# Building a Second Brain

**Tiago Forte** · 2022

_Topics: Notes, Knowledge management, Systems_

**Who it's for:** Knowledge workers drowning in saved articles and notes they never revisit.

Forte's premise is that we consume more information than any mind can hold, so we need a trusted external system — a “second brain” — to store it. The method is CODE: Capture what resonates, Organize it for action, Distill it to its essence, and Express it in your own work.

To keep the system usable, he offers PARA — sorting notes by Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives — so information is organized by how actionable it is, not by abstract categories.

## Key takeaways

- Offload what you learn into a trusted external system.
- Follow CODE: Capture, Organize, Distill, Express.
- Organize notes by actionability with PARA, not rigid categories.
- The goal of capturing is to create, not to hoard.

## Related reading

- https://structureyour.life/books/getting-things-done.md
- https://structureyour.life/books/the-bullet-journal-method.md
- https://structureyour.life/books/deep-work.md

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Structure Your Life — the operating system for your life. Canonical page: https://structureyour.life/books/building-a-second-brain