Happy New Year Reader!

Before we dive into today's topic, I'm grateful for the feedback from you and Tool-for-Thought subscribers like you.

The upshot to what you have shared is that you are eager for more TfT-centric articles. I'll be delivering one or two emails per month that are specific to you.

Now, let's get to it!

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Digital thinkers like you seek to improve mindsets and behaviors as much as you seek to grow and synthesize your base of knowledge.

A few months ago I tested a concept on Twitter. I declared, "Commonplace TfT use-cases share four DNA matches."

As so often happens to an ADD brain, I sidelined the development of this thesis to chase a few squirrels.

Tidying up for the new year, I ran across a notecard where I had first drawn the concept. Since then, I've talked with a handful of brilliant customers one-on-one and asked what they thought.

Enough background.

Time to see what you think:

1. Does the idea still hold?
2. How might the framework help you experience personal growth as you build a knowledge base.

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Building a Second Brain: Integrating digital self-reflection with journaling and PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) best-practices

Building a Second Brain, Zettelkasten, and PKM share four DNA connections with one another and a journaling practice. Each teaches you to:

1. Trust the wisdom of your past self.
2. Envision a better future self.
3. Align actions & attitudes accordingly.
4. Systematize accountability.

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Let's break it down

🧬 1. Trust the wisdom of your past self:

SELF-REFLECTION: Digital self-reflection can help you trust the wisdom of your past self by providing an accessible, organized record of your thoughts and experiences.

By looking back at your digital reflections, you gain insight into your past decisions and understand your personal growth, allowing you to trust the wisdom of your past self.

PKM: helps you capture, organize, and recall your knowledge, experiences, and ideas to apply them to your present and future life.

Now you have everything you need to better decisions!

It can also help you save time by avoiding having to re-learn the same things repeatedly. (This is probably my favorite takeway!)

🧬 2. Envision a better future self, beginning today.

SELF-REFLECTION: Digital self-reflection helps you identify areas in which you can improve and create a plan for achieving those improvements.

PKM: helps you identify areas of improvement. Here's the kicker! Your knowledge base gives you tools and tactics you need to reach your goals, using the knowledge you develop in specific areas!

🧬 3. Align actions & attitudes accordingly.

SELF-REFLECTION: helps you gain insight into your motivations and triggers, which helps you understand why you act or think in specific ways and make informed changes to your behavior.

PKM: helps you identify areas of improvement, measure your performance, and adjust your approach as needed.

Plus, you havce a platform for reflecting on your experiences and learning from them, which can help you build better habits and attitudes.

🧬 4. Systematize accountability.

With this category, the DNA between self-reflection and PKM is so strong, they both perform identical functions.

The only difference is this: A PKM structure is an ideal vessel for creating self-accountability with benchmarks and tracking tools.

I'm working with a couple of fellows who are way smarter than I am -- especially when it comes to database and process design.

You'll hear more about what we're up to -- and who "we" are -- in an upcoming newsletter.

Meantime, I'm eager to hear your thoughts! Hit reply and I will respond.

-t

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☝🏻 One. More. Thing.

Gaining momentum in January and February critical are if you are to carry through with your big goals for the year.

Will you join me as I unveil a new momentum prototype? I'm eager to know what you think.

​Sign up for the free momentum workshop​

Can't make the live session? Sign up and I'll deliver the replay to you.