profile

Forte Labs Newsletter

What I’ve Learned From 20 Years of Goal-Setting

Published 2 days ago • 2 min read

We just launched YouTube Memberships.

If you've been enjoying our videos and want to support our work, this is a simple way to do it.

When you join, you'll get custom badges and emojis to stand out in the comments, plus access to members-only polls where you can help shape what we create next.

We're now publishing videos every week instead of every two weeks, and your support helps us keep creating high-quality, free educational content.

What I’ve Learned From 20 Years of Goal-Setting

In 2005, I set my first goal at age 20: to hold a student government position at community college.

Today, looking back at two decades of goal-setting, I've discovered something unexpected: everyone has underestimated me, including myself.

This in-depth retrospective reveals...

  • How goals taught me what I truly wanted (and didn't want),
  • Why meaningful pursuits take years to manifest
  • How the runway is always longer than you think—but the plane can soar higher than you imagine

Build a Business That Runs Itself - 5 Stages of AI Integration

Most business owners are trapped in stage one, working 70+ hours a week - unable to take time off, to delegate, or to scale. But there's a predictable path from "I am the business" to "the business runs itself."

In this video, I sit down with business transformation experts Dale Meador and Hayden Miyamoto to break down the five stages of AI evolution in business.

You'll discover where your business is now, what's holding you back from the next stage, and how AI can accelerate your transition at each level.

Book Recommendation: Indistractable by Nir Eyal

Nir is a friend, and I had the chance to spend time with him at our mastermind retreat in May. His book Indistractable just came out in an updated edition, and the timing couldn't be better.

What I appreciate most is that Nir doesn't blame technology for our distraction problem. Instead, he shows you the real root cause and gives you four practical steps to take back control: master internal triggers, make time for what matters, hack back external triggers, and prevent distraction with pacts.

It's sold over 500,000 copies for good reason. This is the most realistic approach I've seen for balancing technology with focus and well-being.

Join Me at Limitless Live in San Diego

I'm speaking at Limitless Live in San Diego from December 8-10, 2025, and thought some of you might want to join me.

Jim Kwik is hosting this 3-day brain optimization retreat focused on learning faster, thinking more clearly, and unlocking your cognitive potential in the AI age.

He’s a world-leading brain coach who has taught everyone from CEOs to Olympians how to accelerate learning and maximize mental performance.

Here’s Jim introducing the event on Instagram.

The retreat brings together neuroscientists, peak performance experts, and entrepreneurs at a serene 265-acre resort in North County San Diego.

🧠

Start building 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

Build your Second Brain with Tiago Forte

Level up your productivity and life with new essays, videos, event invites, and other resources every Tuesday. Join 125k 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

I’m deep in the trenches right now, finishing the manuscript for my next book. It’s been years in the making, and I’m getting close to the finish line. I need it ready because this December and January, we’re running the Annual Review program again—something many of you have been asking about. And this year, there’s something special. Everyone who joins will get exclusive beta access to the complete book manuscript before anyone else sees it. You’ll work through the framework as outlined in...

9 days ago • 3 min read

Last chance to apply for Cohort 3 of Second Brain Enterprise. Applications close tomorrow, Wed. Oct. 22, at midnight Pacific. The cohort starts on Oct. 27 and runs for 5 weeks. 44 organizations have already enrolled. Bob Diekema, Partner & Financial Advisor at Langschied Financial, shared about the program… “The transformation was immediate. Instead of getting generic business advice, I now get responses that reference our actual 80-85% close rates, our specific team capacity constraints, our...

16 days ago • 2 min read

I’m incredibly proud to share that my wife, Lauren, just published her first book. Beyond Acceptance is about applying to grad school, but the lessons extend far beyond that. It teaches you to advocate for yourself, tell your story compellingly, and navigate institutional gatekeepers. Over the past decade, Lauren has helped over 500 people get into elite universities like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. Now she’s distilled everything she’s learned into a book that reveals the “hidden curriculum”...

23 days ago • 2 min read