Key Lesson: Not everything we capture needs to go into our second brain. Use a buffer space that holds captured content till we can decide if it's actually of value.
Our content consumption is largely shaped by our habits. Instead of trying to reset it all at once, make smaller visible shifts in terms of how we spend our time.
Week 2: Organise.
If I can't find a space for a captured data, I most likely don't need it.
Organise information based on their usage, not by where they come from.
Break down your projects into actionable tasks. This way, your projects get done.
Week 3: Distill
Note-taking is a tool for creativity. It means you DON'T have to be creative to be able to do it.
These small elevations may seem unnecessary but they make all the difference when trying to find information after saving and forgetting.
Highlighting the entire page makes it loose it's importance no matter how valuable the data is. It's not readable, especially not at a glance. You are most likely to skip it because it overburdens you. Don't do this with your notes.
Your time and efforts are an investment. See how it can give you returns.
Create and environment and a process that reduces eliminates the struggle period.
Creating intermediate packets does exactly that. Have shorter, well defined outputs you work towards. This makes your work process less vulnerable to interruptions.
Week 4: Express
This is the time when a lot of creative decisions need to be made. Setting priorities and converging towards a final deliverable. The process need not be linear. In-fact it's almost always a loop.
Make once, use it forever. Compound existing knowledge and you will never have to start a project from scratch.
Your second brain is the structure upon which your creative processes will thrive.
@fortelabs this has been quite a journey. Until I put these all together, I had no clue I processed this volume of high quality content.
Highly recommend Building a Second Brain to anyone and everyone who believes in learning.
I can copy very well, but can't draw from imagination!
Does this sound like you?
I was exactly at this spot a few years back. I could copy very well from a drawing reference, but drawing from imagination or memory wasn't my cup of tea.
Today, most of my work is drawing from imagination and memory. That's how I make a living.
I slowly shifted from what I was comfortable and confident with to what was scary and intimidating.
Draw one thing from drawn references -> practice the same thing from image/ real life references -> practice it from memory.
Tools for Thought: the first few things that came to my mind were, Drawing, Writing and Conversations in this particular order.
The next thought was very quickly replaced by the concept this image below holds.
I bloated with pride thinking Evernote/Notion and all tech that helped me were my TFTs. But in no time the difference between these Tools for thought and Mediums for Thought became clear
My tools for thought are my thinking, writing and drawing practices.
The foundation of all these above is conversations. Ones that I have with myself, strangers over the internet through threads like these of with friends.