I’ve suspected for years that the traditional concept of “goal-setting” was on its last legs. Every time I bring up “SMART goals,” I can see the light go out in my students’ eyes. An unmistakable feeling of dread and aversion fills the room, and the decline in energy and enthusiasm is palpable. They know they…
As I write these words, I am crossing the Drake Passage, one of the most remote places on Earth. We are crossing from Ushuaia at the southern tip of South America to the spit of land known as the Antarctic Peninsula. It is a barren, featureless expanse that isn’t part of any continent or ocean….
I’m thrilled to share a special guest post by my wife, Lauren Valdez. Lauren approaches productivity in a way that’s refreshingly different from my digital-first philosophy. She’s deeply rooted in the tactile and intentional, favoring physical tools like journals over digital systems. Journaling has been her cornerstone for reflection, decision-making, and creativity. I’m excited for…
At the end of each year, I sit down to reflect on my milestones and memories—big and small—that shaped the past 12 months. It’s become one of my favorite rituals to celebrate progress and set the stage for what’s next. Thankfully, technology can do a lot of the heavy lifting, making this process easier and…
It has been only by writing this series of essays that I’ve come to realize that I have a set of principles I follow for my personal development. They might not be right for everyone, but they’ve certainly served me well.
How do you reconnect with the wisdom of your body after years of ignoring it? In Part III, I dive into the physical sensations and suppressed emotions that shaped my journey back to wholeness. From the persistent pain that first pushed me inward to the transformative experiences of ayahuasca and somatic therapy, I explore how
What happens when intellect alone stops serving your deepest needs? In part two of my blog series recounting my quest for self-knowledge, I share the turning point when I realized that mindset shifts and productivity tools weren’t enough to bring the vibrancy I craved into my life.
On October 3-4, 2024, we hosted our very first in-person Second Brain Summit in Los Angeles, and honestly, it was a dream come true. This event felt like a “bucket list” moment in every way. I’d count it among my top five life milestones, right up there with getting married, witnessing my children’s births, and…
When I left the religious faith of my youth, everything collapsed – my certainty, my sense of purpose, the very foundations of my life. What do you do when the reality you once believed in dissolves away? This is the story of my unexpected 20-year journey to rediscover myself.
17 years ago, at the age of 22, I uploaded my first YouTube video. My high school friend Derick and I had set up a digital camcorder, faced the camera with our backs to his bedroom wall, hit record, and just started talking about 3D printing, which was to be the first episode in a…
This is a proposal I wrote for a television show based on my bestselling book Building a Second Brain. If it resonates with you and you’re in a position to make a TV show happen, please let me know by emailing [email protected]. I’m open to a variety of formats, funding sources, routes to production, and…
In this blog post, I share a deeply personal journey through an unexplained illness that affected my voice for years. What began as a small scratch in my throat eventually spiraled into debilitating pain and silence, leaving me without answers after visiting dozens of doctors across four countries. It wasn’t until I explored the mind-body