Why My Second Brain Failed...
My Notion System Collapsed. Here’s What I Learned.
For years, I felt like my ideas, notes, and intellectual resources were scattered everywhere, across random notebooks, saved Twitter threads, half-finished Google Docs, and forgotten bookmarks.
I needed a Personal Knowledge System (PKS), a "second brain", to capture and connect everything. So, like many before me, I turned to Notion.
But let’s be honest: staring at a blank Notion page is intimidating. Where do you even start?
In early 2023, I took inspiration from Tiago Forte’s PARA framework, the CODE method (Capture, Organize, Distill, Express), and tutorials from Thomas Frank to sketch out my own system.
That first version wasn’t perfect. But it worked.
Today, I want to share what that system looked like, what I learned from it, and how you can refine your own digital knowledge system.
My Initial Notion Setup (back in 2023)
This rough sketch was my starting point. It wasn’t pretty, but it gave me clarity:
Journal → My quick capture space for daily thoughts, things I come across on Twitter, YouTube links, and random ideas.
Projects → Active content and initiatives (e.g., Twitter, YouTube, Newsletter).
Themes/Areas → Broader responsibilities like company projects, job-related tasks, and my knowledge base (where I transferred my pile of physical notes).
Resources → My digital library that contains book notes, articles, excerpts, quotes, and a "Toolbox" of apps and systems that make my life and work easier.
Archive/Sandbox → The "everything else" bucket for old projects, saved web pages, and Notion templates. If I liked a piece of sales copy I found online, I’d tap-tap-save with Notion Web Clipper.
Below this core structure, I categorized my life and business into key areas:
Personal → Learning, health, fitness, finances, friendships, faith, and fun.
Work/Job → Tasks, deliverables, strategy, and ideas.
Family → Marriage, kids, parents, and siblings.
Finances → Separate tracking for family, personal, business, and job-related finances.
Business → Admin, marketing, events, software, and products.
At first, I treated “Resources” like a tag for completed work, but over time, I realized retrieval matters more than storage.
Lessons from Iterating on My System
One thing became clear quickly: I wasn’t just organizing notes. I was shaping how my brain processes knowledge.
Here’s what worked and what didn’t:
✅ What Worked Well
Faster mental retrieval → I built the habit of first doing a mental lookup before opening Notion. “Where would I expect to find this?”
Separation of personal and work life → Having distinct sections for job-related tasks and family finances meant less confusion.
Capturing everything (even the weird stuff) → I found random gems in my notes later, like:
“Use Fitbit to control phone camera.” (Random, but useful!)
“Glasp for highlights to Notion.” (Saved web highlights to my profile at glasp.co/dayosamuel)
❌ What Didn’t Work
Too many categories → Some areas overlapped. Should an idea about UX strategy go in “Work” or “Resources”?
Capturing was easy, but retrieval was hard → I saved everything but didn’t always review what I saved.
Email integration failed → I wanted to move emails into Notion and categorize them, but honestly… this was a nightmare. I had to give it up.
That’s when I started questioning if the problem wasn’t Notion, but how my brain actually processes information.
Why My Brain Rejected My Rigid System
As much as I wanted a perfectly structured Notion setup, I realized something critical:
My brain resisted the forced structure I was imposing on it.
This made me rethink how we process information—which led me to something fascinating:
The Extended Mind Theory: Why Your Environment Shapes Your Thinking
For most of history, we’ve believed that cognition is brainbound, that everything we think, process, and decide happens inside our head.
But new research suggests otherwise.
Cognition extends beyond the brain into our environment—the tools we use, the spaces we work in, and even the people we interact with.
According to Annie Murphy Paul’s “The Extended Mind”, our thinking is distributed across:
The physical world (our tools, notebooks, and digital systems like Notion, Obsidian, Google Keep, etc)
Our bodies (gestures, movement, clothing, even posture affect cognition)
Our social environment (mentors, peers, and collaboration influence problem-solving)
For example:
Thinking with movement → Studies show that walking improves learning and memory. That’s why Frederick Nietzsche, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Danielle Kahneman all preferred walking while thinking. I do too! I’ve found my thoughts were more clear and orderly while doing so. In fact, Nietzsche even said "only ideas won by walking have any value."
Thinking with peers → We learn better when we explain ideas to others (hello, Feynman Technique!). Teaching is in itself a method of strengthening learned material. So if you’ve had notes from something you study or ramblings, teach with and from them. In addition arguing is a fantastic way to poke holes in your knowledge as well. Other people don't bring with them the same confirmation bias that you hold to your own arguments. As long as the argument is a fight over ideas rather than a fight over the person, things should be pretty okay.
Thinking with spaces → Certain environments trigger deep focus (e.g., libraries vs. open offices). Humans have a craving for natural places. Studies show being immersed in natural spaces make us feel less competitive with those around us and fill us with a feeling of abundance. We act differently in environments we are comfortable in
What This Means for Your Knowledge System
Your PKS shouldn’t feel like a cage → If your system is suffocating, you won’t use it.
Your physical and digital environments matter → Where you work influences how you think.
Work with your mind, not against it → If a structured system isn’t helping you retrieve ideas effortlessly, it’s time to tweak it.
Refining Your Own Knowledge System
If you’re building a PKS (or struggling with one), try this:
Start Simple → Don’t get lost in perfection. A basic structure is enough to begin.
Prioritize Retrieval, Not Just Storage → Saving notes is useless if you can’t find them later.
Integrate with Your Workflow → Connect your system to your other tools like calendar, email, or task manager.
Embrace Iteration → Your system will evolve. Allow it.
Next Week: The System That Eventually Worked
This was just the first version. Next week, I’ll reveal the system that finally worked.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you:
How do you currently organize your knowledge?
What’s one thing you’d like to improve?
Hit reply, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Live courageously,
By Dayo Samuel 💯
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