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sirji i am ur huge fan. plz send me your use ipad and pen to my adress . plz i am ur huge fan i am ensure that u never brock my heart . plz send me ur apple tab and s pen .
I do a habit of brain dumps, AKA 3am thoughts. Do you put your brain dumps in your second brain? Would "intermediate packets" it be similar to bullet journalling "collections"?
True, I don't like the author anymore, because he did not mention that, it is affliate link. He is making tons of shit money from stupid people, who think their life will be changed totally by taking just only one step.
"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things." --Steve Jobs
It's a great talent to be able to see the big picture and how these different things relate to each other. Don't minimize it, it's not copying. Look at Ken Wilber. He came up with the Integral Method of AQAL that shows how everything fits. Effing genius.
The reason why I really love your channel Ali is that you usually come up with stuff I hear about for the first time, I personally watch a lot of productivity and self-development videos and I'm really bored of hearing the same tips and information over and over again so it's wonderful to hear about something for the first time + I really loved this second brain idea cause it totally suits me ❤
I'd just like to say that you, Ali, have changed my mind in the past two days... I was literally sitting on the couch all day and scrolling through Instagram and watching random youtube videos. I lickily find your channel and watched a video where you were talking about productivity and about motivation. I all I need is realy just a small push and after that everything will just start moving. So after a month I have started learning Python again and playing piano. I would like to thank you for your great content, being awesome, honest and for sharing your knowledge with us! I respect your work and continue being awesome! Best regards from Slovenia 🇸🇮 Urban
Slow burns vs. heavy lifts - I love this. *The hardest part truly is starting.* Once you get past that initial friction point, then it's so much easier to get things flowing. I always think about this when I start assignments - just do the easiest stuff first to set a foundation for when there's time to sit down and do it!
Also, the idea of "Start from Abundance" is great when we think about starting a creative activity as starting from a blank page is actually very hard and not super inspiring.
It's a big issue! I try to break every task or project into three stages to minimise pressure. First stage - no pressure because getting started is all that matters. Second stage - the main body of work, no pressure because I've already made a start and it doesn't have to be finished now. Third stage - most of the work is done so it just needs finishing off. I just need to allow myself enough time for each stage.
You speak the truth. During my college years, I found that the opposite of #8 was equally as helpful. I used to take a lot of notes when I was younger, but as you said in #9 it created debt. I would focus so much on note-taking that I never processed the information. When I looked back at my notes, it was like reading a foreign language. From my educational experiences, I found more success in listening to lectures in their entirety. After class, I would summarize my experience and research any remaining uncertainties.
This is one of my favorite topics. I’ve been obsessing about this in the back of my head for years without even knowing what it was or bringing it all together. It’s a mix of gtd, pkm, “second brain”, notetaking systems, commonplaces, etc
Almost everything in this video describes the system I've been independently developing over the past couple years. In the shower, what I currently use is waterproof sticky notes, and the tiles on the wall serve as convenient boxes to organize and reorganize ideas/memos.
I discovered Obsidian not very long ago (maybe a month at the most) and what you said about your biggest regret hit home because I got the same realization of how useful it would have been all those school years and beyond. Also imagine all that accumulated useful knowledge instead of just being vague memories "oh yeah, I used to know that". Thanks for another useful video, clear, concise, and to the point!
Can you make a video on how you take notes while reading: 1. Physical books? 2. Kindle books? 3. (and most important because this is where I struggle the most) Audiobooks? Amazing content Ali! Your channel has literally transformed my productivity system. Thanks for all the quality content man!
Hey a bit late but I can still comment right 😉 I can help with first two, for physical books I use "commonplace book" system, just write down anything u liked in one common notebook or on flash card, u can scan them, convert to digital text later. For kindle u can do same or use paid services to export ur kindle notes and highlights to a pdf. Like u I am struggling with audio book, I don't know how to take notes while listening. Thats the reason I have shifted from audio books. Nowadays I buy physical books and listen audio books to understand better. Like if I am with a tutor and we are reading same book
I love the slow burn one, it resonates really well with starting something to get motivations (instead of the reverse) and prevents you from the real burn (out)
You should do one video that brings together your workflow on how you’ve set up your second brain. Granted you’ve got a few scattered around but find that your best videos are workflow related ones.
I'm so glad I came across this video. I had been wasting a lot of time till now. This year, when I turned 14, I vowed to make myself better, more productive and I now prioritise my learning according to the fields I have considered in my head. I had started collecting all my ideas too, but I was experiencing the same problems and was questioning it's worth. I've always scored 97% in school, but I want to work harder and be able to learn the syllabi beyond my grade. Been following you for quite long now, and I gotta say that this video was my ultimate life- saver! Thank you Ali!
Key points for me: I remember this quote I encountered back in college, "Don't rely on your memory. Put it in writing". Our brains can be a dumb-ass in remembering because it's not entirely meant for storage. Our brains are first and foremost for having ideas. Summarize or write insights about the materials you consume (will help you remember it better and will help your future self know what your current self was thinking at the time you wrote it). While summarizing, and even on normal days, capture your thoughts and ideas because ideas can and should be recycled since creativity is just remixing existing ideas. All of these ideas and creativity, use it. Don't let it get stuck in your note-taking apps. When you're planning to do something, break it into blocks or intermediate packets - also support the concept of slow burns - taking things one at a time, facing the project head-on, and then just working on it regularly to improve.
The course is a lot of money (and I'm not a content producer) but when I thought about all the bookmarked to read later (that I've never read), browser bookmarks on several computers, paper notes on many different topics I decided it was probably worth it just to get a handle on everything. He does have a bunch of free articles that should help many.
Search for Zettelkasten, Roam Research, or Obsidian here and you will find lots of resources. Not as well structured as a course, but you will get a good grasp of how things work.
