Building a Second Brain

This post popped up in Facebook Groups

I researched the term ‘Second Brain‘. In this case, it refers to the second description below.

1) second brain that influences our judgment, and much else besides. Known as the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) – enteric meaning ‘to do with intestines’ – it’s an extensive network of brain-like neurons and neurotransmitters wrapped in and around our gut.

2) a methodology for saving and systematically reminding us of the ideas, inspirations, insights, and connections we’ve gained through our experience. It expands our memory and our intellect using the modern tools of technology and networks.

I already have a very good working system for conducting research and storing notes. I use ‘Evernote’ and ‘Web Clipper’ and I have an organisational method to categorise the notes for review.

I signed up for Notion. I am going to use this to organise my notes on ‘Systems Theory’, ‘Cybernetics’, ‘Game Theory’ and ‘Mental Models’.

I ‘webclipped’ articles into Evernote

What do I want to improve?
I want to go from collecting information to creating content. Researching and Organising is OK. I want to increase quality relevant output.

RESOURCES
Building a Second Brain: An Overview – Forte Labs
Best Note Taking App – Organize Your Notes with Evernote
Notion.so – Organize your work

Whatever happened to Benny Lewis? A personal update

Starting studying SPANISH again. I didn’t focus on it too much in 2020.

One of my ‘informal’ teachers’ and ‘mentors’ is Benny Lewis.

He wrote ‘Fluent in 3 Months’
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FVE4WFE

This came up on Youtube. It’s from 12th Oct 2020.

This is a really personal honest message.. well worth listening to.

Declutter Bullet Journal

Make a copy of all the important notes from the previous 12 week challenge into Google Drive or Evernote, and then remove all the unnecessary paperwork.

I’m just thinking that I store too much of the records and I only need to keep information that’s relevant to future decision making.

I don’t really need to keep ALL my notes in the Bullet Journal so I’m removing all the stuff that’s of little value to free up space and then stop me getting distracted when I need to find important information again

Having too much information can just be as detrimental as not having enough.

Remove all documents from previous 12 Week Challenge
Scan into PC using Scansnap ix500. Automatically converts to PDF
Store master file in Dropbox
Upload PDF to Evernote for additional access
Shred paperwork. Not needed anymore.

‘Letting go of Attachment’. Theme for Jan Feb Mar ’21

My New 12 Week Year (12WY) starts Bank Holiday Mon 28th Dec 2020.

Previously, I opened up the 12 Week Year to other members to allow them to join in right at the start of my own 12WY but I’m not ready and an still working on the Theme so I have decided to do a 4 WEEK Program  starting on Mon 15th Feb 2021 (Week 7) and finding on Sun 14th Mar 2021

Why 4 Weeks?
Shorter program.
4 Weeks in enough to get good results.
1 hr Prerecorded Content every week
Launch Seminar and Workshop
Closing Seminar and Workshop

Why Week 7? Mon 15th Feb 2021?
5 year anniversary of official launch of group.
It gives me 6 weeks to organise and plan.
I can get more content together.
I can market it more to new members
I can prepare better.
I can get extra help to prepare

What is the Theme?
Letting go of Attachment
Letting go of limiting beliefs
Letting go of negative stuff from 2020
Letting go of old patterns, old relationships
Decluttering. Cleansing.

#lifekeeping. Similar to #housekeeping. Getting your life in order ready for next period of living.

A5 RINGBINDER BULLET JOURNAL for 2021

In October 2019, I purchased three different ‘Law of Attraction’ journals (see below) in preparation for the start of 2020.

I wanted to use something that was already formatted so that I could be more focused and more productive towards my goals in 2020. I only ended up using one of them because they all had the same format and there was not point using all of them for the same thing.

What worked? I got into the habit of planning the day, recording events and activities an seeing how I was using my time.

What didn’t work? The format was too restrictive. The journals were bound and I had my Bullet Journal as well as my Law of Attraction Journal and I have to keep going between the two to cross reference entries.

What did I change? I used the LoA Journal for the first 12 Week Challenge and then switched to using the Ring Binder Bullet Journal as it was more flexible.

What am I planning for 2021?
The A5 Ring Binder Journal has worked well for 2020. There was a lot of ‘tweaking’ to get the right information into place, the right worksheets and also learning how to use it properly. I will continue to use this for 2021. It already has a lot of notes and information from the previous year.

Index from my A5 Ring Binder Bullet Journal

Freedom Mastery Weekly Success and Life Planner – A 12-Month Journey Creating Your Dream Life – Personal Journal & Weekly Planner & Goal Planner & Organizer by (Undated, Black)

Freedom Mastery Law of Attraction Goal Planner & Organizer

Law of Attraction Daily Planner – Deluxe Day Calendar and Gratitude Journal to Increase Productivity, Happiness & Time Management – Non Dated, A5 Hardcover + Bonus Stickers

My Theme for 2021

I was thinking about my theme for 2021 and the world ‘wellness’ kept on popping in my mind so I did some internet search and this article from the ‘global wellness summit’ was really useful

In the article, they’ve identified six wellness trends for 2021.

