gh-nathanvale-side-quest-marketplace-plugins-para-brain/skills/second-brain/reference/code-method.md

CODE Method Reference

Source: Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte

Table of Contents

• Overview
• 1. CAPTURE: Keep What Resonates
• 2. ORGANIZE: Save for Actionability
• 3. DISTILL: Find the Essence
• 4. EXPRESS: Show Your Work
• The CODE Cycle
• Weekly Review Integration

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Overview

CODE is the four-step workflow for building and using a Second Brain:

Capture → Organize → Distill → Express

Each step builds on the previous, creating a cycle of knowledge capture and creation.

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1. CAPTURE: Keep What Resonates

The Principle

Don't try to capture everything. Capture what resonates with you emotionally or intellectually.

What to Capture

• Inspiring: Uplifting quotes, stories, ideas that move you
• Useful: Templates, processes, mental models, how-tos
• Personal: Your experiences, reflections, lessons learned
• Surprising: Challenges assumptions, offers new perspectives

Capture Sources

• Highlights from books/articles
• Voice memos and quick thoughts
• Images and screenshots
• Meeting notes
• Quotes from conversations
• Social media saves
• Email excerpts

The 12 Favorite Problems Filter

Richard Feynman's technique: Maintain 12 open questions you care about.

When you encounter new information, ask: "Does this relate to one of my 12 problems?"

Example problems:

• How can I be more productive without burning out?
• What makes a great leader?
• How do I build lasting relationships?

Capture Best Practices

• Capture liberally, curate ruthlessly later
• Don't over-organize during capture
• Use whatever tool is fastest in the moment
• Trust that you'll find it later
• Add minimal context (source, date)

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2. ORGANIZE: Save for Actionability

The Principle

Organize information based on when you'll use it, not what it's about.

The PARA System

01_Projects/  → Active projects with deadlines
02_Areas/     → Ongoing responsibilities
03_Resources/ → Topics of interest
04_Archives/  → Completed or inactive items

The Key Question

"In what project will this be most useful?"

Organization Flow

New Item Arrives
       ↓
Is it actionable with a deadline?
├── YES → Projects
└── NO → Is it an ongoing responsibility?
    ├── YES → Areas
    └── NO → Is it useful reference?
        ├── YES → Resources
        └── NO → Archive or Delete

Organization Best Practices

• Process inbox within 48 hours
• Don't create categories that don't exist yet
• Move things between categories freely
• When in doubt, put in Resources
• Archive liberally - you can always retrieve

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3. DISTILL: Find the Essence

The Principle

Every time you touch a note, make it a little more useful for your future self.

Progressive Summarization

Five layers of distillation:

Layer 0: Raw Capture

The original content, unprocessed.

Layer 1: Captured Notes

Initial highlights and excerpts you saved.

Layer 2: Bold Passages

Bold the most important 10-20% of your notes.

Layer 3: Highlighted Core

==Highlight== the top 10% of the bold passages.

Layer 4: Executive Summary

Write a brief summary in your own words at the top.

Layer 5: Remix

Transform into your own original content.

When to Distill

• Don't distill everything upfront
• Distill when you encounter a note again
• Each touch adds value
• "Just-in-time" summarization

Distillation Best Practices

• Highlight for your future self, not for completeness
• Ask: "What would make this useful in 6 months?"
• Use formatting consistently (bold, highlight, headers)
• Add your own thoughts and connections
• Don't over-distill - preserve enough context

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4. EXPRESS: Show Your Work

The Principle

The purpose of a Second Brain is not to collect, but to create.

Types of Expression

• Blog posts and articles
• Presentations and talks
• Reports and proposals
• Creative projects
• Decisions and strategies
• Conversations and advice

Intermediate Packets

Small, reusable pieces of work:

• Distilled notes
• Outlines and drafts
• Graphics and images
• Code snippets
• Checklists and templates

Benefits:

• Reduce activation energy to start
• Make progress visible
• Enable reuse across projects
• Allow collaboration

The Archipelago of Ideas

Instead of starting with a blank page:

1. Gather relevant notes (islands)
2. Arrange them in rough order
3. Build bridges between them
4. Fill in the gaps

Expression Best Practices

• Ship regularly, even if imperfect
• Reuse intermediate packets
• Link back to source notes
• Celebrate completions
• Archive finished projects (they're achievements!)

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The CODE Cycle

CODE is not linear - it's a cycle:

     CAPTURE
        ↓
    ORGANIZE
        ↓
     DISTILL
        ↓
     EXPRESS
        ↓
   (feeds back to CAPTURE)

What you create (Express) generates new insights to Capture.

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Weekly Review Integration

The weekly review keeps CODE flowing:

1. Clear inbox (Capture → Organize)
2. Review projects (check progress)
3. Distill recent notes (add value)
4. Plan expression (what will you create?)

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Reference compiled from "Building a Second Brain" by Tiago Forte.