Tiago Forte and Ali yesterday said that all the info from the course is available freely in UA-cam videos on in Tiago's blog. What you get from the course is not the material but the interaction with the mentors and a personalized tutoring
Why wait for school to start. You can start to implement it with notes from this video. Build the habit before you need to use it in higher stakes situations
SUMMARY editted down the other summarry comment lol would recommend the book _Getting Things Done_ by David Alan (an origin of some of these ideas) a second brain can be used as a repository of nuggets you have collected while taking in input to build new ideas from *#1 Borrowed Creativity* - creativity is about remixing pieces of that content + adding some enhancements of your own --- we don't come up with whole new ideas, we _pivot_ from old ones ("good artists copy, great artists steal") - it is easier to draw connections within this content when it's laid out in front of you rather than just in your head *#2 The Capture Habit* - our brains are for having ideas, not for storing them --- google keep, evernote, notion --- dictate voice notes --- sync notes on kindle to evernote/notion through readwise --- or even a waterproof notebook lmao *#3 Idea Recycling* - keep track of all the stuff you are creating - ideas are not single-use. Reuse, remix + recombine *#4 Projects over Categories* - after capturing an idea, move it from the capture inbox into some project area, so the information will be more direct + useful - instead of a general reference place, if it fits into something practical with goals/deadlines, put it there - e.g. use _essay 1_ rather than just _psychology_ *#5 Slow Burns vs. Heavy Lift* - your brain is designed for heavy lifting, but your 2nd brain is ideal for slow burns - _Heavy Lifts_ = where you need to dedicate lots of time to completing something _significant_ - _Slow Burns_ = habits, long-term projects - it's ongoing/small chunks so you can’t keep all the information about it in your head - needs a 2nd brain *#6 Start with Abundance* - if you construct a 2nd brain, you will never start with a _blank page_ - you will always have dots to join, but the ideas are there + ready for you to edit - your memory is now searchable so you can find the relevent info *#7 Intermediate Packets* - everything is constructed using different blocks/packets - you might already know these packets well enough to simply drag/drop them into whatever you are trying to build - reusing the relevent content/packets = easier to start from here than from scratch (turns into slow burn, starts it from abundance) *#8 You only Really Know what You make* - the content we internalise most are the things we make outselves/properly run through our personal filters --- summarise content, write notes on books, podcast etc. - engaging with the material will make it more familiar + more easy to manipulate going further - this is what makes note-taking a powerful tool - add your own insights into it *#9 Make It Easier For Your Future Self* - plant your seeds + your future self will reap the benefits - put in the work now (by being detailed), don't underestimate what you might forget - make it so it _can't_ be misinterpretted (if necesary) *#10 Keep Your Ideas Moving* - do not focus on perfectionism/organising your notes - do something with the information instead. - it is useless to store tidy/perfect information + not do anything with it (this video seems to be aimed at _content creator_ types + I honestly don't like that I hear the same stuff so often in different places :( )
I listened to this entire episode, and it's my favorite of yours yet. Tiago has built an exceptional platform. What stood out most to me is why he's charges what he charges. While expensive, I do agree that the price you charge is correlated to someone's willingness to emotionally invest and get the most out of it. Congrats on being selected as a mentor for the program!
I take something very valuable with every video he makes. Which is something I don't usually do, with other productivity channel. I mean every time I watch his videos I will implement some of his ideas into my daily life and they actually help a lot. This second brain concept is a very good one, and I know I'll start to use it right now. Great video man!
Thanks for this man. Going the extra mile, letting the content in, storing it up for future, that's beautiful. Well explained. ☺️ Keep it coming my man.
2:40 Same! When you capture your ideas, not only do you increase your likelihood of remembering them, but you prime your brain to come up with more. Since you're immediately doing something about the idea, the brain knows that it did something right. It's like a UA-camr gaining engagement on their content. It makes them want to create more. 6:15 Wow, sounds like a great competitive edge to ensure both quality and quantity content 7:35 Another great hack. You've probably heard of activation energy, since you went to med school. But for those who haven't: in chemistry, activation energy is the minimum amount of energy needed to start a chemical reaction, and it is always higher than the amount needed to sustain the reaction. This is also true in most activities we humans do. Starting something requires a lot more energy than continuing something, and ultimately reduces our productivity by limiting the amount of things we'll start doing. The second brain allows us to circumvent this by already having started.
This is it! finally, something i have searched for all these years without knowing what i was searching for. To summarise my journey, i have discovered the brain is flawed. the emotions, the dissonance, the believe systems, the hunger, pain, anger, the addictions, habits... all these things constantly work against your DREAMS and GOALS. This is the program i have been searching for... I thank the youtube algorithm for finally suggesting your channel to me
So incredibly useful! Thank you Ali. I was just taking notes on David Allen’s GTD book, and while being in the organizing stage, thought about this video I wanted to watch. To say the least, it’s exactly what I was looking for. Always amazed how things just seemingly connect sometimes...
Wow. You've just summed up and named what I stumbled into on my own since 2014. I'm using a system like this and it is life changing. This is a critical skill for anyone who wants to grow and learn no mater what the end goal is. The works for business, inventors, creators, authors, bloggers and philosophers. I see a path in my own notes to a number of future books, videos, inventions and classes. This should be a required course for all high school and college students. It is the perfect tool to identify your deepest interests and develop them into your highest purpose. Amen
My favorite thing is discovering that the conclusions I've reached on my own are the same ones smarter and more successful people than me come to. Really makes a case for the idea of "generally true". Great video!
This is your best video in ages, by far! Thanks Ali. I really should start the habit of reflective writing after reading a non-fiction book. My current analogue approach of turning over the corners of pages and making notes on the physical pages doesn’t scale 😂
Your 10th point about keeping ideas in motion is a personal productivity hack that I've struggled to explain to people. I'm fully diagnosed ADHD but I lean into it heavily to accomplish what others can't comprehend. "You haven't finished that other thing and you're already starting another!?!?!". My best explanation is to think of projects like a peg board. I would rather move any peg forward than wasting time focused on a single peg that's stuck. It'll come unstuck without effort when it's ready.
