I started exploring the second-brain idea a few years ago, diving into Zettelkasten, Evergreen notes, and building a second brain. But they often felt heavyweight and overly structured for my taste.

What finally made it click was tying it all to a practice of daily notes. Not full stream-of-consciousness à la Morning Pages, but nonetheless, entries that were undeniably mine.

I try to lay my thoughts bare if I can, but this is not always the goal. Some days they were messy and chaotic; other days, more reflective or practical.

Over time, recurring thoughts and themes began to emerge. When something kept resurfacing, I pulled it into a small, self-contained note that I could link and revisit. Or even start bigger "evergreen" #notes if they are really important.

To revisit old entries, I usually just open a random note. It works, and I don't need to overly complicate things.

I also link notes from books I read, podcasts I heard, and ideas sparked by conversations or observations. Ultimately, everything starts with the daily note: Where everything lands and themes emerge.