Will AI give us infinite patience?


I'm excited to share that Obsidian expert Nick Milo will join us at the inaugural Second Brain Summit.

Nick will give a keynote talk on Linking Your Thinking: The Dawn of Networked Knowledge which explores the transformative potential of linked notes in modern knowledge work.

By shifting focus from mere organization to ideation, he’ll demonstrate how this approach fosters creativity and insight, moving practitioners from passive notetaking to active notemaking and the intellectual joy it offers.

If you'd like an intro to Nick and his work, check out our video where we dive deep into the art of using notes to transform ideas into tangible creative projects.

To meet Nick and many more of your favorite teachers and creators live, join us at the Second Brain Summit on October 3-4 in LA


Launch Your Projects Successfully with This Kickoff Checklist

In a sea of endless responsibilities, completed projects are your most important unit of progress. They're short sprints that keep your momentum going and motivation high – if you approach them correctly.

The first step is to launch your project effectively using a Project Kickoff Checklist. Here are the essential steps I recommend:

  1. Capture your current thinking: Create a new project folder and do a braindump, capturing all your thoughts, musings, potential strategies, relevant links, and important steps tied to the project.
  2. Review relevant folders or tags: Navigate through existing folders or tags in your notetaking app that might house notes pertinent to the new project. Keep the process quick when scanning interesting notes.
  3. Search for related terms: Conduct a systematic search across all folders for terms that correlate with the project. Tap into relevant notes swiftly, relying on Progressive Summarization to navigate in and out of notes.
  4. Move relevant notes: Transport the discovered notes to your new project folder. As an alternative, utilize the linking feature available in most notetaking apps to establish links instead of physically relocating the notes.
  5. Create an outline and project plan: The last step is drafting a quick project plan. What are the major milestones? Which open questions need to be addressed? What's the immediate next step?

These steps have worked reliably for me for years and for all different kinds of projects. But they might not be ideal for you.

That's why I invite you to create your own personalized Project Kickoff Checklist and put it to the test by applying it to a new project you’re starting right away.

If you're up for it, hit reply and share your Project Kickoff Checklist with me. I'd love to see more examples.


Digital Attention Spans: AI as a Source of Infinite Patience

We tend to think of Artificial Intelligence as being in an arms race with Human Intelligence. Which one is smarter? When will AI surpass us?

But there's a hidden assumption buried in that comparison: that intelligence is best measured by its peak moments – the flash of brilliance, the sudden epiphany, the intellectual breakthrough.

Blogger Venkatesh Rao suggests that we look instead at a completely different aspect of intelligence: the cost of maintaining attention and patience.

In this blog post, I explore how AI’s infinite patience can transform our approach to tedious tasks and unlock new potential.


How to Supercharge Your Career in 2024

The one thing that has advanced my career and grown my business more than anything else is other people – mentors, collaborators, sponsors, and peers.

But meeting the right people can be tough, especially if you're working remotely and want to build deep and lasting connections.

Sidebar is the solution – a highly curated leadership program to help you meet a supportive, diverse circle of peers who can help you with in-depth advice, honest feedback, or holding you accountable.

Members include entrepreneurs, as well as senior leaders from companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta.

Thanks to Sidebar for sponsoring this newsletter!


Building a Second Brain for Students & Educators

This summary of Building a Second Brain was shared in our Facebook group, interpreting it through the lens of students and educators.

I've heard from many that they wish they had known about and started building a Second Brain when in school and university. Imagine the wealth of knowledge and lessons learned they could tap into now.

So I want to invite you to send our Definitive Introductory Guide to BASB to someone on a learning journey today.

Build your Second Brain

Join BASB Foundation →

🤩

Create a system for productivity

Join POP →

📚

Organize your digital life

Get the PARA Method →

Tiago Forte

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