The New Second Brain Notion Template Is Here


We just released Version 2 of the official Second Brain Notion Template.

It's the biggest update yet, shaped by feedback from hundreds of users over the last year.

Here's what's new:

  • Built-in onboarding tasks that walk you through setup step by step
  • An expanded migration guide to help you bring existing notes into the template
  • Mobile-friendly views for managing your Second Brain on the go
  • A built-in reference guide with a decision tree for the PARA Method
  • And much more

If you already own the template, the update is yours already.

If you've been on the fence, now's the time. The template is $49 today, but the price goes up to $65 after Feb. 17.

We also put together a full walkthrough video to help you decide if it's right for you...


Your Second Brain Setup in Notion (PARA Method)

Meet Julia Saxena, our General Manager at Forte Labs. Julia has been building her Second Brain in Notion since 2020, and for the past four years, she's worked with me to refine this system with thousands of students.

This 20-minute guide dives into our updated Second Brain Notion Template.

She shows you how to capture any thought in under 10 seconds, plan your day in five minutes with PARA, maintain it all with one 30-minute Weekly Review, and much more.


Why Forgetting Is a Productivity Superpower

Feeling overwhelmed by too much information? That makes all of us. Information overload isn't a personal failing. It's built into modern life.

The key isn't trying to keep up with everything. It's accepting that you won't, and creating intentional ways to forget.

Here are three simple rules to manage the flood:

  1. Limit your focus. Reduce the number of projects you're actively working on. Less juggling, more progress.
  2. Control your intake. Set a daily time limit for consuming new information. More input isn't always better.
  3. Let notes fade. In your Second Brain, prioritize your most recent notes. Sort by date created or updated. If a note isn't being used, let it drift to the bottom. If you're not using it, you probably don't need it.

Think of it as "use it or lose it." And that's completely okay.

Your action step: Open your notes app right now and sort by "last edited." Look at the notes sitting at the bottom. Can you archive 5 of them today?

Hit reply and tell me what you let go of. I'd love to hear what you noticed when you gave yourself permission to forget.


Update: The Book Is Coming to Life

We have a cover. We have a finished manuscript. And I just got back from my writing retreat.

After nearly two years of writing, rewriting, and deep reflection, I finally submitted the manuscript for Life in Perspective. This book distills almost two decades of practicing annual reviews into a guide that's part philosophy, part hands-on toolkit.

And I can finally share something we’ve been working on for a while: the official cover. I think it turned out beautifully.

Life in Perspective will be published this October or November. More details on pre-orders and how you can get involved are coming soon. I can't wait to put this one in your hands.


Turn Your Inbox Into a Source of Clarity

I don't hit inbox zero every day, and that's fine. The point is staying in control without white-knuckling it.

​Superhuman Mail handles the friction that usually slows you down.

If an email needs a follow-up, Auto Drafts reminds you and drafts the response so you just hit send.

Newsletters, notifications, and other low-priority messages skip your inbox entirely with Auto Archive and land in labeled folders, so you only see what actually needs your attention.

I no longer carry a mental list of emails I might have forgotten to answer. Superhuman Mail keeps track, so I don't have to.

Turn your inbox into momentum.

Thanks to Superhuman Mail for sponsoring this newsletter.

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Read more from Forte Labs Newsletter

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The day is here! My new book Life in Perspective: The Art and Power of the Annual Life Review is now available for pre-order. It comes out on Nov. 3 in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. This book distills nearly two decades of practicing annual reviews into a process that helps you make sense of where you've been and get clear on where you're going. It's the book I've been wanting to write for the longest time. And it's the one I'm most proud of. If you've ever felt like the year just slipped...