You know what bothers me? That we have so much information on our hands - but we forget most of it.

In fact, it's been studied. If you consume information without writing it down or processing it in some way - you'll forget 99%(!!) of it within 30 days.

99%. That's insane.

But... even if you write it down, your memory won't be perfect.

I have written countless notebooks worth of notes in the last 2 years.

I have noticed I do remember the things there much better by doing this. But I can't recall many exact quotes - or the things word by word.

Some concepts I notice I have forgotten - before I revisit the certain source that I studied. A book for example.

But this is the "best case" scenario.

What about the times when I'm scrolling X or Instagram, and some interesting information comes by?

I might bookmark it... and might go through it later. But, the bookmarks will get messy - and information will be very hard to find.

We forget most of the information. And some argue, our brain is not made for holding information.

As a known productivity guru David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done puts it;

"Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them." David Allen.

Do I agree with this? To an extent.

I believe it is super beneficial to train your memory (yes it is a skill).

But our brains have not developed as fast as the technology, of course.

Thus it is unable to store all the information that can help us.

This is why it is good to have a system for remembering things.

What are other reasons for having a system - as a creative?

What is creativity? Isn't it the ability to make connections between ideas and information?

The more information you have, the more different connections you can make. Thus you're more creative (and productive).

Knowledge work - and creativity - is increasing in demand. Especially with the emergence of AI.

Soon, there won't be much need for things such as customer service. Or other manual labour.

What will be needed, is creativity.

And to be the most creative, it is good to have a system.

But most of us don't have that...

But this is what this issue is about. Let's make you a system for remembering "everything" - that you can thrive.

The Second Brain

The system we're building for you was first made popular by Tiago Forte. He is the author of Building a Second Brain.

He calls a system that allows you to store information - The Second Brain.

The system also helps you to not forget things - that could help you now - or in the future

Forte is on the same page with Allen - that our brain can't hold all the information.

Our working memory only holds the information that is relevant to what we're working on now.

Our unconscious mind can process 11 million bits.

Our conscious mind can absorb around 40 to 50 bits of information per second.

And of the 40 to 50 bits - we can recall and permanently store 4-7!

Four to Seven - compared to 11 MILLION BITS (according to Chris Bailey, the author of Hyperfocus).

Having a system gets rid of this problem.

And think about it. When you know you have the necessary information at a certain place you can easily access - it's significantly less stressful.

You don't need to worry "Am I going to remember this".

Or repeat over and over "Please don't forget this, please don't forget this..."

Life becomes easier.

That's what we humans do with innovation.

Everything we make is to have us suffer less.

And thus, through many years, a system for remembering has been created.

Now before we start, understand that what works for Forte or Allen - or me - can be different for you.

I have played around for some months with a system - and have been modifying it to my needs.

Test the information here out. See how it works best for you. That's the best way to go about it.

Now, let's start with the system.

ESS (external storage system)

This is what Forte calls the system he's known for.

There are 6 Main Areas that are part of the ESS. Yet, I find Forte's system called PARA combined with the ESS to be most effective.

That's what I'll be teaching you here.

Here are 5 steps to making your system.

Let's start.

1) Inbox

That's what the first section of your storage system will be.

What is this for?

Here you place your information and notes - when you first get them.

Forte, and I, believe it's not effective to organize your system immediately when you record something.

1. It might take that long that your idea or information slips by, or just
   
   

2. takes longer than needed to write that down.

It's more effective to write it down fast - and go and organize it to a place later on.

Now, still fast - why should you organize the information?

Because when you do, you can find the relevant information fast for your needs.

If you write stuff randomly to different notes, it'll become hard to find them. And thus, your insights will be easily lost.

What is the best way to organize your information once you're back home and have time to do it?

The next steps are about that.

2) Projects folder

This is for keeping track of your progress towards active goals and projects.

Store only information here that helps you with your current goals and projects.

In this folder, have sub-folders.

For example, I currently have a few there;

- Career

- Wilderness skills

- Figuring out Twitter Algo

- Improving communication

And so on.

This keeps all information at my fingertips and I know where to find them.

Now, I know "Career" isn't the most niched down sub-folder. But I gather a ton of info there - and even journal - and can find lots of info by pressing CTRL + F.

I find this to be a great way to go about it. But I make sure to have many other sub-folders.

3) Areas folder

This folder is for your commitments that need continuous maintenance.

This could be your pets, your car, your home, your romantic relationships, your bills and so on.

Have a sub-folder for each of those.

I don't have too many commitments as a 20-year-old myself - so I don't currently have this folder. But in the future, I will definitely make one.

4) Resources folder

Here you store information that you're interested in - but don't know what to use it for, yet.

Make sub-folders for different interests. Or for different concepts.

A sub-folder could be "How do I make the best coffee possible?"

When that folder gains a ton of information, and you want to use it - move it to the sub-folder of your projects folder.

Then you could write an article or make a Thread on how to make the best coffee.

5) Archives

Here you'll store old or currently irrelevant information. Stuff you want to place on hold for now.

Move the sub-folders from the Projects folder here once they're completed.

And also the work you made for projects you didn't end up using or any information that doesn't fit other folders.

Now, this is how the system looks in my Notion.

PARA indeed comes from;

Projects

Areas

Resources

Archives

The inbox is part of the original ESS system - but I find it to be super helpful to have as well.

When you're on a walk - or talking with someone else - write the new idea down in your Inbox. Organize it later when you have the time.

(I wrote about walks and their benefits in the previous issue.)

