, and that’s precisely its superpower. It has a home screen widget on my phone (unlike Obsidian) that lets me start a new note with a single tap.

The app loads in an instant, and I can be done in a few seconds. It’s perfect for capturing a book title someone recommended or a sudden thought about a blog post.

And when I’m ready to move my notes to Obsidian, I prefer Keep Notes' web version to do the job. It’s a two-step process where I capture in Keep and organize in Obsidian.

Boosting my Markdown files with NotebookLM

Adding an AI touch to my Obsidian vault

My Obsidian vaults have a vast collection of my thoughts, research notes, and project files. But when it comes to finding a specific insight, I would often have to manually search through dozens of files. This process felt more like detective work than creative flow.

That’s where NotebookLM introduced an AI layer to my Markdown files. I use it to interrogate my notes. The process is simple. I create a new notebook and start uploading my Markdown files from a specific folder on the PC.

The moment those files are uploaded, NotebookLM summarizes everything. I can now start asking it questions I would never think to ask a simple search bar.

The AI doesn’t just give me an answer, it provides citations that link directly back to my original Markdown files, so I can verify the information and see the full context. Check out my dedicated post to learn more about this duo.

Syncing Obsidian files with OneDrive

My go-to tool for syncing notes

Being a Microsoft 365 subscriber, I use OneDrive to sync my Obsidian vaults across all devices. I already have 1TB of OneDrive storage, which is ample for my lightweight Markdown files.

The real power of this workflow goes beyond mere syncing. I have started using my OneDrive folder structure as a true project hub. Instead of just storing Markdown files, each project folder now contains everything related to the topic: the Markdown files, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets.

I can even share the entire folder with others using password protection and an expiry date. It’s an efficient and robust system that brings all my digital work into one place.

Take your Markdown files to the next level

Overall, the most powerful personal knowledge management system isn’t found in a single application, but in a carefully chosen ecosystem of tools that work together. Of course, these are just my personal picks. You can always use other tools like Sticky Notes, Google Drive, Dropbox, and more with Obsidian to get the best out of your Markdown files.

It's about letting each tool do what it does best and creating a relationship that enhances my creativity and boosts productivity. You can also use several Obsidian plugins to complete your vault setup.