Wow, This sounds astoundingly relatable! Been talking notes since I was in high school in art class, just collecting all the information I could get and this video just makes sense. Really honed down on it when I was at uni for design and philosophy lectures just writing down every thought really boosted this creative process for it to then marinate into bigger concepts. It feels like I was doing all these indirectly. 10 amazing points, thanks Ali.
This is AMAZING and exactly what I needed!! I was so overwhelmed by Second Brain videos recommending to sort everything out by Category... I knew there was something off there. And you gracefully and easily, untangled that!! Thank you sooo much. Now it makes sense to start my Second Brain!
1:38 There is a very good documentary about creativity called Everything is a Remix, made by Kirby Ferguson. It's very, very good, and it's also free on UA-cam. 05:04 About the "slow burn" concept, the first time I've come across with it was when I was studying about memorization techniques, and found the SuperMemo algorithm. Piotr Woźniak (the man who developed the algorithm) implemented the concept of incremental reading, which is basically a way to digest dense material while memorizing it using the algorithm itself. It's pretty cool stuff, and makes it possible to remain fully engaged with the material through the whole process. The reading is done by batches, so you may be reading 50 books concurrently, and having more retention. You will surely use more time to read each book, but since you are reading more books at once, in the long run you are able to read more (and retain more too).
I just discovered your channel, I´m 35 imagine how do I feel about all the things that are randomly written on paper.... you give so much value, keep up.
I’ve been subscribed since the beginning of your channel and I must say you are the perfect example of diligence and hard work. I inspire to love learning as much as you!
I find myself already doiing most of the stuff mentioned. Collecting on the go, slow burn, helping future self understand more by leaving references, etc. The most crucial next step for me is probably to focus on projects rather than just letting notes be. Letting the ideas flow and putting them to use is important. Thank you, Ali, for introducing those principles.
Okay i just gotta say that the prices for this are insane. I already knew they were, but i just gotta say. I paid less to reshape my corneas with lasers in order to get 20/20 vision than it costs for the top tier of a course on *notetaking.* Now, I understand what’s going on, it’s sort of a premium, luxury purchase, and obviously the creator is setting the price point that high in order to weed out enough people to the point where the course is small enough that he can interact with all the students, but it’s still crazy to see, especially considering there is so much information out there (including this video) that summarizes the ideas of his course.
"A perfect system will cause more work in that it needs to be perfected." - This really changed my mindset! (Not a direct quote, I made this up from your interview with Tiago)
I was taking note for 5-6 years ago. And it was life changing. An interesting thing is that i think about something (and write my thoughts down), then six month later i become intrested in that topic and judge my previous thought and refresh it from another view point that im now. If i didn't take note, I'll forget my previous thought important details and my new thought will not be as detailed and clear as it can be. In some aspects taking note is more important than reading. Because when you take note, your thoughts will be on previous thought like brick and mortars that will build a house. And with reviewing your previous note, you'll judge your house architecture. Taking note also force you to learn and practice new stuff because when you review your notes, you will see a eagle-eye view of your self and then focus on most important issues.
In the future, brain surgeons will find a way to give your brain a usb port. Then Ali will transfer his entire digital second brain onto a SanDisk, and voila, two brains.
thanks for sharing! the "slow burn principle" really resonates! That's how I take product ideas from a spark of ideas, post-it notes to a vision and strategy, to finally launching the product to users. It requires lots research and deep thinking..heavy lifting work before that "aha" moment actually came.
It will be great if you can do a video discussing the diff pros and con of using notion , OneNote , notability and Evernote to build the brains. Anyway is a very valuable video. Kudos to you. Cheers
Your channel is slowly but surely teaching me how to "life hack" succes, not by hopelessly longing for more hours in a day, but by spending my twenty four hours way more efficiently. As a law student, this is immensely helpful, thank you so much!
Picasso’s quote was actually sarcastic and intended as a jab at a few of his competitors at the time. Great artists do not steal. please people dont be like this. Its fake, inauthentic and you can get in a lot of IP (not to mention reputational) trouble. Just take a look at Diet Prada for examples.
Do you ever get overwhelmed? No shade I just feel like the pursuit of maximum productiveness would be a bit draining especially since you absorb information at twice the usual speed
Your IPad Notability video change all my productivity life one year ago. An I have a feeling that this one will give it a new one. Great live yesterday BTW
No... its computer which is built bases on how our brain works.. but its optimized to work only on instructions passes. Here he is helping us refine that organizing part of our brain.
Ali's Brain : Hey! Lets try being a minimalist, they're all famous on the internet Ali : Nah, Imma pay for the premiums of online courses and dating apps
I just finished reading the book how to take smart notes which is the OG of building a second brain. It explains the slip-box method and shows how to implement it and I believe the building a second brain course pulls a lot of their content from that book. Great video as always Ali!
I am 19yrs old. A student. Happy to know that I am already doing it in some way. Actually using phine notes when even come across an idea 💡 or while listening podcasts quickly switch app and key the words.
Love the idea of starting with abundance! Just thinking about it in that way makes the whole concept of starting a new project less scary and overwhelming.
My notes on this video are going to be my first entry in my second brain! Looking forward to learning and using Notion more to improve my productivity.
Also, when you've talked about your regrets: maybe it's actually useful to re-read some of the books from the past - you will probably have a different perspective now :)
Wow I’m so glad to learn of this term “second brain” ! This is how I use motion to organize my life and to keep track of everything that I learn so that I can reference it in the future
He has a schedule, he talked about yesterday's video and even later videos that he will be publishing soon in his last "Tea live video" it is just a matter of organisation:)He make some extra videos in his free time and publish them when he wants( aka based on the schedule) ..He organizes his time very well
This is amazing information. You are so relatable, Ali! And I love how you present the information. I keep coming back to this video to see apps/software you are talking about. I use Notion for my notes and research, but of course there are other products to help us be more productive.
