A&B #112

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🙏  Support:This week's newsletter was made possible by For The Interested.For The Interested is a free newsletter for creative entrepreneurs. Each week Josh shares advice on how to produce, promote, and profit from your content. If you're a content creator or creative entrepreneur, this newsletter is a must-read.Join 18k+ creators for FREE here.

👋 Hey everyone,

Here are a few popular posts you may have missed:

• 15 Lessons from "Building A Second Brain."

• 10 Awesome books you can read in 10 days.

• 10 most common problems every reader faces (and solutions to each).

• 20 FREE newsletters that will make you happier, healthier, and wealthier.

📚 Book Summary:

This week's book is Building A Second Brain by Tiago Forte.This book shares practical strategies on how to capture, remember, and benefit from the unprecedented amount of information all around us. If you're interested in PKM (personal knowledge management), note-taking, or organizing your digital life, you'll love this book. Here are 3 lessons from it:1) Declutter Your Mind To Think ClearerYour mind is an incredible machine, much like a computer. But, if you have too many windows open, it starts to slow down and might even crash. The same is true of the mind.Instead of trying to memorize everything little task you need to do today and in the near future, a better strategy is to off-load it. Write everything down on a piece of paper or in your Notes app. Better yet, set reminders for time-related tasks like picking up the kids or getting the laundry so you don't forget to do them.It's only when we declutter our brain of minor tasks and reminders that we're able to think clearly and start working on the truly big ideas.As David Allen said, “Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”2) The Surprising Benefits of WritingReading has a ton of health benefits, and so does writing.Researchers found that you're more likely to remember key information if you write it down in your own words instead of copying text word for word.Researchers also found that writing about one's inner experiences (such as emotional or traumatic events) leads to a drop in visits to the doctor, improved immune systems, and a reduction in distress. "Students who wrote about emotional topics showed improvements in their grades, professionals who had been laid off found new jobs more quickly, and staff members were absent from work at lower rates," cites Tiago.The most amazing thing about those findings is that no one had to read or respond to what those people wrote down–the benefits all came just from the act of writing.  

3) How To Never Face Writer's Block Again Ernest Hemingway is one of the most recognized and influential novelists of the 20th century. He wrote 15+ books and won the Nobel Prize in Literature. He credits part of his success to a writing strategy that's now called the "Hemingway Bridge." Here's how it works:"Hemingway would always end a writing session only when he knew what came next in the story. Instead of exhausting every last idea and bit of energy, he would stop when the next plot point became clear. This meant that the next time he sat down to work on his story, he knew exactly where to start. He built himself a bridge to the next day, using today's energy and momentum to fuel tomorrow's writing."So in your next writing session, instead of burning through every last ounce of energy, reserve a few minutes to write down: ideas for the next steps, details of the upcoming plot, or what you want to solve in your next writing session.This way the next time you sit down to write the momentum from your last writing session will carry over and you'll know which direction you need to head toward.

✅ Actionable Advice:1) Declutter your mind:

• Off-load any small tasks onto a piece of paper or your Notes app to free up mental space in your mind.

  • For any time-related tasks, set a reminder on your phone so you don't have to stress about not forgetting it.

2) Remember these two benefits of writing:

• Write your notes in your own words instead of copying them word for word. 

•  Write about past emotional events and you'll end up feeling better about it (you don't have to show it to anyone).

 3) Use the Hemingway Bridge strategy to never face writer's block again:

• Before you end your writing session, take a few minutes to jot down:

  • Ideas for the next steps

  • Details of the upcoming plot

  • Or what you want to solve in your next writing session

🎧  Podcast/YouTube Update:

My FIRST in-person podcast went live this week!It's with Tiago Forte, author of Building A Second Brain.

• Watch it on YouTube here.

• Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify here.

📖  Reading Lesson:If you don't take notes while reading, here's something that will change your mind:You'll forget around 70% of what you've read by the next day.As John Wooden said:“If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”(ps: here's my note-taking strategy)

⭐️  Weekly Quote:Buying books makes you poorer.Reading books makes you break even.Applying books makes you richer.(share here)

Thank you for your support everyone, I'll see you next Sunday!Read on,Alex W.