Build a Second Brain
Try CODE and PARA with one note
Turn a saved note into something you use. Learn how CODE differs from PARA, then follow one note from capture to output in a familiar notebook, email workflow or Obsidian, with a reusable worksheet.
Start with one use for your notes
A Second Brain is a way to use externally stored information in later work or learning. Tiago Forte’s Building a Second Brain combines CODE—Capture, Organize, Distill, Express—with PARA organization. It does not require collecting everything or installing more apps.
Choose an output, such as three points for your next book discussion. Save one relevant note, find it again, and use it in your own writing. The week-long exercise and worksheet below are this site’s suggested trial, not an official mandatory sequence or a time-saving guarantee.
Primary source: Forte Labs’ BASB overview. Updated September 9, 2026. The author develops Simple Memo.
Try PARA with a book-discussion note
PARA uses the relationship to projects, responsibilities and interests to organize information. In this trial, choose names you can recognize from the work you are doing.
| Category | How to decide | Example in this trial |
|---|---|---|
| Projects | Work toward a time-bound outcome | Next week’s book discussion |
| Areas | Ongoing responsibilities to maintain | Running the book group |
| Resources | Topics of interest and reference material | Books to read; author background |
| Archives | Inactive items from the other categories | Materials from a completed discussion |
See Forte Labs’ PARA guide for the definitions. For this trial, an undecided item can stay in an Inbox until its use becomes clearer; you do not need a new folder for every ambiguity.
Connect all four CODE stages with one note
Capture: keep the source and why it matters
Add a return path—page number, URL or date—to the point you save. Separate quotations from your interpretation. Forte Labs’ 12 Favorite Problems describes using open questions as a capture filter.
Organize: put it where the output will lead you
Store or link a relevant note in the discussion project. Put a deadline or required follow-up into the calendar or task system you actually check; a reference note alone will not remind you.
Distill: add a takeaway when the note is useful
Keep the context, highlight useful passages, and add a short summary in your own words when needed. The Progressive Summarization principles explicitly do not require taking every note through every layer.
Express: turn a note into an actual output
For example, write one question to ask at the discussion. Reopen the source and check that your summary preserves its meaning. Add a link to the resulting discussion outline so you can trace how the note was used.
If you already review email, Simple Memo can serve as a capture entry point. Start with recipient setup, verification and a check that a test note arrives.
Choose how email, Notion or Obsidian fit
If you use email, treat the inbox as an entry point and choose one place for review. Opening an email and saving it in Notion or Obsidian are separate checks. Without an integration, copy the relevant text yourself.
Simple Memo’s Notion integration needs connection and destination settings; its Obsidian integration needs vault access and a target on iPhone. Follow Notion setup or Obsidian setup, then check for a short test note at the chosen destination. Email is not automatically imported into every PKM tool.
You do not need two apps to begin. Try capture, search, summarization and use in the notebook you already have. Separate shared writing from private reactions or unpublished material and check the sharing scope.
Copy a worksheet for your first week
This trial follows one note through to use. Instead of competing on volume or time, check whether you found and used it. Handle time-sensitive actions when needed rather than waiting for the weekend.
One-week worksheet
# Second Brain: a one-week trial
## This week's output
- What I will make:
- Use date or deadline:
- Where I normally review notes:
## Capture one note
- Main point:
- Source (URL / book and page / date):
- Quotation versus my interpretation:
- Why this matters to the current output:
## Organize
- PARA candidate: Projects / Areas / Resources / Archives
- Saved note name and location:
- Where I scheduled any required action:
## Distill
- Context worth keeping:
- Summary in my own words, if useful:
- What I have not verified:
## Express
- Sentence or question I created using this note:
- Output location:
- What I checked against the original source:
## End-of-week review
- [ ] I found the note where I normally look
- [ ] I used one note in an actual output
- [ ] Time-sensitive actions are not buried only in notes
- What to continue:
- What to change next week:
This worksheet is a trial suggested by SimpleMemo, not a mandatory official BASB procedure.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a dedicated Second Brain app?
No. You can try capture, search, summarization and use in your current notebook. Choose an output and a review location first, then decide which features you need.
Are CODE and PARA the same thing?
CODE describes Capture, Organize, Distill and Express: a process for using information. PARA groups it into Projects, Areas, Resources and Archives. They can work together but have different roles.
Should I summarize every note in detail?
No. Progressive Summarization does not require every note to pass through every layer. Highlight or summarize useful material when you need it, while preserving source and context.
Is a weekly review always enough?
No single frequency fits everyone. One week is the boundary of this suggested trial. Schedule time-sensitive actions as they arise, then adjust review frequency to your volume and actual use.
Does self-email automatically move into Notion or Obsidian?
Email arrival alone does not move it. Copy the relevant text, or configure a supported integration and destination and verify that the note was written there.
What should I check in my first trial?
Find one note where you normally look, reopen its source, and use it in an actual sentence or question. Note counts and folder counts alone are not a success measure.
On desktop? Scan with your phone