Tiago Forte

Our notes are things to use, not just things to collect.

Organizing by project is the most natural way to manage information with minimal effort—why not make it the default?

The best curators are picky about what they allow into their collections. Thinking like a curator means taking charge of your own information stream, instead of just letting it wash over you.

Thinking doesn't just produce writing; writing also enriches thinking.

The moment you first encounter an idea is the worst time to decide what it means. You need to set it aside and gain some objectivity.

If you can’t locate a piece of information quickly... you might as well not have it at all.

Distilling makes our ideas small and compact, so we can load them up into our minds with minimal effort.

Progressive Summarization is not a method for remembering as much as possible—it is a method for forgetting as much as possible.

Your Mind Is for Having Ideas, Not Holding Them

Tiago Forte emphasizes the importance of offloading information from our minds into an external system he calls the 'Second Brain.' By capturing and organizing our thoughts, insights, and information digitally, we free up mental space for creativity and problem-solving. He writes, 'Every bit of energy we spend straining to recall things is energy not spent doing the thinking that only humans can do.' For example, using a digital notes app to store ideas prevents cognitive overload, allowing us to focus on generating new ideas rather than trying to remember old ones.

Capture, Organize, Distill, Express (The CODE Method)

The CODE Method provides a framework for personal knowledge management: Capture information that resonates, Organize it for actionability, Distill to extract essential insights, and Express ideas to create value. Forte explains, 'Knowledge becomes personal and verifiable only when we put it to use.' For instance, capturing quotes or ideas in a notes app, organizing them by project, distilling key insights through highlighting, and then expressing them through writing or presentations transforms passive information into active knowledge.

Organize by Actionability with the PARA System

Forte introduces the PARA system—Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives—as a way to organize digital information based on its actionability. This method ensures that notes and files are stored where they will be most useful. He states, 'You are always trying to place a note... where it will be useful the soonest.' For example, instead of filing a note about 'marketing strategies' under a general 'Marketing' folder, you place it under an active project like '2023 Product Launch,' making it immediately relevant and accessible.

Distill to Reveal the Essence

Through Progressive Summarization, Forte advocates refining notes over time to highlight key insights, improving discoverability and usability. He notes, 'Progressive Summarization is not a method for remembering as much as possible—it is a method for forgetting as much as possible.' By bolding and highlighting important parts of a note in successive layers, you can quickly grasp the essential ideas when revisiting it. For example, after capturing a lengthy article, you might first bold key sentences, then highlight the most critical points, making future reviews more efficient.

Think Small to Elevate Your Horizons

Forte asserts that breaking down big projects into manageable 'Intermediate Packets' reduces overwhelm and fosters creativity. 'Thinking small is the best way to elevate your horizons and expand your ambitions,' he writes. By focusing on small, reusable pieces of work, like drafting individual sections of a report, you can gradually build toward larger goals. For example, collecting and organizing research notes can serve as building blocks for a comprehensive thesis.

Your System Should Be Flexible and Evolving

A key principle is that your Second Brain should adapt to your changing needs and priorities. Regular reviews and updates keep the system aligned with your goals. Forte emphasizes, 'We are organizing for actionability, and what’s actionable is always changing.' For instance, a note that was once part of an active project can be moved to Archives when the project concludes, keeping your workspace current and relevant.

Knowledge Gains Value When Shared

The ultimate purpose of building a Second Brain is to share your unique insights, contributing to personal and collective growth. Forte states, 'Knowledge is the only resource that gets better and more valuable the more it multiplies.' By expressing and sharing your ideas—through writing, teaching, or collaborating—you enhance their value. For example, publishing a blog post based on your synthesized notes not only reinforces your understanding but also adds value to others.

Begin Building Your Second Brain by Capturing Ideas Daily

Start capturing at least two ideas, insights, or pieces of information each day to develop the habit of externalizing your thoughts.

Organize Information Using the PARA System

Implement Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives to categorize your notes and files based on actionability and relevance.

Apply Progressive Summarization to Your Notes

Refine your notes in layers—bold key points and highlight essential insights—to make future retrieval and understanding more efficient.

Break Down Projects into Manageable Intermediate Packets

Divide large tasks into smaller, reusable units to reduce overwhelm and enhance productivity and creativity.

Conduct Regular Reviews to Keep Your System Aligned

Set aside time each week to organize, review, and update your Second Brain, ensuring it remains current and serves your evolving goals.

Knowledge is the only resource that gets better and more valuable the more it multiplies.

It's not about having the perfect tools—it's about having a reliable set of tools you can depend on.

When you transform your relationship to information, technology becomes not just a storage medium but a tool for thinking.

A knowledge asset is anything that can be used in the future to solve a problem, save time, illuminate a concept, or learn from past experience.

Thinking small is the best way to elevate your horizons and expand your ambitions.

There is a cost to your sleep, your peace of mind, and your time with family when the full burden of constantly coming up with good ideas rests solely on your fickle biological brain.

Getting feedback is really about borrowing someone else’s eyes to see what only a novice can see.

Instead of thinking of your job in terms of tasks... start to think in terms of assets and building blocks that you can assemble.

When we are organized and efficient, that creates space for creativity to arise.

Your attention, like money, can grow and compound over time.

We have to remember that we are not building an encyclopedia of immaculately organized knowledge. We are building a working system.

Self-expression is as vital to our survival as food or shelter. With mere words, you can open doors to unimaginable horizons for the people around you.

For modern, professional notetaking, a note is a “knowledge building block”—a discrete unit of information interpreted through your unique perspective and stored outside your head.

There are four essential capabilities that we can rely on a Second Brain to perform for us: Making our ideas concrete. Revealing new associations between ideas. Incubating our ideas over time. Sharpening our unique perspectives.

The solution is to keep only what resonates in a trusted place that you control, and to leave the rest aside.

Our notes are things to use, not just things to collect.

Organizing by project is the most natural way to manage information with minimal effort—why not make it the default?

The best curators are picky about what they allow into their collections. Thinking like a curator means taking charge of your own information stream, instead of just letting it wash over you.

Thinking doesn't just produce writing; writing also enriches thinking.

The moment you first encounter an idea is the worst time to decide what it means. You need to set it aside and gain some objectivity.

If you can’t locate a piece of information quickly... you might as well not have it at all.

Distilling makes our ideas small and compact, so we can load them up into our minds with minimal effort.

Progressive Summarization is not a method for remembering as much as possible—it is a method for forgetting as much as possible.

Knowledge is the only resource that gets better and more valuable the more it multiplies.

It's not about having the perfect tools—it's about having a reliable set of tools you can depend on.

When you transform your relationship to information, technology becomes not just a storage medium but a tool for thinking.

A knowledge asset is anything that can be used in the future to solve a problem, save time, illuminate a concept, or learn from past experience.

Thinking small is the best way to elevate your horizons and expand your ambitions.

There is a cost to your sleep, your peace of mind, and your time with family when the full burden of constantly coming up with good ideas rests solely on your fickle biological brain.

Getting feedback is really about borrowing someone else’s eyes to see what only a novice can see.

Instead of thinking of your job in terms of tasks... start to think in terms of assets and building blocks that you can assemble.

When we are organized and efficient, that creates space for creativity to arise.

Your attention, like money, can grow and compound over time.

We have to remember that we are not building an encyclopedia of immaculately organized knowledge. We are building a working system.

Self-expression is as vital to our survival as food or shelter. With mere words, you can open doors to unimaginable horizons for the people around you.