Ali Abdaal is a Pakistani-born, UK-based productivity creator who graduated from Cambridge University.

He started out making videos about medicine and studying, is now an ex-doctor, and has turned his career path into YouTube, podcasting, and entrepreneurship.

His book, Feel Good Productivity, is a New York Times bestseller.

Brain Tour

Ali adapted his 2nd Brain based on PARA but strongly customized it.

He said that he doesn't overthink his method because it works the way he uses it, even though it might seem complicated due to the amount of apps he uses and the lack of a weekly and monthly review process.

His 2nd Brain includes the following apps and services:

• Otter for voice recording

• Todoist for tasks

• Apple Notes for notes on the fly, especially since it has good offline support for when he doesn't have internet - he is also using it for quick captures and writing down tasks but often forgets about it due to the lack of a review process in his system

• Day One for journaling, which also syncs with Roam Research

• Instapaper for highlighting articles, which syncs with Readwise

• Cleanshot for capturing and saving video transitions he likes for inspiration in his mood board in Notion

• Roam Research is the hub where everything comes together, from his journals and book highlights to his ideas

• Kindle is his reading app and syncs his book highlights to Readwise

• Notion is Ali's second hub for everything professional, used only for stuff that's related to his job to share with his team

• Readwise for highlighting interesting content from ebooks and collecting highlights from Kindle, Instapaper and Reader - everything collected is in turn synchronized to Roam Research

• Reader is his second app (after Instapaper) that he uses to highlight articles

• A Physical notebook for his morning pages

Q&A

What is your number one tip for building a 2nd Brain from the ground up?

Don't feel obligated to stick rigidly to a system's organization. Tailor it to suit your individual needs. Just because someone else's Notion setup looks appealing, it doesn't mean that it will work equally well for you. Adapt and modify it to better fit your unique situation.

Where have you seen improvement with your 2nd Brain?

Working on multiple projects simultaneously can be easy when you have a streamlined system for organizing information. You can move it into the appropriate project folder whenever you stumble across interesting data. This approach allows projects to simmer gently, maturing over time without the rush. It's like having multiple pots on the stove, each with its recipe, developing flavors at its own pace. Not only does this method keep your workspace clutter-free, but it also ensures that every nugget of inspiration is right where you need it when you need it.

Why are you building your 2nd Brain?

Having a 2nd Brain is an incredible asset for sparking inspiration, especially when writing blogs, books, or recording podcasts. The beauty of it all is the wealth of ideas you've already accumulated. By simply browsing through them, you can easily decide what to write about next. Not only does this method streamline the creative process, but it also ensures a steady flow of content that draws from a rich reservoir of thoughts and insights you've carefully collected.

Disclaimer: This edition was created by analyzing and summarizing videos by YouTuber Ali Abdaal.