Building a Second Brain

“I believe in starting each project with a stated goal. Sometimes the goal is nothing more than a personal mantra such as ‘keep it simple’ or ‘something perfect’ or ‘economy’ to remind me of what I was thinking at the beginning if and when I lose my way. I write it down on a slip of paper and it’s the first thing that goes into the box.”

What useful information do you want to be able to reference?

What topics are you interested in?

What subjects are you researching?

An Archipelago of Ideas separates the two activities your brain has the most difficulty performing at the same time: choosing ideas (known as selection) and arranging them into a logical flow (known as sequencing). The reason it is so difficult to perform these activities simultaneously is they require different modes: selection is divergent, requi

The opposite of a Scarcity Mindset is an Abundance Mindset.

Knowing that nothing I write or create truly gets lost—only saved for later use—gives me the confidence to aggressively cut my creative works down to size without fearing that I’ve wasted effort or that I’ll lose the results of my thinking forever. Knowing that I can always release a fix, update, or follow up on anything I’ve made in the past gives

without our thoughts as distractions, we are left to sit with uncomfortable questions about our future and our purpose.

The paradox of hoarding is that no matter how much we collect and accumulate, it’s never enough.