How Capturing Ideas Clears Your Mind


I just got back from an incredible trip to Mexico for the release of Building a Second Brain in Spanish.

I had the opportunity to do a book signing and Q&A session at a beautiful bookstore called Rosario Castellanos that I used to go to when I lived in Mexico City in 2019.

I gave a talk at Centro University (more on that below) and did my first TV interview in Spanish, live on air!

Here's a 1-minute highlight reel of my trip:

video preview​

Don't forget to grab your copy of Crea Tu Segundo Cérebro on Amazon MX, Amazon US, Amazon ES, or at a local bookstore.


From Cluttered to Calm: The Transformative Effect of Capturing Ideas

Have you noticed that your best ideas tend to arrive when you least expect them? They pop up, especially at times when you can't act on them (e.g., in the shower, when rocking your toddler to sleep, or when you're driving).

Don’t play “catch and release” with them. Instead, make it a habit to capture your ideas right then and there so they don't slip away and you can revisit them later.

I call this building a "capture habit." Here's how to do it...

  1. Choose a reliable and frictionless way to capture: I add anything that comes up to Things, my task management app, where it lands in an inbox. You could also capture in your notetaking app, by leaving yourself voice memos...whatever works for you!
    ​
  2. Practice capturing: At first, you might need to set yourself reminders to do this. For example, make a brain dump of to-dos and ideas at the start of your day, during lunch, and before bed. But I promise, you'll get better at noticing important thoughts and writing them down in the moment over time.
    ​
  3. Revisit your ideas: This last part is crucial. Your brain has to trust that you'll come back to what you captured. Otherwise, it won't let go of the thought in the first place. I revisit my inbox at least once a week during my Weekly Review and decide what I'll do about each item (it's also ok to delete what no longer makes sense.)

By building a capture habit, you'll free up your brain from managing the minutiae of your daily life, creating a much calmer headspace.

How are you capturing your thoughts and ideas right now? Hit reply and let me know.


An Intro to Notetaking in Mem (with Srini Rao)

I've invited author and podcaster Srini Rao to dive into Mem, one of the most advanced AI-centric networked notetaking apps.

In this intro, we cover the basics of Mem including how to take, filter, search, and organize notes.

Exclusively for our newsletter subscribers, Srini is giving $100 OFF the Done For You Second Brain in Mem with the code MEM2NDBRAIN (valid for one week only).


Mexico City's Creative Spark: My Journey to Building a Second Brain

I gave a talk at Centro University in Mexico City last week, sharing how the city's vibrant energy and creative atmosphere influenced the Building a Second Brain book.

In fact, I started writing the book back in 2019, sitting in cafes in the Roma and Condesa neighborhoods which offered me an unparalleled creative environment.

I also covered...

  • how I developed the Second Brain concept as a tool for navigating the overwhelming deluge of information we face in the modern world
  • what we can learn from the rich history of notetaking and how this practice has become a digital necessity
  • practical advice on how to manage your digital notes more efficiently and navigate information overload

(My talk is in English!)


BASB in Your Language

Our team started a database to curate content around building a Second Brain in languages other than English.

The goal is to make personal knowledge management more accessible for non-English speakers. We also hope to elevate local content creators who translate these ideas and put their own spin on them.

Do you have a favorite piece of content about building a Second Brain in your language (other than English)? Hit reply and share it with us! It could be YouTube videos, blog posts, or something else.

🧠

Build your Second Brain

​Join BASB Foundation →​

🤩

Create a system for productivity

​Join POP →​

📚

Organize your digital life

​Get the PARA Method →​

Tiago Forte

Want to opt out of the newsletter or receive this email on a different email address? ​
​Update your preferences​

Want to stop receiving emails from us completely?​
​Unsubscribe from everything. (Use with caution!)

5318 E. 2nd St. PMB 36973, Long Beach, CA 90803

Forte Labs Newsletter

Level up your productivity and life with new essays, videos, event invites, and other resources every Thursday. Join 100k subscribers exploring the frontier of modern work, experimenting with new ways of doing more with less, and discovering what it means to fulfill our human potential. 100% free and 100% useful!

Read more from Forte Labs Newsletter

My new book, Life in Perspective, comes out in less than two weeks, on Nov. 3. More than 600 of you have already claimed your pre-order bonuses, from 52 countries. Thank you to every one of you! Half of the 1,000 Essential seats in The Annual Review® 2027 program are now claimed. Pre-order 2 or more copies and you get one seat per copy, up to 4. Of the 50 Premium seats, only 12 remain. Those come with 5+ copies and include three small-group coaching calls with me. Already pre-ordered? You...

There's no single right way to do an annual life review. The best one fits your work and the season of life you're in. So I asked 10 people to show you theirs. On Wed, Nov. 4, I'm hosting the Annual Review Virtual Summit, free and online from 12–4 pm ET. You'll hear from neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff, filmmaker Jo Franco, organizing expert Shira Gill, and more. Each gives a short, practical talk on how they look back on their year and plan the next. Join for the whole summit or just the...

Yesterday, I did my first livestream about Life in Perspective on TalkShopLive. It was the first time I've talked about the book publicly in real time, less than four weeks before it comes out on Nov. 3. Here's some of what I covered: The one sentence from my wife that changed how I see my overwork: "Your work gets the best of you, and we're left with what's left over." The 8-hour threshold where an annual life review becomes transformative, and how to split it up Why the biggest changes...