At 11:52 is when I paused to get Evernote. Thank you! I really enjoy the way you break down your advice. I feel like I have a million things going on in my head so it’s hard to sit down and figure out how to better my productivity and organization even though I know I desperately need to but your videos make it easier
Or maybe your deaf and didn’t here that he said that here are the 10 important things so that you don’t have to spend the money unless you want to and have the money and it make sense for you...
For me, The 'Capture Habit' is the one to look out for ! In hindsight, I am reminded of some rare moments where an idea had made me quite excited but had eventually fizzled into oblivion ! Who knows what would have been if I had my own note-sheet stuck in my bathroom walls ! Thanks Ali for the video ! 🙌
Hey Ali! Do you mind elaborating the projects over categories tip and give an example? I don't seem to understand how it works. I think this would be useful to many of the viewers. Thank you so much! (P.S everyone seeing this comment give it a like as only then Ali will be able to see this comment)
Amazing video. This is something I need. Thanks for sharing. I used to do something like that but I was just writing notes all the time and not reviewing them... That's why I stopped. But this video motivated me to start again :)
I guess this doesn't work for every topic. I've tried creating my programming content with this method about 2 years ago and it completely crippled my output, causing me to get nothing done at all. Maybe I've done it wrong tho...
I think this is more for projects that don't have a deadline, like creating a course or a book or a series of videos in the future. It's like putting your loose change into a jar every day - you're not going to rely on that to pay your rent, but with very little effort over time you will have saved up a useful amount of content and have it organized into buckets already. From there you still have to work on the projects to finish them, but you get to start with an outline and a lot of neat things you thought of when you weren't under the pressure of having to think of them.
One of my favorite UA-cam channels. The concept of The Second Brain is so profound. I'm definitely going to work more on it. Thank you for sharing such valuable information.
My goodness if Ali gets anymore productive he’s going to be solving all world problems while simultaneously innovating efficient means of nuclear fusion and probably trailblazing a path to immortality for all.
If you enjoyed this video, you might like my weekly newsletter, where I share actionable productivity tips, practical life advice, and high-quality insights from across the web, check it out here: go.aliabdaal.com/subscribe-sundaysnippets
Wow! First time seeing OC giving timestamps in comments section. Thank you.
Yo Ali do you have tips for taking in class notes?
sirji i am ur huge fan.
plz send me your use ipad and pen to my adress .
plz i am ur huge fan i am ensure that u never brock my heart .
plz send me ur apple tab and s pen .
Pls Demonstrate, there were instances I totally disconnected from what you were talking.
I do a habit of brain dumps, AKA 3am thoughts. Do you put your brain dumps in your second brain?
Would "intermediate packets" it be similar to bullet journalling "collections"?
Guys if you cant afford 2nd brain, Just use the 1st one. It's free.
Criminally funny
First one is dumbass😂 that's why people are here
Wowww...cha gaya hai jani...in a nutshell u said it all👌👌❤❤❤
True, I don't like the author anymore, because he did not mention that, it is affliate link. He is making tons of shit money from stupid people, who think their life will be changed totally by taking just only one step.
Technically your 1st brain isn’t free. You have to pay for food for your brain to be on...
"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things." --Steve Jobs
Yeah
It’s true we do think like that
But thats ok, copying is a key part of learning: the teacher demonstrates and the student copies what the teacher did.
Thank you for this 🙏🏻
It's a great talent to be able to see the big picture and how these different things relate to each other. Don't minimize it, it's not copying. Look at Ken Wilber. He came up with the Integral Method of AQAL that shows how everything fits. Effing genius.
Ali : this online course that genuinely changed my life. Me : this yt channel that genuinely saved my life
"Building a second brain"
my brain: can we work on using me first? o_O
Exactly what I thought 😂
🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂😂😂
I know it's a joke, but more" brains" means more connections and better memory,which make first brain smarter too.
😂👌
The reason why I really love your channel Ali is that you usually come up with stuff I hear about for the first time, I personally watch a lot of productivity and self-development videos and I'm really bored of hearing the same tips and information over and over again so it's wonderful to hear about something for the first time + I really loved this second brain idea cause it totally suits me ❤
Agree
Or maybe it’s because you don’t apply what the others are teaching you?
I'd just like to say that you, Ali, have changed my mind in the past two days... I was literally sitting on the couch all day and scrolling through Instagram and watching random youtube videos. I lickily find your channel and watched a video where you were talking about productivity and about motivation. I all I need is realy just a small push and after that everything will just start moving. So after a month I have started learning Python again and playing piano. I would like to thank you for your great content, being awesome, honest and for sharing your knowledge with us! I respect your work and continue being awesome!
Best regards from Slovenia 🇸🇮
Urban
Hope all is still going well!👍🏼
Slow burns vs. heavy lifts - I love this. *The hardest part truly is starting.* Once you get past that initial friction point, then it's so much easier to get things flowing. I always think about this when I start assignments - just do the easiest stuff first to set a foundation for when there's time to sit down and do it!
Agreed :)
Also, the idea of "Start from Abundance" is great when we think about starting a creative activity as starting from a blank page is actually very hard and not super inspiring.
@@archiliusfowl3701 Yeah totally !
it's overwhelming to have this heavy amount of notes realted to a topic, isn't it?
It's a big issue!
I try to break every task or project into three stages to minimise pressure.
First stage - no pressure because getting started is all that matters.
Second stage - the main body of work, no pressure because I've already made a start and it doesn't have to be finished now.
Third stage - most of the work is done so it just needs finishing off.
I just need to allow myself enough time for each stage.
