I found resources on Personal Knowledge Management or Building a Second Brain, to be either hard to find or not geared towards people who are just starting out. After reading, listening, and watching everything I could find on the topic, I think I have found the best resources to help you get started on your journey.
Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.
Anton Chekhov
Overall, many resources are available for beginners looking to get started with PKM or Second Brain. These resources can help you better organize and manage your thoughts, ideas, and knowledge, and ultimately improve your productivity and decision-making.
See why I think Personal Knowledge Management is a game-changer for Creatives here: https://amodernapproach.com/pkm-a-game-changer-for-creative-productivity/
6 Steps to get started on building your second brain (PKM)
Here are some tips for beginners who are interested in personal knowledge management and building a second brain but feel overwhelmed by the concept.
#1 Start Simple
Don’t try to build a complex second brain all at once. Start with a few simple tools and workflows, and gradually add more as you become more comfortable with the process.
I would suggest starting by just creating the PARA folders
on your computer. Then write a list of all the active projects and areas you have and create a folder for each. See how many files and folders you can categorize into the new system. Now when you do start capturing you will already know where to save it.
#2 Choose the Right Tools
There are many different tools and software available for building a second brain, but not all of them will work for everyone. Choose the ones that fit your needs and preferences, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different tools until you find the ones that work best for you.
#3 Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
Building a second brain is not about collecting as much information as possible. It’s about curating and organizing information that is relevant and useful to you. Focus on quality, and be selective about the information you choose to add to your second brain.
At the same time, don’t overthink it. Go with your gut. If you find something interesting and you feel the urge to save it somewhere, then you should. You don’t have to know what you are saving it for yet.
#4 Develop a Consistent Workflow
Consistency is key to building a second brain. Develop a workflow that works for you, and stick to it. This will help you build the habit of capturing, organizing, and reviewing information regularly.
You are aiming to form a new habit with regard to capturing and storing ideas and notes. I set a reminder on my phone to capture all my written notes digitally on a Sunday. I will also go through my phone and look at everything I’ve saved (screenshots/photos) and capture them where they need to go. I then do the same thing on my computer. I check my read-later apps and see if anything needs to go into a PARA folder (project, area, resource, or archive folder). Once a week is usually enough for me.
#5 Practice Active Recall
Building a second brain is not just about collecting information. It’s also about actively engaging with that information to reinforce your learning and understanding. Practice active recall by reviewing your notes regularly, summarizing what you’ve learned, and testing yourself on key concepts.
#6 Join a Community
There are many online communities and forums dedicated to personal knowledge management and building a second brain. Joining one of these communities can help you learn from others, get feedback on your workflows and tools, and stay motivated and accountable.
I joined a Reddit group and I have learned more there than almost anywhere else on the web.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Dr. Seuss
The Best Resources to help you learn about Personal Knowledge Management FAST
Books
Book #1: How to Take Smart Notes
by Sönke Ahrens
“How to Take Smart Notes” by Sönke Ahrens is a guidebook on the note-taking system called the Zettelkasten method. The Zettelkasten method is a system of capturing, organizing, and retrieving knowledge that involves creating interconnected notes.
Key Takeaways:
- The Zettelkasten method involves creating a collection of notes that are connected in a meaningful way.
- Notes should be brief and focused on a single idea.
- Use permanent notes to capture your insights and ideas, and fleeting notes to capture random thoughts and ideas.
- Make connections between notes to help you see patterns and relationships between ideas.
- Use a numbering system to organize your notes, and make sure to add metadata to help you find notes later.
- Regularly review your notes to keep them up-to-date and relevant.
Quotes:
- “The Zettelkasten helps you write more and better, and, ultimately, to become a better thinker.”
- “Writing is not a way to record what you already know; it is a way to discover what you don’t know.”
- “Good notes do not just store information, they create new information.”
- “If you want to think new thoughts, you need new inputs.”
- “The key to effective note-taking is to capture your fleeting thoughts in a system that allows you to retrieve and use them later.”
- “The Zettelkasten is a way to turn your fleeting thoughts into permanent knowledge.”
- “Your notes are only as good as your ability to find and retrieve them.”
- “The Zettelkasten is a way to build a second brain, a repository of knowledge that you can draw on whenever you need it.”
- “The goal of note-taking is not to create a perfect record of what you have read or heard, but to create a system that helps you learn and remember what is important.”
- “The Zettelkasten is not just a note-taking system, it is a way of life.”
