As you may know, I’m currently writing a book all about the art and power of the annual review—a ritual that has transformed my life and countless others. But here’s the thing: I need your help. I’m on the lookout for great examples of annual reviews—your own, or ones you’ve come across online. I’d love to see the many forms this practice can take, from written blog posts to videos, podcasts, visual presentations, or even something completely unconventional! If you’ve created or come across...
8 days ago • 4 min read
Happy New Year 🥳 I’m back from Antarctica and excited that we’re kicking off the first monthly theme in our new Second Brain Membership… We’ve all experienced how a messy workspace, whether physical or digital, creates overwhelm and makes it harder to focus. In January, we’ll work together to declutter your personal and shared environment and archive anything that’s no longer serving you. By the end of the month, you’ll have a clean, inviting workspace that motivates you to tackle your most...
15 days ago • 2 min read
This is our final newsletter of 2024 🎉 a special edition to celebrate the past 12 months. Here are some of the milestones we achieved this year at Forte Labs... Our BASB Foundation course went through an upgrade and we launched it in Portuguese and Spanish. We opened our Second Brain Membership to everyone (and have exciting updates coming for 2025). I moved our family from the US to Mexico. We grew our YouTube channel to 287K subscribers and I shared a comprehensive retrospective of this...
22 days ago • 5 min read
Wishing you a joyful Christmas Eve and a holiday season filled with warmth, love, and the chance to recharge and savor precious moments with family and friends. We’re gearing up for some exciting updates to our Second Brain Membership in 2025! Next year, we’re shifting focus to help you not just manage your personal knowledge and productivity, but also design systems that work seamlessly with your team, organization, or even your family. Together, we’ll explore how to build a Second Brain...
29 days ago • 2 min read
As you’re receiving this newsletter, my wife Lauren and I are on our way to Argentina to go on the trip of a lifetime… We’re visiting Antarctica! We’re joining a special 10-day voyage called Space2Sea, hosted by Future of Space and THE William Shatner. Also on board will be 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...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Big changes are on the way for our Second Brain Membership, and I can’t wait to share all the details with you. Keep an eye on your inbox for next week’s newsletter, where I’ll reveal what’s coming and how we’re reimagining the membership to better serve you in 2025. In the meantime, this is your last chance to get a 30-day free trial before we close this option ahead of the relaunch. Joining now means you’ll have access to two great guest workshops happening this week: Supercharge Your...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
I’ve been diving deep into preparations for our first live session of The Annual Review 2025, and I couldn’t be more excited to meet everyone in the program. We already have 112 people signed up—a perfect number to bring in diverse perspectives while still keeping it intimate enough for everyone to connect. Quick reminder that enrollment closes in just over 24 hours—at midnight ET tomorrow, Dec. 4th. So this is your last chance to join us before the doors close until next year. Let’s kick off...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
For years, I’ve been kinda obsessed with finding questions and prompts that cut through the noise and shed light on the hidden truths of my life. I’ve collected hundreds of them from books, articles, videos, courses, and other people’s year-end reviews, like a scientist collecting rare and beautiful species of butterflies. As the end of the year quickly approaches, I’d like to share 3 of my favorite ones that never fail to give me insight: #1. When did you feel most alive? What was happening...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
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...
2 months ago • 4 min read