"Building a second brain"
Me being able to use only barely half of a functioning brain: "Interesting"
😂😂❤️
Humans use 90% of their brains throughout the day. Love the joke though lol!
Classic "I'm not okay, you're okay" mindset you have
🤣🤣🤣
:-))
You speak the truth.
During my college years, I found that the opposite of #8 was equally as helpful. I used to take a lot of notes when I was younger, but as you said in #9 it created debt. I would focus so much on note-taking that I never processed the information. When I looked back at my notes, it was like reading a foreign language.
From my educational experiences, I found more success in listening to lectures in their entirety. After class, I would summarize my experience and research any remaining uncertainties.
This is one of my favorite topics. I’ve been obsessing about this in the back of my head for years without even knowing what it was or bringing it all together. It’s a mix of gtd, pkm, “second brain”, notetaking systems, commonplaces, etc
“It’s not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.”
--Seneca
Hey I see you around, you're amazing!
- i wish i knew (also known as P2G Monica) hahaha
Said the rich man.
@@citadelo5ricks We are all wealthy in time.
@@GearZNet "great is your reward in heaven"
Ali Abdaal: The type of guy to buy a microwave that heats his food up 2.5% faster
Ahah. I would want one just because i get so hungry 😂
Whale Dunk This seems very accurate, not in a bad way though 😄
@@limeparticle not really 😂 Slow Burns is important.
Wouldn't it be 250-300% faster? Haha ^_^
Well,, every second counts for Ali.. 😅
Wow, the waterproof notebook in the shower is the next level 👀
its v useful!
😂😂😂 man!!! Live life......
i thought recent iphones are waterproof.
Almost everything in this video describes the system I've been independently developing over the past couple years. In the shower, what I currently use is waterproof sticky notes, and the tiles on the wall serve as convenient boxes to organize and reorganize ideas/memos.
I thought so too
I love these longer videos from you that actually deliver information that's new (to me, at least) alongside genuine insight. They're great!
I love how generous you are when it comes to sharing information. Your tips are lifechaging. Thank you !
I discovered Obsidian not very long ago (maybe a month at the most) and what you said about your biggest regret hit home because I got the same realization of how useful it would have been all those school years and beyond. Also imagine all that accumulated useful knowledge instead of just being vague memories "oh yeah, I used to know that".
Thanks for another useful video, clear, concise, and to the point!
Can you make a video on how you take notes while reading:
1. Physical books?
2. Kindle books?
3. (and most important because this is where I struggle the most) Audiobooks?
Amazing content Ali! Your channel has literally transformed my productivity system. Thanks for all the quality content man!
Hey a bit late but I can still comment right 😉
I can help with first two, for physical books I use "commonplace book" system, just write down anything u liked in one common notebook or on flash card, u can scan them, convert to digital text later.
For kindle u can do same or use paid services to export ur kindle notes and highlights to a pdf.
Like u I am struggling with audio book, I don't know how to take notes while listening. Thats the reason I have shifted from audio books. Nowadays I buy physical books and listen audio books to understand better. Like if I am with a tutor and we are reading same book
I love the slow burn one, it resonates really well with starting something to get motivations (instead of the reverse) and prevents you from the real burn (out)
You should do one video that brings together your workflow on how you’ve set up your second brain. Granted you’ve got a few scattered around but find that your best videos are workflow related ones.
I'm so glad I came across this video. I had been wasting a lot of time till now. This year, when I turned 14, I vowed to make myself better, more productive and I now prioritise my learning according to the fields I have considered in my head. I had started collecting all my ideas too, but I was experiencing the same problems and was questioning it's worth. I've always scored 97% in school, but I want to work harder and be able to learn the syllabi beyond my grade. Been following you for quite long now, and I gotta say that this video was my ultimate life- saver! Thank you Ali!
hows it going gang, its been three years. was this video worth watching
Key points for me:
I remember this quote I encountered back in college, "Don't rely on your memory. Put it in writing". Our brains can be a dumb-ass in remembering because it's not entirely meant for storage. Our brains are first and foremost for having ideas.
Summarize or write insights about the materials you consume (will help you remember it better and will help your future self know what your current self was thinking at the time you wrote it). While summarizing, and even on normal days, capture your thoughts and ideas because ideas can and should be recycled since creativity is just remixing existing ideas. All of these ideas and creativity, use it. Don't let it get stuck in your note-taking apps.
When you're planning to do something, break it into blocks or intermediate packets - also support the concept of slow burns - taking things one at a time, facing the project head-on, and then just working on it regularly to improve.
The course is a lot of money (and I'm not a content producer) but when I thought about all the bookmarked to read later (that I've never read), browser bookmarks on several computers, paper notes on many different topics I decided it was probably worth it just to get a handle on everything. He does have a bunch of free articles that should help many.
Ali: Calls Something expensive
My Brain: Only Billionaires can afford that
pimpmymind.net/tiago-forte-building-a-second-brain/
@@user-xd7gs5uq5y YOURE MY FUCKING HERO
@@user-xd7gs5uq5y thanks alot
What can you tell me about that link? Does it work? Did it give you problems?
In business school we learned "borrowed creativity' by understanding the true meaning of the abbreviation R&D is for Rob & Duplicate.
I hit the like button before watching each of your videos, because I know it will be useful and interesting. I was never wrong.
me: this second brain stuff sounds useful...maybe I should take this class.
looks at price: *o_0...never mind*
I’ve been setting one up following free tutorials. There’s plenty of resources online to diy!
Search for Zettelkasten, Roam Research, or Obsidian here and you will find lots of resources. Not as well structured as a course, but you will get a good grasp of how things work.
Same
Tiago Forte and Ali yesterday said that all the info from the course is available freely in UA-cam videos on in Tiago's blog. What you get from the course is not the material but the interaction with the mentors and a personalized tutoring
It's cheaper than Dan Lok's courses and upsells at least!
