CODE Methodology: The Ultimate Creativity Hack 🧠💡
Never forget a brilliant idea again - learn how to Capture them using a Second Brain
Welcome to our four-part series on the CODE methodology developed by productivity expert Tiago Forte, where we explore the four steps to building a Second Brain using this methodology.
In the first article, we discussed the importance of “capturing” to never forget a brilliant idea again
In the second article, we learned how to get organized like a pro using the P.A.R.A. method
In the third article we learned how to Distill your ideas into action using the CODE Methodology
In the final article we shared the step where you take the distilled insights and turn them into something tangible and actionable: Express.
Today at a glance:
A Second Brain is a personal knowledge management (PKM) system created by productivity expert Tiago Forte. It is designed to help you free up your brain’s resources by storing digital notes, ideas, to-dos, and projects in an “external digital brain”.
It consists in 4 steps: C.O.D.E. (Capture, Organize, Distill, Express)
The first step in a second brain is “capturing” the ideas and content you think are worth saving
A Framework:
How many brilliant ideas have you had and let slip out of your mind? How many projects have you failed to take action on? How much useful tips have you slowly forgotten?
We feel constant pressure to be learning, and building our knowledge. We spend countless hours reading, listening, and watching content every day. And yet, where has all that valuable knowledge gone? Where is it right when we need it? We simply forget it because our brain can only store a few thoughts at any one time.
“Our brain is for having ideas, not storing them”
By offloading our thinking onto a “Second Brain,” we free our brain to imagine, create, and be mindful. We can move through life trusting we will remember everything right when we need it!
🧠 What is a Second Brain
A Second Brain is a personal knowledge management (PKM) system created by productivity expert Tiago Forte. It is designed to help you free up your brain’s resources by storing digital notes, ideas, to-dos, and projects in an “external digital brain”.
This system is designed for saving and reminding us of the ideas, insights, tips, and tools we’ve learned through our experience. It basically expands our potential using modern tools of technology.
Who Is a Second Brain For?
You should consider building a second brain if you:
🤷♂️ Have too many ideas that slip out of your mind.
📑 Waste too much time looking for old files and documents.
🧱 Need ready-to.use building blocks for new projects.
🧩 Want to boost your creative process.
As you can see, this methodology is for storing those ideas and turning them into action.
So let´s get into it!
It basically consists in 4 steps: C.O.D.E. (Capture, Organize, Distill, Express)
1. Capture
The first step in a second brain is “capturing” the ideas and content you think are worth saving. How to do this? Just ask yourself:
What are the recurring questions that I always seem to return to?
What information do I already have access to that could be valuable?
Which knowledge do I want to mix and match to stimulate future thinking?
Most of the time we tend to capture each piece of content we find – we email ourselves a quick note, brainstorm some ideas, or take notes on something we read – but then don’t do anything with it to create or action. We are already consuming or producing this information, we just need to keep it in a single, centralized place.
By keeping a diverse collection of information in a centralized place, our brain is free to mix and match, helping us see unexpected connections and patterns in our ideas. This also gives us one place to look when we need raw material for our creativity or a shot of inspiration.
Your second brain needs information to populate and become valuable, but there are a few rules to keep in mind:
❤️ Just keep what resonates: Ideas that “resonate” may be unusual, counterintuitive, or interesting. More often than not, they refute what you already know. Follow your intuition and be selective.
🍰 10% of the original content: Reading a book or an article? Highlight what’s interesting, save snippets, but don’t go crazy with it. Forte recommends capturing no more than 10% of the source.
⚡ Do it quickly: Don’t overthink. If a passage in a book “feels” important, highlight it and keep reading. If a YouTube video has something you’re interested in, save the link with a time stamp and move on.
✂️ Use capturing tools: It is all about being quick. Web clippers, screenshot tools, and OCR software will take your second brain to the next level.
🔎 Think like a curator: As you come across social media updates, online articles, and podcasts throughout your day, instead of diving in immediately, save them for future research. As you begin to collect content, you’ll be able to choose which sources to consume.
Each note in your second brain is a record of knowledge you’ve gained in your life – whether that is from reading a book, having an interesting conversation, or completing a project at work.
Your second brain becomes like a mirror, reflecting back to you who you think you are, who you want to be, and who you could become in the knowledge realm.
And now…
How do we organize all the captured stuff?
So you capture and you're having fun because it opens a whole new world of opportunities, then eventually you run into a big problem, which is you've captured a lot of stuff.
At a certain point it needs some kind of organization
So we have an approach to organizing, which is called P.A.R.A. (Projects, Areas, Resources and Archive). This is a methodology to organize not just your notes but all your digital life!
We will talk about it in the 2nd part of this 4 part email series. So stay with us until next week!
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