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Outsource your memory, keep your genius
ChatGPT
Your brain is meat. Beautiful, magical meat.
But it loses things. Important things like “brilliant 4 a.m. business idea” slip into the gray matter of the most sophisticated organ on the planet.
That’s why the smartest people I know (including me!) have a “second brain.” A digital vault that catches ideas, plans, reminders and projects before they vanish into the void.
If you’re still trying to keep it all in your head, it’s time for an upgrade. Here’s how second-brain apps like Notion, Evernote and Apple Notes can help you work smarter, not harder.
🧠 Step 1: Pick your tool
- Apple Notes (free and probably already on your iPhone/Mac): Fast, simple, searchable. It’s the one I use.
- Evernote: Great for organizing notes, web clippings, PDFs and images.
- Notion: For power users who want to build an entire “command center” for their brain. I’m talking about tasks, notes, databases, even project dashboards.
👉 Only rule: Pick one you’ll actually open and use daily. Don’t overcomplicate it.
🖊️ Step 2: Dump everything
Scribble half-formed shower thoughts. Save quotes, links, screenshots of tweets you laughed at too hard. Whatever needs saving, get it in there before you forget it.
Save quotes, book ideas, article links or random tech tips you want to try later. Snap a picture of handwritten notes, and drop them into your app. Dictate quick thoughts using voice-to-text if you’re driving or walking. You get the gist.
👉 Tip: Don’t overorganize. The goal is to catch ideas, not perfect them.
✅ Step 3: Build simple systems
🎮 Game lagging? Let’s fix that with a few tweaks. Head to your TV’s picture settings and turn on Game Mode. Then, turn off any “reduction” settings like noise or MPEG reduction. Finally, switch off motion enhancement or clarity settings (names vary by brand), so your button presses register right away.
📨 Faster email flow: Speed through your inbox with Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts. Go to Settings > See all settings > General, check Keyboard shortcuts on, then hit Save Changes at the bottom. Need the full list of shortcuts? Press Shift + ? while you’re in Gmail.
✂️ Snip that PDF: Using the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader? You can’t pull specific pages, but there’s a workaround. Go to Menu > Print, set the printer to Microsoft Print to PDF (PC) or Save as PDF (Mac). Choose Pages and type the page numbers you want (like 2 to 5). Click Print, then Save the file.
Fix ghosting on Kindle: Seeing a faint outline of the previous page after you turn it? That’s because your Kindle isn’t fully refreshing the screen. To fix it, go to All Settings > Home and Library > Reading Options and toggle on Page refresh. It may slightly affect battery life, but the display will look much cleaner.
▶️ My favorite price is free: Pro video-editing software usually comes with a pro-level price tag, unless you know where to look. Kdenlive is free, open-source and gets new updates all the time. This gem works with Windows, Mac and Linux.
🌐 Browser acting weird? Extensions or broken settings could be messing things up. Time for a reset. In Chrome, go to Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults. Using Firefox? Head to Menu > Help > More Troubleshooting information, then click Refresh Firefox and confirm.
🎨 Need stunning photos? I’ve used Dreamstime for years, and for good reason. Whether you’re building a website, designing a presentation or just need the perfect pic for social media, Dreamstime has millions of royalty-free images that won’t break the bank.
Have a YouTube channel? The algorithm might not know who to show your videos to. Give it a nudge by adding channel tags. Click your profile picture > YouTube Studio > Settings > Channel, fill in your Keywords (like “travel”) and hit Save. It’s a small step toward building your audience.
🎶 Rockin’ votes: Planning a road trip? YouTube now lets your friends add and vote on songs in shared playlists. Here’s how to create one. Then, click the three-dot menu > Collaborate > toggle on Collaborators can add songs and videos. Hit Share to send the link to your pals. No arguing over who gets to DJ.
📖 Learn new words on Kindle: Come across a word you don’t know? Long-press it and you’ll get the dictionary definition. Each one you check gets saved to your Vocabulary Builder. To look back, tap the three-dot menu in the top right, select Vocabulary Builder, then Flashcards to run through them. Mark as Mastered when you’re done.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: On LinkedIn? You can turn off “seen” receipts under Settings > Communications > Read receipts.
☁️ Your cloud library: Ever rented a movie digitally, only to find the DVD buried in your closet? Libib helps you catalog all your physical media like movies, music, books and games. Just scan the barcode and the app (iOS, Android) fills in the info. Their free plan lets you track up to 5,000 items in the cloud.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Use dictation in Microsoft Word: Click “Dictate” in the ribbon and just start talking.
What’s that song’s name? The YouTube Music app can help you track it down. Just hum, sing or whistle the tune. Open the app, tap search and hit the audio wave icon (top right) and give it a try. Heads up, it works best with popular or catchy tunes, not indie ones.
🤳 Look your best: Ever been caught checking your hair in a video call? Kind of embarrassing. Adjust yourself and the lighting before the meeting. On a Windows PC, open your Start menu and search for the Camera app; on a Mac, open Photo Booth.
LinkedIn lesson: Want to give someone a shout-out, boost your post’s visibility, or simply say thanks in a more public (and professional) way? Use the @mention feature! And for a limited time, use my special link to post a job for free on LinkedIn.