7 Benefits of Building a “Second Brain”
7 lessons I learned from the note-taking and productivity guru, Tiago Forte’s new book, Building a Second Brain.
1. Our fragile brains are overwhelmed by the increasing complexity of our lives
Our heads aren’t meant to store every detail, use a notes app to unload.
“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.” — David Allen, author of Getting Things Done
“Paper is to write things down that we need to remember. Our brains are used to think.” — Albert Einstein
2. Information is an asset
A collection of notes is a business asset.
Remember details from meetings, why decisions were made, research, and save time communicating.
3. One system saves us time/money
Research from Microsoft shows that the average US employee spends 76 hours per year looking for misplaced notes, items, or files.
A report from the International Data Corporation found that 26% of a typical knowledge worker’s day is spent looking for and consolidating information spread across a variety of systems.
You might email yourself a quick note, underline passages in a book, and use a post-it here or there, but that information probably remains disconnected and scattered.
“There is a gaping opportunity to consolidate our information into one searchable, accessible, easily shared and embedded amongst the digital text we consume.” — Craig Mod
4. Things you write down now have significant value later
Think of yourself not just as a taker of notes, but as a giver of notes — you are giving your future self the gift of knowledge that is easy to find and understand.
Pieces of knowledge can be combined into something much greater — a report, an argument, a proposal, a story.
5. Writing things down helps you understand yourself
One of the most valuable kinds of information to keep is personal information like your own thoughts, reflections, and memories.
We can use notetaking to document our lives and better understand how we became who we are.
At the core of building a second brain is cultivating self-awareness and self-knowledge. When you encounter an idea that resonates with you, it is because that idea reflects back to you something that is already within you.
6. Capturing things you want to remember helps other people
The purpose of knowledge is to be shared.
What’s the point of knowing things if you can’t share them with other people who will also personally benefit?
With mere words, you can pay forward some of the immense care that has been poured into you by a lifetime of parents, teachers, and mentors, and you can open doors to unimaginable horizons for the people around you.
“Your singular perspective may patch some small hole in the vast tattered fabric of humanity.” — Ryder Carroll, creator of the Bullet Journal Method
I have been building a second brain for 6+ years in an app and website I built called Twos.
Twos helps you capture and share any *thing* you want to remember.
Everyone can experience the benefits of writing *things* down.
Click here to start remembering *things* today for free.
#SharedFromTwos ✌️
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#SharedFromTwos ✌️