Book #2: Getting Things Done by David Allen:
Although not specifically about PKM, this book is a classic on productivity and organization that can help you better manage your work and personal life.
“Getting Things Done” by David Allen is a popular productivity book that provides a system for managing tasks and projects. The book outlines a framework for capturing, organizing, and systematically completing tasks.
Key Takeaways:
- The “Getting Things Done” (GTD) system involves capturing all your tasks, projects, and ideas in a trusted system.
- Use a five-step process to handle tasks: capture, clarify, organize, reflect, and engage.
- Break down projects into actionable next steps, and organize tasks by context and priority.
- Regularly review your task list and calendar to stay on top of your commitments.
- Keep your system up-to-date and organized to reduce stress and increase productivity.
Quotes:
- “Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”
- “The GTD process is designed to help you focus on your work instead of worrying about it.”
- “The first step to getting things done is to capture all your tasks, ideas, and projects in a trusted system.”
- “The GTD system helps you break down complex projects into actionable next steps.”
- “To stay on top of your commitments, you need to regularly review your task list and calendar.”
- “Organizing your tasks by context and priority helps you make better decisions about what to work on next.”
- “The GTD system is designed to reduce stress and increase productivity by providing a clear path forward.”
- “The key to success with the GTD system is to keep your system up-to-date and organized.”
- “The GTD system is not just a tool, it’s a way of life.”
- “The GTD system can help you achieve a state of mind like water, where you are flexible, adaptable, and able to flow with the demands of your environment.”
Book #3: Building a Second Brain: An Illustrated Guide to Using Digital Notebooks to Capture Ideas, Build Knowledge, and Organize Your Life by Tiago Forte
Tiago Forte is the current world heavyweight champion in the Personal Knowledge Management field. He has an incredibly informative website (fortelabs.com) Youtube channel and Podcast.
Instead of giving you the book summary, I thought you would enjoy listening to his Google Talk! It is an hour long so save it to your watch later list if you need to.
Podcasts
B.A.S.B
Videos & Websites
Tiago Forte’s YouTube Channel is full of great information and great tips for getting started with building your own second brain.
Software
As I’ve mentioned before, it is absolutely not essential to try every software available and the best way to start is to keep it simple. You will also easily decide what you need once you understand how you will need to use your second brain. It will take some time to figure this out.
These are the different categories of software/apps that you can look at to build out your Second Brain or PKM
Ebook apps
Export your highlights or annotations from the books you’ve read. The easiest way to do this (and free) is to have a Kindle that automatically records all your highlights and stores them for you to review later. Your Kindle also lets you make notes. What I have recently added is the Readwise App. This is not free (there is a free trial month) but it is so crazy amazing that it’s taken my reading to the next level.
Read later apps
Save content you find online for later consumption and export your highlights into your notetaking app
Apps like Pocket and Instapaper does this but now Readwise does it too! Even more reason to just stick to one application that helps you in multiple ways. You can even save videos to watch later with Readwise. I am not sponsored by them, sadly.
Basic notes apps
Capture snippets of text on the fly with these preinstalled apps on your mobile device
I personally love Google Keep and it’s also the one I always suggest people try first. It is just so simple, easily accessible, and free. I also use Evernote as more of a system where notes and information eventually get categorized. I have a widget on my phone that makes accessing Evernote quick. I also like that you can make voice notes on both Google Keep and Evernote. Great for when you are driving or just lazy.
Social media apps
Favorite content and export it to your notetaking app. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube as well as Pinterest.
Audio/voice transcription apps
Create text transcripts from spoken words. You can even do this on a Google Doc but if you want to get fancy, you can use Otter.ai. They also help you make transcriptions of conversations which can come in handy at a later stage…when your spouse brings up that argument that you had three days ago…boom!
Web clipper apps
Save parts of web pages (often included as a built-in feature of notetaking apps)
Evernote has a built-in web clipper but check if this is included in your note-taking software.
Courses
- Tiago Forte’s Building a Second Brain: This is an online course that provides a comprehensive introduction to the Second Brain concept and provides practical guidance on how to set up your system.
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity: This is an online course based on the book by David Allen and provides a step-by-step guide to implementing the GTD system.
Understanding the purpose of building a second brain or personal knowledge management system.
- Reduce anxiety by curating the volume of information you have to process daily
- Create calm by organizing all the information that you have curated
- Help your future self so you don’t have to start from scratch
- Free your brain up to do more thinking
- Save time by having your information easily accessible
- To capitalize on what you are learning or thinking every day.
- Take your goals from idea to completed project/product