You Need A Second Brain

You Need A Second Brain

Do you keep track of things you don't want to forget on

  • open browser tabs
  • unread emails
  • miscellaneous notes on your iPhone

That's how I tried to keep track of things I didn't want to forget.

Yet, they weren't organized at all, and I couldn't actually find anything again.

Plus, the mental clutter of not knowing where anything digital was, was the worst.

I listened to a podcast a few years ago and the author talked about the importance of curating your own second brain: a place where you can keep, find, and grow your favorite digital resources in one place.

I started my 2nd Brain right away and have never looked back.

Now it is an easy habit to keep up.

Today I'm going to show you how to create your own Second Brain.


Step One: Pick a Repository

This is your brain, so you get to pick what place works best for you. You must be able to access it simply & naturally as part of your daily life. If it is hard to use, then you won't actually use it.

For me, I use Notion .

I love Notion because:

  1. It is easy to see everything in once place
  2. It is simply to add links (something I couldn't do in GoogleDrive)
  3. I can save different mediums (links, documents, videos, photos)
  4. I can connect different documents to each other

Pick what works for you. It doesn't have to be Notion. I could be Notes on your iPhones, Asana, GoogleSheets, etc.

Step Two: Separate Into Buckets

Now that you have one place you're going to put all your favorite digital things that you want to be able to find again easily in the future you need to organize it.

Start easy and just separate things into a few different buckets.

The first buckets I picked were:

  1. Favorite podcast episodes
  2. Websites I want to remember
  3. Favorite newsletter articles
  4. Favorite digital downloads/resources
  5. My goals
  6. Planning my next trip
  7. Quotes I love

Once you know what your buckets are make a folder for each. Easy!

If you don't know off the top of your head what you need to organize then make it easy on yourself; open your browser on your phone and see allllllll the tabs you have open. What themes keep popping up in those dozens of tabs?

Step Three: Move Your Favorites There Now

Now, is the fun part (at least I think so).

You get to fill up your second brain. Take 1/2 hour and clear out all of the tabs on your phone. Delete the junky ones and save the ones you wanted to remember in the right bucket.

Once you've gone through the tabs on your phone check the tabs on your computer browser(s).

Now you're picking up some steam!

Go through your email next and copy & paste and emails you've favorited or flagged.

Same for your desktop files of favorite documents.

Load up that second brain with your backlog. It shouldn't take much more than 1/2 hour.

Step Four: Stick To Your System

Wohoo! You've done the prep work.

Now, all you have to do is stick to your system.

Just remember what you've created and next time you're one a walk and listen to a killer podcast you want to remember in the future....

Copy the link to that episode and pop it in your second brain.

When you read a quote that resonates with you......

Stop reading at add that quote & author to your second brain.

When you see a beautiful you'd like to travel to.....

Copy the link and photo and save it to your second brain

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Step Five: Kick Back & Enjoy

It really isn't a matter of creating more work for yourself.

Rather, it is the opposite. You are taking 2 extra seconds now to make your future life easier and more curated. (And in my opinion, more intentional)

When you know what you want in life and have an easy place to store it, you'll be amazed and what you can attract.

Your life is important. It is also so fleeting.

Give your regular brain a break. It is doing so much work for you as is.

Treat yourself to the blessing of a system to remember the most important digital things.

Go get 'em tiger!

Jamie


PS-Whenever you're ready, there is 1 additional way I can help you:

  • ???If you like this newsletter, then treat yo' self and have all future issues delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a thing. Subscribe here ??



Brittany Young, Pharm.D

Pharmacogenomic Pharmacist | Health and Wellness Advocate | Believer in personalized medicine

9 个月

I’ve recently started doing this! I always use my iPhone so I keep items in my reminders app. I can categorize all my items I want to come back to??

Keisha Freeman,CPhT

Rising like the Phoenix ????

9 个月

I need a second brain for real though

Jazz McPhail

Founder of Nutrition & Lifestyle Pharmacist | Workplace Wellness | Boosting Employee Health & Productivity | Health Optimiser | Food is Medicine ??| I love spicy grub?????

9 个月

This is super helpful, thanks Dr. Jamie Wilkey ?? It’s like you’d been reading my brain ?? It’s been pretty frazzled recently trying to juggle a lot of thoughts and ideas ?? And I do have tonnes of tabs open on my phone browser, as well as my poor brain (which can’t cope anymore!) ?? Thanks for the recommendation of using Notion as a home for my 2nd brain - gonna give it a go! ??????

Sean Rana

VP Marketing at RxOnWeb

9 个月

Very helpful!

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