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Forte Labs Newsletter

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Featured Post

When Productivity Tools & Mindset Shifts Aren’t Enough

Around this time of year, as Thanksgiving approaches, I always sense that “annual review season” is upon us. I feel it as a subtle tension in my body and soul. I notice that I’m slowly drifting out of alignment with my values. The grand plans I made at the beginning of the year no longer completely make sense. New interests and sources of meaning have arisen that I haven’t been able to pursue because I’m still working toward the old ones! I also feel a rising sense of anticipation and...

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...

We’re investing in the Second Brain Membership to make it the ultimate space for knowledge management and productivity. And because we know there’s no single “right way” to build your Second Brain, we’re bringing in guest experts to share their unique approaches and tools. Now’s the perfect time to join us for some can’t-miss workshops… Hands-Free Productivity: How Speech Recognition Can Transform Your Workflow Wed., Nov. 6th at 12 pm ET 4x entrepreneur and AI educator, Cam Houser will show...

Will you help us shape our YouTube channel for 2025? We’re currently planning our YouTube content for the upcoming year, and would love your input. What topics, challenges, or ideas would you like to see us cover on our channel? Share your ideas Don't Try to "Boil the Ocean" - A Simple Guide to Overwhelming Projects In last week’s Q&A in our Second Brain Membership, I talked to a wonderful older gentleman facing a daunting project: Relocating decades' worth of memories and belongings to a new...

I’m going on a writing sabbatical! For the remainder of 2024, I’m stepping away from my usual work to focus fully on writing my next book on the topic of annual reviews. After the whirlwind of the Second Brain Summit, I’m excited to dive deeper into bringing this project to life. As part of the writing process, I’ll host a live Annual Review in December and January. This will be a chance to walk you through my personal process of doing an annual review—a practice that’s helped me make big...

I'm incredibly excited to share that my wife Lauren and I are going to Antarctica in December! But this is no ordinary trip... It's called Space2Sea, a special one-time voyage hosted by Future of Space and the William Shatner, with a group of space luminaries like astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, journalist Ann Curry, former NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and José Hernández, filmmaker and environmentalist Céline Cousteau, and artist Stephen Wiltshire. There are 3 main reasons I'm so excited...

Second Brain Summit Group Picture

It’s been a whirlwind two days at our first-ever in-person Second Brain Summit, and we’re still buzzing with excitement. We came together with 200 people who share the same passion for personal knowledge management, creativity, and technology—people just like you! Whether you were with us in LA or cheering us on from afar, I want to take a moment to share the incredible energy and community spirit that made this event so special. (We will return to our regular newsletter format next week.)...

2 more sleeps until the Second Brain Summit is finally here! 🧠🎉 It’s hard to believe that something we started working on a year ago is actually happening. It feels so surreal to be back in LA, getting ready to welcome over 200 people from 15 countries for two days of conversations, learning, and connections. We’ve poured everything into making this summit a truly transformative experience—and it’s going to be incredible to see it all come together. If you want to follow along with the...

I’m speaking at the 4th Annual Lifestyle Medicine Congress in Mexico City! Taking place Oct. 21-23, it will be a deep dive into “lifestyle medicine,” i.e. how sleep quality, stress management, nutrition, relationships, physical activity, and substance use profoundly affects our bodies and lives just as much as any medicine. I recently published the story of my journey healing psychosomatic pain, and this is the first time I’ll dive deeper into what I learned and what worked for me in a live...

We are ready to announce the final round of speakers for the Second Brain Summit! With the full agenda now set and just 4 days left to grab your ticket, this is your last chance to join us in LA on Oct. 3-4 for two days of inspiration, hands-on workshops, and transformative connections. Michael Gendler and Tristan deMontebello, the Co-founders of Ultraspeaking, will teach strategies for speaking confidently without notes or memorization, offering techniques to stay composed and deliver...