As we approach the end of the year, it’s almost time for my favorite practice…the personal reflective ritual known as an “annual review.”
I’ve been doing annual reviews in some form since 2007, and teaching my process to others since 2019.
Having led hundreds of people through annual reviews, I’ve been astonished at how much of an impact it’s had on their self-understanding, self-acceptance, self-confidence, and ultimately, their self-efficacy in accomplishing their goals.
There is simply no tool, technique, system, or strategy that I know of that’s more profoundly life-changing than an annual review.
Which is why I’m dedicating the next few years to writing a book on it!
As part of that, we’re radically expanding and improving The Annual Review online program we’ve offered for the last few years.
I’ll be returning as your instructor, and pouring all the incredible insights and ideas I’ve been uncovering in my book-writing into a live, interactive experience.
Stay tuned for more details about it starting on Thursday!
Why You Keep Saving the Same Ideas (And How to Break the Cycle)
One of the most effective ways to decide what’s worth saving in your Second Brain is to ask: Is it surprising? When we capture surprising information, we’re usually drawn to it because it offers something new, something we don’t yet know.
But sometimes, you may notice that you’re capturing similar information over and over, with only minor variations. What’s going on when that happens?
If you’re revisiting the same concept repeatedly, it often means that you haven’t fully internalized it yet. The idea is appealing and valuable, but it hasn’t completely settled into your understanding. This happens to all of us when we’re still in the process of digesting something complex or meaningful. We instinctively seek out different perspectives or explanations, hoping to bridge the gap between knowing and truly understanding.
How do you break the cycle of recapturing the same ideas? The key is to create something with it. Take a step to actively process the information and make it your own. This could mean writing a short blog post or journaling about what you’ve learned so far. It could mean recording a video to walk through the concept as you see it. You might even create a checklist, a mind map, or some other artifact that organizes your thoughts and clarifies your perspective.
By doing this, you transform passive consumption into active engagement. And in the process, you move closer to truly understanding and integrating the idea, rather than just circling around it.
How Do You Compete with AI? Build Community!
Being a creator is exhilarating—but it can also be exhausting, overwhelming, and isolating. And with AI taking over content creation, it’s only getting harder to stand out.
In a world where AI can replicate almost anything, building a community is your best defense.
In this video, I’ll show you why community is the key to lasting success—and how I used Circle to turn my solo hustle into a thriving, resilient business that grows beyond my individual efforts.
Reflections on Our First In-Person Second Brain Summit
On October 3-4, 2024, we hosted our very first in-person Second Brain Summit in LA, and honestly, it was a dream come true. This event felt like a “bucket list” moment in every way, from the energy in the room to the personal transformations sparked.
After years of connecting with our community digitally, finally coming together face-to-face created a sense of belonging that many attendees said was unlike anything they’d experienced before.
Now that I’ve had a month to process everything that happened, I’m ready to share my reflections with you, including some painful realizations and lessons learned.
The Perfect App For Reading Newsletters?!
Newsletters from trusted friends and creators are a major sources of information for me so I’m subscribed to dozens of them.
The problem is that they mix with other emails in my inbox, which isn’t even the place where I want to read them anyway.
Now, there’s a new app on the block specifically designed for reading newsletters: Meco.
Meco connects to Gmail and Outlook, allowing you to instantly move your newsletters to the app (and clear your inbox).
Once in Meco, you can group newsletters, set smart filters, bookmark your favorites and read them in a scrollable feed. Overall, a much better reading experience than your inbox.
If you’re a newsletter aficionado like me, I invite you to give Meco a try.
(We’re an affiliate of Meco. That means when you click the link and sign up, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)
