Achieve More by Controlling Less


I'm excited to share that neuroscientist, writer, and entrepreneur, Anne-Laure Le Cunff, will join us at our inaugural Second Brain Summit.

Anne-Laure will give a keynote talk on "Tiny Experiments: A Neuroscientist's Guide to Living a Life of Exploration," unveiling the core ideas of her upcoming book for the first time.

Based on her story of finding professional success before walking away from it all, her talk will offer a new perspective on ambition and achievement without sacrificing your well-being or the childlike spirit of discovery that makes our curiosity sing.

Come join us at the Second Brain Summit on October 3-4 in LA.


What If Your Second Brain Could Make You Smile?

Two weeks ago, I shared the four criteria that help me decide which information is worth saving in my Second Brain.

I also asked you about your personal capture criteria and got some great responses.

Here's one from reader Owen: “Is it fun?”

"This is just a personal one for me but since I've been using my second brain, I found myself saving all kinds of fun little things that I see, things that I hear - nothing very consequential, just stuff that makes me smile, and that I know will make my friends smile. I tag them #funchat and have an Area in my PARA system dedicated to it.

Then when we meet up for our semi-regular drinks, I've always got something quirky that I can drop into conversation that everyone’s going to enjoy. It saves us just talking about sport and politics all the time.

It was never the sort of thing I thought I would use my second brain for, but it's lovely."

I absolutely love that! We shouldn't forget that a Second Brain is not only for keeping track of the serious stuff like work and taxes. It's for fun, too!

Thank you, Owen, for sharing this with us.


Let Go of Control: Empowering Employees and Kids

I sat down with my mentor and executive coach, Joe Hudson, to discuss two topics close to my heart – business and parenting.

We covered...

  • how to empower employees and children by fostering autonomy
  • the importance of trusting people's natural drive to do great work
  • the value of allowing kids to define themselves without harsh discipline
  • so much more

This conversation got very vulnerable, so buckle up!


What's Your Personal Climate Strategy?

A few weeks ago, I told you about Alex Steffen's Personal Ruggedization class and it sold out fast.

Alex is hosting another one on May 30th at 11 am PT called Ruggedize Your Life: the Basics.

In two hours, he walks you through the top-level concerns and strategies for choosing a solid place to build a life, ready for hard futures.

  • How bad might the planetary crisis get, why is location so critical to good outcomes in the coming decades and why does timing matter so much
  • Explanations of key concepts: discontinuity, brittleness. relative safety, ruggedization, climate bottlenecks
  • 3 criteria that best measure the strengths and weaknesses of places and an example of how to use these tools
  • Making good long-term decisions for an unstable future (with or without kids)
  • Tips for pursuing personal ruggedization on a budget

Last year, I took his intensive 6-week course on the same topic, and it was one of the most impactful learning experiences I’ve had in the last decade.

This condensed 2-hour version is an incredible steal. I'm not an affiliate; I just believe in Alex's work.


Master Your Email Inbox and Reclaim Your Time

When it comes to email, I have some strong opinions...

  • Email is essentially someone else’s to-do list.
  • Its only function is to gather new information.
  • Minimize time spent in your inbox because it’s NOT where your best work happens.

For years, I’ve perfected a system to consistently reach Inbox Zero in just minutes a day. This involved discipline and creative workarounds to compensate for the limitations of traditional email clients.

Now, there’s a tool that makes managing your inbox effortless: SaneBox, a comprehensive solution to email overload that saves users 3-4 hours every week.

SaneBox’s intelligent AI assistant prioritizes important emails and neatly organizes the rest, allowing you to stay focused.

You can also…

  • Activate do-not-disturb mode to pause your inbox and immerse in deep work.
  • Set automatic reminders to follow up on emails you sent a few days ago.
  • Unsubscribe from unwanted senders with a single click.

SaneBox works wherever you check your email. Nothing to download. It just works. Use my link to save $25 on any subscription.

Thanks to SaneBox for sponsoring this newsletter!

Build your Second Brain

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Organize your digital life

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Tiago Forte

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