Now you might wonder... "How do I use this system... and where do I store this information??

Let's talk about that next. Here are 5 steps to mastery:

1) The Platform

Before you start recording your notes, pick ONE platform to house your system (as Forte recommends).

This can be Apple Notes, Notion, EverNote or something else.

I personally recommend Notion. It's free - and easy to use.

Now, I still use Apple Notes to capture my ideas. It also works as my inbox.

I have 2 inboxes. One in Notion. One in Apple Notes. Why?

Because Notion on the phone loads slower than Apple Notes. I don't want to risk losing an idea.

But then later on, my plan is to put the important stuff to Notion.

Again, this is how your folders can look like and they're really easy to create.

What is really useful as well, is to have information automatically sent to your system.

This can be done with apps like Readwise.

It sends all the things you highlight on Kindle Books to your selected platform. I highly recommend this.

But make sure to only highlight stuff that resonates with you, or makes you think. Otherwise, your ESS will become a mess.

If you highlight everything, nothing stands out. Highlight selectively.

What else can be useful, is to write why the information is important.

For example;

Drink X amount of water every 15 minutes - it makes you stay sharp and not get fatigued.

2) Sorting the information

This is the next step.

As mentioned before;

Don't try to put the info where it belongs immediately.

Instead - select a time of a day - or week - when you organize your information.

Forte recommends to organize your inbox once a week - but some "experts" argue that one should do this daily.

I'd say, just do what works for you. I certainly don't do this on a daily basis.

3) Refining the information

This should take after you have recorded the information - and sorted it - according to Forte.

But some experts argue it's best to refine the information right there when you capture it - to its most useful form.

I'd say just experiment with what works best for you.

If you don't refine it immediately, you might end up over-collecting too much.

But this depends on the person.

I like to capture information - and only write down what is necessary. And discard everything else.

When you refine the information, your brain processes it better. And thus you also will remember it better.

The more you involve your brain in the process, the easier it is to remember it.

4) Discarding information

This is, of course, the most important step of all this.

You don't just want to store and organize the information for no reason.

You need to, of course, use it.

When you're working on a "Project" - make sure to see what information is actually relevant to you.

What benefits you, and what doesn't.

You can move the notes that don't benefit you to "Archives".

5) Create sub-folders for each goal

If your project is, "Becoming the world's best-known artist", for example - that is quite a big goal - and a project.

That'll probably take your lifetime.

So... what you want to do, is create sub-folders inside each Project/Goal.

If we continue with the same example, your sub-folders could be as follows;

- "X algorithm"

- " Getting into 6529 Memes"

- "Getting to a Sotheby's Auction"

And so on.

Forte recommends even more steps - but to be honest - I find them a little too confusing for me. And I don't see them as practical - so I'll leave them out from here - for now.

Get information to your system

Now, you have gathered a ton of information on how to not forget things - but of course, I'm constantly learning new tactics and methods - and so should you. :)

Stagnation is death. If you don't change, you die. - Leonard Sweet

Learning information doesn't need to take long. We all want to learn more than we have time for.

How do I learn about these subjects fast - so that I can write to you about them?

I have been using Shortform for quite a while now. And now I've partnered with them which I'm super excited about.

I truly believe they're the best way to learn concepts and ideas fast.

When I was about to start writing this Letter - I opened up 2 books on Shortform - both Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte - and Getting Things Done by David Allen.

I had not read these books before - and I wanted to learn the concepts as fast - and as efficiently - as possible.

As a Shortform user - even before I became their affiliate - I did this with tons of books.

Usually, I first read the Shortform summary - and then I see whether I liked the book that much - and if I did - I might go and buy the entire book.

Shortform makes in my opinion the world's best guides to non-fiction books. They aren't just book summaries. They're much more.

They have;

- Detailed summaries

- Interactive exercises (that help you apply the ideas you learned)

- My favourite; they add smart insights - they connect what one author thinks about another author.

Thus you end up understanding the ideas at a much deeper level - even perhaps in a deeper level if you read the entire book.

What is CRAZY about Shortform is that it costs a little less than a book A MONTH.

And you'll have access to a huge amount of book summaries, exercises and much more.

They have kindly given me a link through which you can get a Free trial and a 20% discount. (By joining through my link, I get a kickback.)

Click here for a Free Trial and 20% Off.

I highly recommend them. I have never promoted another service I'm as hyped about.

I understand if you doubt is it any good. I had heard of them for a long time through the YouTuber Ali Abdaal - but never jumped on it.

I didn't think I could get a good understanding of ideas through them... but I was so wrong.

If you're a book nerd, or information nerd like me, this is especially for you. Imagine getting all that access to "a massive library of books" for the investment of less than a book a month.

This was a no-brainer for me - as someone who buys multiple books a month.

It has a free trial so why not try it out and see do you like it? No risk to trying it out. :)

I personally think the only risk is to not try it out.

But anyways, here is the link once more;

Click here to get the Free Trial and 20% Off.

Last words; Experiment. See what works for you. But take some action now.

Whether you have time to put in place ESS now or not.

If you don't have - schedule it. Make time for it.

We all have time - but we decide what is most important to us.

I hope you can see the benefits this system can have for you.

No more pain for forgetting things. No more worrying about where you stored that information.

It'll take time to get used to - like anything. But over time, it'll become like second nature to you.

If you found this issue helpful, feel free to share this with a friend.

Make sure to subscribe - if you already haven’t - so you won’t miss the next issues. You can do so from here;

Until next Saturday!

Hugo