You only have one brain on your shoulders in which to pack memories and to generate ideas. Augment your working memory by storing ideas, things you want to remember, and to-do lists in an external second brain. Your second brain can be as simple as a $5 notebook or even a digital notes application like Apple Notes or Evernote.

I have recently adopted the practice of keeping a second brain. Anytime I find anything interesting or a cool idea smacks me in the face, I pull out my iPhone and record it in the Apple Notes app. I save recipes I want to make, books I want to read, and anything that I think is important or interesting. This practice of capturing ideas has been so helpful to me and I believe that it can be helpful to you too.

What are the Benefits of a Second Brain?

1. 💻️ Close the Windows in Your Mind

Every day most of us go through our days juggling many to-do lists in our heads. We say to ourselves: “Remember to get milk and eggs at the store. Remember to email that person at work. Remember to read that book your friend recommended. Did I change over the laundry? Did I pay that utilities bill?” These thoughts run around incessantly in our minds and often come to our attention in distracting ways that often keep us from being present and effective.

These many small things are like open computer windows in our brains: They slow us down and stress us out until we eventually crash.

With a Second Brain, you are freed from many of these pestering thoughts. You can take action by saving them in your second brain the moment that you think of them. This allows you to have a clearer mind and enables you to enjoy the present moment you find yourself in without the associated nagging worry these thoughts often create. And another perk… your second brain never forgets. It has much more memory capacity than you and can hold your ideas as long as you want it to.

2. 🧠 Capture Your Best Thinking

Have you ever had an incredible idea that excited you and then you forgot it? This has happened to me before and it can be annoying. There is a chance that perhaps no human in history had ever had that idea before and then it’s over as quickly as the electrical symphony that led to it. To prevent this, record these thoughts in your second brain. Personally, when that lightbulb moment strikes, I take a quick note of it. The beauty of this system is that the ideas that would usually get lost in the chaos of life are readily accessible and are there when I am prepared to act on them. When I start a project I already have a bank of my own developed ideas to pull from, and this prevents working from scratch every time.

3. 🪴 Use Your Saved Ideas

Don’t be an information hoarder. Put your saved ideas to use. Start a company, learn a language, launch a new product, write a book, or cook a new dish. There is no point in making a second brain if you don’t use the ideas you put into it.

Your ideas matter and they have the potential to make a lasting difference!

Final Thoughts

What systems do you use to store your ideas? I would love to hear about your perspective.

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Rock on,

Camden