How to Digitize Handwritten Notes


Last week, we launched our BASB Foundation course in Portuguese!

It's the first course we've ever translated to another language. I chose Portuguese because it's my native language and I want to make the course more accessible in Brazil where my family is from.

Here's my official announcement video on our Brazilian Instagram channel.

The course is now available for purchase on Hotmart, the most popular online course platform in Brazil.


The Art of Achieving Flow States for Peak Productivity

You've probably heard of the concept of "flow states." It's when you're "in the zone," so highly focused and immersed in your current activity that your self-consciousness fades away and your output feels effortless.

To get into flow, you need a task that is difficult enough to be interesting, but not so difficult that you get frustrated and give up.

Here's how to calibrate the task at hand to just the right level:

If you’re bored, you can try making it more challenging by raising your ambitions or setting stretch goals. For example, creating a report usually takes you one hour. Why not challenge yourself to complete it in half the time? Could you automate it?

If you’re discouraged, you can make it easier by lowering your ambitions or breaking the task into smaller chunks. For example, start with a brain dump and write down all your open questions and the tasks involved in a project. Then pick one thing to make progress on.

In any case, you can always find ways to increase your enjoyment of a task. For example, by putting on your favorite music, sipping on your favorite beverage, or moving to a different workspace.

What are your favorite strategies for getting into a flow state? Hit reply and share them with us.


ChatGPT Vision: The Best Way to Transform Your Paper Notes Into Digital Text

If you've ever found yourself torn between the tactile feel of paper and the convenience of digital notes, there's now a solution for you.

ChatGPT's new feature called Vision allows it to “see” your handwritten paper notes and digitize them with near-perfect accuracy.

In this step-by-step guide, I’ll show you how to turn your handwritten notes into digital text so you can edit, search, and preserve them forever.


Crea Tu Segundo Cerebro: Subscribe to Updates in Spanish

I’m heading to Mexico this week to speak at the Festival de las Ideas (Festival of Ideas) and to promote the launch of Building a Second Brain in Spanish.

If you can understand Spanish and would like to follow along, click the button below to subscribe to email updates.

We’ll share an invite to our new Spanish-speaking WhatsApp group, major announcements, and content we'll be creating in Spanish.


Do You Know About Our Free Second Brain Resource Guide?

Finding and choosing the right tools to support your Second Brain can be confusing. We created this free guide to help you navigate the ever-changing technology landscape.

You’ll find a curated list of established tools used in our community, answers to common questions on how to choose the right apps and much more.

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Build your Second Brain

Join BASB Foundation →

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Create a system for productivity

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Organize your digital life

Get the PARA Method →

Tiago Forte

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