Can’t wait to implement this video once school starts! Thank you for always being so motivating and inspiring Ali!!! :))
That’s exactly what I thought too! 😍 Without his motivating and productivity content, I wouldn’t even have started my channel! 🥺❤️
Why wait for school to start. You can start to implement it with notes from this video. Build the habit before you need to use it in higher stakes situations
RudiG Same, he’s inspired me so much to start a channel, also I’ve been meaning to check out your channel, I’ll certainly do so once I have WiFi!!
that’s the constant struggle of watching ali’s videos over the summer. so much to implement when school start!
SUMMARY
editted down the other summarry comment lol
would recommend the book _Getting Things Done_ by David Alan (an origin of some of these ideas)
a second brain can be used as a repository of nuggets you have collected while taking in input to build new ideas from
*#1 Borrowed Creativity*
- creativity is about remixing pieces of that content + adding some enhancements of your own
--- we don't come up with whole new ideas, we _pivot_ from old ones ("good artists copy, great artists steal")
- it is easier to draw connections within this content when it's laid out in front of you rather than just in your head
*#2 The Capture Habit*
- our brains are for having ideas, not for storing them
--- google keep, evernote, notion
--- dictate voice notes
--- sync notes on kindle to evernote/notion through readwise
--- or even a waterproof notebook lmao
*#3 Idea Recycling*
- keep track of all the stuff you are creating
- ideas are not single-use. Reuse, remix + recombine
*#4 Projects over Categories*
- after capturing an idea, move it from the capture inbox into some project area, so the information will be more direct + useful
- instead of a general reference place, if it fits into something practical with goals/deadlines, put it there
- e.g. use _essay 1_ rather than just _psychology_
*#5 Slow Burns vs. Heavy Lift*
- your brain is designed for heavy lifting, but your 2nd brain is ideal for slow burns
- _Heavy Lifts_ = where you need to dedicate lots of time to completing something _significant_
- _Slow Burns_ = habits, long-term projects - it's ongoing/small chunks so you can’t keep all the information about it in your head - needs a 2nd brain
*#6 Start with Abundance*
- if you construct a 2nd brain, you will never start with a _blank page_
- you will always have dots to join, but the ideas are there + ready for you to edit
- your memory is now searchable so you can find the relevent info
*#7 Intermediate Packets*
- everything is constructed using different blocks/packets
- you might already know these packets well enough to simply drag/drop them into whatever you are trying to build
- reusing the relevent content/packets = easier to start from here than from scratch (turns into slow burn, starts it from abundance)
*#8 You only Really Know what You make*
- the content we internalise most are the things we make outselves/properly run through our personal filters
--- summarise content, write notes on books, podcast etc.
- engaging with the material will make it more familiar + more easy to manipulate going further
- this is what makes note-taking a powerful tool
- add your own insights into it
*#9 Make It Easier For Your Future Self*
- plant your seeds + your future self will reap the benefits
- put in the work now (by being detailed), don't underestimate what you might forget
- make it so it _can't_ be misinterpretted (if necesary)
*#10 Keep Your Ideas Moving*
- do not focus on perfectionism/organising your notes
- do something with the information instead.
- it is useless to store tidy/perfect information + not do anything with it
(this video seems to be aimed at _content creator_ types + I honestly don't like that I hear the same stuff so often in different places :( )
Thanks a lot, man. This is super useful too.
I listened to this entire episode, and it's my favorite of yours yet. Tiago has built an exceptional platform.
What stood out most to me is why he's charges what he charges. While expensive, I do agree that the price you charge is correlated to someone's willingness to emotionally invest and get the most out of it.
Congrats on being selected as a mentor for the program!
The second brain concept really helped me out at work where many small admin tasks really distract you from where your core focus should be.
I take something very valuable with every video he makes. Which is something I don't usually do, with other productivity channel. I mean every time I watch his videos I will implement some of his ideas into my daily life and they actually help a lot. This second brain concept is a very good one, and I know I'll start to use it right now.
Great video man!
This is by far the most beneficial UA-cam video I’ve ever seen in my life. Thanks Ali!
Thanks for this man.
Going the extra mile, letting the content in, storing it up for future, that's beautiful.
Well explained. ☺️
Keep it coming my man.
2:40 Same! When you capture your ideas, not only do you increase your likelihood of remembering them, but you prime your brain to come up with more. Since you're immediately doing something about the idea, the brain knows that it did something right. It's like a UA-camr gaining engagement on their content. It makes them want to create more.
6:15 Wow, sounds like a great competitive edge to ensure both quality and quantity content
7:35 Another great hack. You've probably heard of activation energy, since you went to med school. But for those who haven't: in chemistry, activation energy is the minimum amount of energy needed to start a chemical reaction, and it is always higher than the amount needed to sustain the reaction. This is also true in most activities we humans do. Starting something requires a lot more energy than continuing something, and ultimately reduces our productivity by limiting the amount of things we'll start doing. The second brain allows us to circumvent this by already having started.
i dont even know what he's talking about most of the time, i just feel smarter when I watch him
🤣🤣🤣😅
This is it! finally, something i have searched for all these years without knowing what i was searching for. To summarise my journey, i have discovered the brain is flawed. the emotions, the dissonance, the believe systems, the hunger, pain, anger, the addictions, habits... all these things constantly work against your DREAMS and GOALS.
This is the program i have been searching for... I thank the youtube algorithm for finally suggesting your channel to me
So incredibly useful! Thank you Ali. I was just taking notes on David Allen’s GTD book, and while being in the organizing stage, thought about this video I wanted to watch. To say the least, it’s exactly what I was looking for. Always amazed how things just seemingly connect sometimes...