I’ve still not decided fully what my theme will be for 2021, but it will definitely have ‘wellness’ as an underlying current or theme for the whole year

I have listed the six wellness trends below here nut you can also click on the link and read a little bit more about them.

6 Wellness Trends for 2021

1) A new convergence between healthcare and wellness

2) Strengthening the immune system

3) A great “un-tabooing”: wellness gets real about sex, money and death

4) Nature, nature, nature

5) Home wellness

6) Beauty: from anti-microbial products to at-home beauty

https://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/gws-2020/media-experts-predict-six-wellness-trends-for-2021/

The journey back to good energy, good strength and good tone

I stopped going to the gym quite a while back. It was partly due to COVID lock down and partly because it wasn’t a priority at the time.

Over the last ten weeks or so, my diet and nutrition has been off. I’ve increased my carbohydrates. I’ve allowed sugars to come back into my diet. I’ve been having pastries chocolates, and quite a few other things that are not necessarily good for health or energy.

Recently my sleep patterns have been out of sync. I’ve had Insomnia. I’ve been feeling

tired and my energy levels have been all over the place. I’ve been staying up late, eating ice cream and having coffee.

Fortunately, my weight has held quite well.

When I finished my last 12 week cycle I was down to 87.2kg, and I’ve been holding around 92.7kg. It’s only 5 kg, about 10lbs higher than it was previously but I know that this isn’t accurate because of muscle density and water retention. It’s not directly comparable.

On Saturday I made the decision to get back into the gym, even if it was just to do 10 minutes, and then I followed that up with a session on Monday and I’ve just done another 30 minutes today.

I’ve also started improving my diet and nutrition and reducing the carbohydrates sugars and making some better food choices.

I’m just getting traction at the moment, I’m not pushing, I’m not rushing. I’m not trying to get back to where I was, I’m just taking it slow and steady and conditioning myself to walk back through the door of the gym and do some exercise and allow my body to build up its recovery, so that when I do exercise with a little bit more intensity, my body’s used to recovering.

Small steady changes.

Small steady improvements

Small wins, a little bit at a time.

I’m glad to get back in because I’m already starting to feel a little bit different. And the gains that I make today will set me up for a better session next time.

MY PROPERTY BUSINESS – WORKSHEET

I’ve been in property for over 30 years, and for quite a few years I’ve lost my heart and enthusiasm.

Recently someone approached me who is just starting out, and they bring a new energy full of enthusiasm about the possibilities in property

I created a worksheet, with some questions to help identify what the motivations were for going into property and I realised that it was actually quite good for me as well, to sort of connect with my reasons, and start looking at the benefits rather than the pains and problems and challenges that I have to constantly deal with just like every other landlord and investor.

I’ve attached a PDF copy of the worksheet.

This type of work is very deep self reflection and can take quite a lot of time. You can do it in 10 minutes so you can take a whole day to do it, but it’s the sort of work most people avoid, including myself, so I’m going to have a look at it and spend some time over the Christmas period, setting myself up for the new year.

my-property-businessDownload

2021 – 12 WEEK YEAR PLANNING

PERIODS

#12WC21-01. Mon 28/12/20 – Sun 21/03/20
#12WC21-02. Mon 29/03/20 – Sun 20/06/20
#12WC21-03. Mon 28/06/20 – Sun 19/09/20
#12WC21-04. Mon 27/09/20 – Sun 19/12/20

HOLIDAYS

New Year’s Day Fri, 1 Jan 2021
Good Friday Fri, 2 Apr 2021
Easter Monday Mon, 5 Apr 2021
Early May Bank Holiday Mon, 3 May 2021
Spring Bank Holiday Mon, 31 May 2021
Summer Bank Holiday Mon, 30 Aug 2021
Christmas Day Mon, 27 Dec 2021
Boxing Day Tue, 28 Dec 2021

Ramadan 2021 in United Kingdom will begin in the evening of
Monday, 12 April
and ends in the evening of
Tuesday, 11 May
(Dates may vary)

The Celestine Prophecy: An Adventure; James Redfield (1994)

The Celestine Prophecy contains secrets that are currently changing our world. Drawing on the ancient wisdom found in a Peruvian manuscript, it tells you how to make connections between the events happening in your own life right now…and lets you see what is going to happen to you in the years to come.

The story it tells is a gripping one of adventure and discovery, but it is also a guidebook that has the power to crystalize your perceptions of why you are where you are in life…and to direct your steps with a new energy and optimism as you head into tomorrow.

A book that comes along just once in a lifetime to change lives forever.