Tiago Forte — Unlocking the Power of the Annual Review (Ep. 267)

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May 8, 2025

Tiago Forte, author of 'Building a Second Brain,' dives deep into harnessing personal growth through annual reviews and reflective practices. He shares insights on transforming envy into emotional intelligence and discusses his unexpected revelations from a historical museum visit. The conversation touches on leveraging AI for self-awareness and the messy magic of identity shifts. Forte advocates for shifting away from productivity-as-performance, emphasizing that personal growth flourishes when we embrace our emotional connections and the evolving role of technology.

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INSIGHT

Power of Annual Review

The Annual Review method zooms out to reflect on life, career, and growth yearly.
It informs future plans by assessing what went well and what didn't over 17 years.

INSIGHT

Shift From Consumer to Creator

Building a second brain shapes identity and aids the shift from consumer to creator.
Creating isn't about fame or money, but an expression of inner worth worth pursuing.

ANECDOTE

AI as Personalized Coach

Tiago digitized over 50,000 words including journals and coaching notes to train AI as a life and business coach.
AI found deep patterns such as his spending habits linked to childhood attitudes about money.

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I’ve said before that one of the best parts of hosting Infinite Loops is the chance to connect with people who consistently make me think differently — and few do that quite like Tiago Forte.

Tiago Forte joins Infinite Loops for the first time, and within minutes we closed the door on his best-selling “Building A Second Brain” and were off to the races: from digitizing 50,000+ words of personal data to build an AI-powered life coach, to the emotional intelligence hiding inside envy, to the surprising lessons he learned walking through a tiny historical museum in Coconut Grove.

We also dig into the messy magic of identity shifts, how fit dads triggered a personal transformation, and why letting go of productivity-as-performance might be the most productive thing you can do. Plus: the power of NotebookLM, building AI-native systems of self-awareness, and why the future will belong to those who embrace the one-way door.

Unsurprisingly, this was a fun one. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack.

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Show Notes:

Closing the Door on Second Brain
The Power of the Annual Review
Tiago's Family: Incredibly Vibrant, Visual, Auditory
Incorporating AI Into Work & Life
Joe Hudson: Mentorship and Emotional Intelligence
Miami: The Most Introspective Place on Earth
Irreversible Decisions
Archival Material: Underrated Forcing Function
The Future of Book Publishing
The Hard Truth on Performance Reviews
AI Skepticism & Building Moats
AI-First Mentality for Early Adopters
Learning From Sci-Fi Books
Cumulative Cultural Evolution
Tiago as Emperor of the World

Books Mentioned:

Building A Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential; by Tiago Forte
The PARA Method: Simplify, Organize, and Master Your Digital Life; by Tiago Forte
How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain; by Lisa Feldman Barrett
Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World; by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned; by Kenneth O. Stanley and Joel Lehman
Molecules Of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine; by Candace B. Pert
What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O’Shaughnessy
The Beginning of Infinity; by David Deutsch
One Summer: America, 1927; by Bill Bryson
White Mirror; by Tinkered Thinking
The Forever War; by Joe Halderman