Wow. You've just summed up and named what I stumbled into on my own since 2014. I'm using a system like this and it is life changing. This is a critical skill for anyone who wants to grow and learn no mater what the end goal is. The works for business, inventors, creators, authors, bloggers and philosophers. I see a path in my own notes to a number of future books, videos, inventions and classes. This should be a required course for all high school and college students. It is the perfect tool to identify your deepest interests and develop them into your highest purpose. Amen
you make everything look so easy omg
My favorite thing is discovering that the conclusions I've reached on my own are the same ones smarter and more successful people than me come to. Really makes a case for the idea of "generally true". Great video!
Same here!
This is your best video in ages, by far! Thanks Ali. I really should start the habit of reflective writing after reading a non-fiction book. My current analogue approach of turning over the corners of pages and making notes on the physical pages doesn’t scale 😂
Your 10th point about keeping ideas in motion is a personal productivity hack that I've struggled to explain to people. I'm fully diagnosed ADHD but I lean into it heavily to accomplish what others can't comprehend. "You haven't finished that other thing and you're already starting another!?!?!".
My best explanation is to think of projects like a peg board. I would rather move any peg forward than wasting time focused on a single peg that's stuck. It'll come unstuck without effort when it's ready.
Wow, This sounds astoundingly relatable! Been talking notes since I was in high school in art class, just collecting all the information I could get and this video just makes sense. Really honed down on it when I was at uni for design and philosophy lectures just writing down every thought really boosted this creative process for it to then marinate into bigger concepts. It feels like I was doing all these indirectly. 10 amazing points, thanks Ali.
This is AMAZING and exactly what I needed!! I was so overwhelmed by Second Brain videos recommending to sort everything out by Category... I knew there was something off there. And you gracefully and easily, untangled that!! Thank you sooo much. Now it makes sense to start my Second Brain!
Oh my god I’m only half way through and I’m already overwhelmed with all this delicious knowledge to implement
Thanks Ali
1:38 There is a very good documentary about creativity called Everything is a Remix, made by
Kirby Ferguson. It's very, very good, and it's also free on UA-cam.
05:04 About the "slow burn" concept, the first time I've come across with it was when I was studying about memorization techniques, and found the SuperMemo algorithm. Piotr Woźniak (the man who developed the algorithm) implemented the concept of incremental reading, which is basically a way to digest dense material while memorizing it using the algorithm itself. It's pretty cool stuff, and makes it possible to remain fully engaged with the material through the whole process. The reading is done by batches, so you may be reading 50 books concurrently, and having more retention. You will surely use more time to read each book, but since you are reading more books at once, in the long run you are able to read more (and retain more too).
interesting break down - will def be investigating further
I just discovered your channel, I´m 35 imagine how do I feel about all the things that are randomly written on paper.... you give so much value, keep up.
Whenever I feel like a useless potato I come here and then I feel like a productive potato 😇
"productive potato" 😂😂😂 nice
Time to start doing something about it 💯
I’ve been subscribed since the beginning of your channel and I must say you are the perfect example of diligence and hard work. I inspire to love learning as much as you!
100% .. I'd love to be half as productive as Ali🙏
Thanks alot brother Ali. Very useful ideas for previous thought notes 😃 Jazaak Allah ❤️
I find myself already doiing most of the stuff mentioned. Collecting on the go, slow burn, helping future self understand more by leaving references, etc. The most crucial next step for me is probably to focus on projects rather than just letting notes be. Letting the ideas flow and putting them to use is important. Thank you, Ali, for introducing those principles.
Okay i just gotta say that the prices for this are insane. I already knew they were, but i just gotta say. I paid less to reshape my corneas with lasers in order to get 20/20 vision than it costs for the top tier of a course on *notetaking.* Now, I understand what’s going on, it’s sort of a premium, luxury purchase, and obviously the creator is setting the price point that high in order to weed out enough people to the point where the course is small enough that he can interact with all the students, but it’s still crazy to see, especially considering there is so much information out there (including this video) that summarizes the ideas of his course.
How much?
Raia Kousary $1500 USD for lowest tier, $2500 for premium tier and $5000 for ‘executive’ tier
Its a rip off and exploits stupidity
"A perfect system will cause more work in that it needs to be perfected." - This really changed my mindset! (Not a direct quote, I made this up from your interview with Tiago)
Don't think we didn't see you gettin plants with that doctor girl. Cheeky boyo
"Projects over Categories"... This just made so much sense!
Loved this video... It gave me a lot to think about.
definitely storing this video on my second brain ...
I was taking note for 5-6 years ago.
And it was life changing.
An interesting thing is that i think about something (and write my thoughts down), then six month later i become intrested in that topic and judge my previous thought and refresh it from another view point that im now.
If i didn't take note, I'll forget my previous thought important details and my new thought will not be as detailed and clear as it can be.
In some aspects taking note is more important than reading.
Because when you take note, your thoughts will be on previous thought like brick and mortars that will build a house. And with reviewing your previous note, you'll judge your house architecture. Taking note also force you to learn and practice new stuff because when you review your notes, you will see a eagle-eye view of your self and then focus on most important issues.
In the future, brain surgeons will find a way to give your brain a usb port. Then Ali will transfer his entire digital second brain onto a SanDisk, and voila, two brains.
thanks for sharing! the "slow burn principle" really resonates! That's how I take product ideas from a spark of ideas, post-it notes to a vision and strategy, to finally launching the product to users. It requires lots research and deep thinking..heavy lifting work before that "aha" moment actually came.
It will be great if you can do a video discussing the diff pros and con of using notion , OneNote , notability and Evernote to build the brains. Anyway is a very valuable video. Kudos to you. Cheers
Your channel is slowly but surely teaching me how to "life hack" succes, not by hopelessly longing for more hours in a day, but by spending my twenty four hours way more efficiently. As a law student, this is immensely helpful, thank you so much!
Listening to Ali's 2x speed speaking pumps me up
Make it easier for your future self. Brilliant!
“Bad artists copy. Good artists steal.”
