What does it actually mean to build a second brain?
Building a Second Brain is a technique that helps you improve your memory and your intelligence. It’s heavily popularized by Tiago Forte, a productivity legend, as a way to remember and memorize ideas, inspirations, insights, and connections we’ve developed in our lives. The idea is to take advantage of modern technology and tools to boost your brain power and get things done like a productivity hero!
Does a second brain really work, and what are the benefits?
Yes, it does! But it depends on how you implement it and how consistent you are. Using the method is one thing, but it’s even better to adjust it to your needs and adapt it as you continue to use it. Starting small and turning it into a habit will be the right approach if you have yet to get used to journaling regularly. Having a well-maintained second brain will give many benefits: It helps you turn your ideas into words, improves organizational skills and logical thinking, and helps you reveal connections between your ideas, which will lead to better solutions. It also boosts your brain’s creative power. Win-win right?
These are the 8 key elements of building a second brain:
1. Capture your thoughts:
Instead of relying on just your memories, capture your thoughts, ideas, insights, and information from different sources such as notes, articles, images, or any other relevant content.
You can use pen and paper for your original notes and then transfer them to a digital app or take pictures. You can also use a voice recorder or a transcriber, or even take videos. The main takeaway is to stay consistent and log them all appropriately.
2. Organize your notes:
Create a structured system to help you organize captured info. Add categories/themes, tags, or folders to find your notes quickly when you need to look for them.
Apps like Goodnotes, Nebo, and Notability give your phone or PC’s OS the ability to scan your notes. That way, you won’t even need to open the app or look for a folder to find your notes; your device will do it for you.
3. Externalize:
Externalize your thoughts and ideas in a digital system. The apps mentioned above are great options, next to Evernote and even Google Notes. They will help you free up mental space for creativity and critical thinking.
Think about always answering the same questions or following a checklist as you note down your thoughts based on the system you’ve created.
4. Aggregate and collect:
Collect information from different sources, both online and offline, into your system. A good example could be to save everything you want to read in a “read later app” like Pocket, but you can also use Mural or Freeform, for instance. As soon as you’ve read it, write down what you want to remember in your note system. This helps create a comprehensive and interconnected knowledge base.
5. Reflect:
Review and reflect on the info you’ve captured. You can do this once a week or per month. But make it a routine. It could also be a location or when you are doing something specific, e.g., on the train home on a Friday, when you are taking a bath, or in between cooking an extensive meal. This way, you won’t only store data but also engage with it, get better insights, and follow up on actions faster. Which also leads to the next point.
6. Actionable Items:
Convert your insights into actionable items. These could be tasks, projects, or goals. Creating a clear path for implementation is crucial.
7. Iterate:
Continue to refine and improve your second brain system based on your needs and preferences, which may change over time. Start small, make it simple, but elaborate on it as you continue to use it. Novelty is as much key for sticking to a habit as starting very small and repeating that.
8. Use Digital Tools:
We’ve mentioned a few note-taking apps, but there are also quite a few project- or task-management apps. All the info you gather that becomes a part of your goals and tasks is best followed up and tracked in a digital system. The Structured app is an excellent place to start, but so is the Agenda app from Momenta, Sorted3, or the Moleskine package. Ready to go big? You might want to try ClickUp, Trello, or something more significant. But remember small steps first.
9. Accessibility:
Ensure that your second brain is easily accessible on all your devices. That way, you’ll never travel without them. Using some of the tools above will help you do that.