― Pablo Picasso
I’m going to explain that to my professors
I just saw you on a ted-ed video
I always see that attributed to Stravinsky.
I wonder why Leonardo da vinchi never stole anything from anyone.
And this quote has nothing to do with a good mindset.
Picasso’s quote was actually sarcastic and intended as a jab at a few of his competitors at the time. Great artists do not steal. please people dont be like this. Its fake, inauthentic and you can get in a lot of IP (not to mention reputational) trouble. Just take a look at Diet Prada for examples.
From 4 years ago and so relevant. Thanks.
Do you ever get overwhelmed? No shade I just feel like the pursuit of maximum productiveness would be a bit draining especially since you absorb information at twice the usual speed
Your IPad Notability video change all my productivity life one year ago. An I have a feeling that this one will give it a new one. Great live yesterday BTW
Bruh u need to detox on productivity, u wildin rn
Hes 100% machine now.
Lool
Me again. Hey. Hand-drawn animations to accompany the content is a more personal and less invasive touch. I love. Keep inspiring and perspiring
I love how Ali organises his brain like a computer
No... its computer which is built bases on how our brain works.. but its optimized to work only on instructions passes.
Here he is helping us refine that organizing part of our brain.
but his emotions are all screwed
@@shempone wat? 🥴
How can this dude bring up Ideas in that inspirational way? dAmn
Ali's Brain : Hey! Lets try being a minimalist, they're all famous on the internet
Ali : Nah, Imma pay for the premiums of online courses and dating apps
I just finished reading the book how to take smart notes which is the OG of building a second brain. It explains the slip-box method and shows how to implement it and I believe the building a second brain course pulls a lot of their content from that book.
Great video as always Ali!
“Creativity is just connecting things.”
― Steve Jobs
I am 19yrs old. A student. Happy to know that I am already doing it in some way. Actually using phine notes when even come across an idea 💡 or while listening podcasts quickly switch app and key the words.
Second Brain?
Notion, it's your time to shine!
Love the idea of starting with abundance! Just thinking about it in that way makes the whole concept of starting a new project less scary and overwhelming.
Ali make some videos on the workflow series on nebula about how exactly you go about implementing this
My notes on this video are going to be my first entry in my second brain! Looking forward to learning and using Notion more to improve my productivity.
Also, when you've talked about your regrets: maybe it's actually useful to re-read some of the books from the past - you will probably have a different perspective now :)
Wow I’m so glad to learn of this term “second brain” ! This is how I use motion to organize my life and to keep track of everything that I learn so that I can reference it in the future
Could you make a video on how you write and store your book notes? x
He is incredible. Inspiring me to do better each day, like always.
You should look up for Zettelkasten method.
2 videos in 2 days. This man is unbeatable!
He has a schedule, he talked about yesterday's video and even later videos that he will be publishing soon in his last "Tea live video"
it is just a matter of organisation:)He make some extra videos in his free time and publish them when he wants( aka based on the schedule) ..He organizes his time very well
Who goes through a expensive course through a year and then summarise it for others?
Ali ❤️
These principles were gold! Content like this is what changes people's lives.
This is amazing information. You are so relatable, Ali! And I love how you present the information. I keep coming back to this video to see apps/software you are talking about. I use Notion for my notes and research, but of course there are other products to help us be more productive.
At 11:52 is when I paused to get Evernote. Thank you! I really enjoy the way you break down your advice. I feel like I have a million things going on in my head so it’s hard to sit down and figure out how to better my productivity and organization even though I know I desperately need to but your videos make it easier
My primary brain tells me this is a commercial for an online course.
You are right. He has a referral link in his desription
pimpmymind.net/tiago-forte-building-a-second-brain/
Or maybe your deaf and didn’t here that he said that here are the 10 important things so that you don’t have to spend the money unless you want to and have the money and it make sense for you...
For me, The 'Capture Habit' is the one to look out for ! In hindsight, I am reminded of some rare moments where an idea had made me quite excited but had eventually fizzled into oblivion ! Who knows what would have been if I had my own note-sheet stuck in my bathroom walls !
Thanks Ali for the video ! 🙌
Hey Ali! Do you mind elaborating the projects over categories tip and give an example? I don't seem to understand how it works. I think this would be useful to many of the viewers. Thank you so much!
(P.S everyone seeing this comment give it a like as only then Ali will be able to see this comment)
Amazing video. This is something I need. Thanks for sharing. I used to do something like that but I was just writing notes all the time and not reviewing them... That's why I stopped. But this video motivated me to start again :)
I guess this doesn't work for every topic. I've tried creating my programming content with this method about 2 years ago and it completely crippled my output, causing me to get nothing done at all. Maybe I've done it wrong tho...
Also, taking notes on the books/podcasts I read/listened to made me consume much fewer of them because it took up so much time and effort
I agree, i found out this as well, it's not worth it.
@@markobisevac2713 good to see I'm not the only one 😅
@@Syychro Yes, the useful stuff usually sticks with or without notes
I think this is more for projects that don't have a deadline, like creating a course or a book or a series of videos in the future. It's like putting your loose change into a jar every day - you're not going to rely on that to pay your rent, but with very little effort over time you will have saved up a useful amount of content and have it organized into buckets already. From there you still have to work on the projects to finish them, but you get to start with an outline and a lot of neat things you thought of when you weren't under the pressure of having to think of them.
Thank you for making your videos so informative. This calms my mind into thinking that I’m not wasting my time.
We are in the early stages of putting our conciousness into the computer XDD!
One of my favorite UA-cam channels. The concept of The Second Brain is so profound. I'm definitely going to work more on it. Thank you for sharing such valuable information.
My goodness if Ali gets anymore productive he’s going to be solving all world problems while simultaneously innovating efficient means of nuclear fusion and probably trailblazing a path to immortality for all.
Wish I could super like this. Finding this "late" but the timing is perfect.
Thank you.