Picture this: It’s 11:37 PM on a Wednesday.
The air reeks of a forgotten Nespresso, a stale aroma making you nauseous.
The harsh, white glow of Google Sheets “lights up” your room—a stark reminder of late night work dates.
Your partner’s snores from the bedroom, the ones you regret arguing about? A bittersweet reminder of the warmth and comfort you’re missing (and the growing distance)
Your phone buzzes. It’s your best friend: “Hey stranger, still on for this weekend?”
Your abdomen becomes tight. You know the reply before you type it.
“Is it me or does it feel like an auto-reply now?”
Sent!
Déjà vu. “Sorry, rain check? Swamped with work.”
A familiar mixture of guilt and relief washes over you. Guilt for breaking plans again, relief for buying yourself more time to… to a promised promotion (or not getting fired)?
Just then, your banking app chimes in.
“Friendly reminder: Credit card payment due in 5 days.”
Friendly? Ha. It might as well be saying, “Hey, remember that student loan? Oh, we’d love to have your car (or house) back anytime! By the way, baby on the way? We can keep you in debt for life!”
The weight of your reality presses down on your chest:
- Alarm clocks, commutes, zoom meetings, “remote work”, and late-nights . When was the last time you didn’t feel guilty of “I should be working on something”? And Vacation? That’s become a foreign concept
- Your mind always half-focused on the next deadline, the next project, the next opportunity you can’t afford to miss. Your ideas, your dreams, your relationships—all of them starving for attention you can’t seem to give
- Beyond work, who are you really? The thought of introducing yourself at a party without leaning on your profession sends a shiver of existential dread
- Every unexpected expense feels like a personal attack. One layoff, one medical emergency, and the house of cards comes tumbling down (Psst that savings account is a joke—a bad one!)
With a deep sigh that feels like it’s coming from your very soul, you open Notion. You’re determined—desperate, even—to jot down ideas for that viral post that will kickstart your personal brand. The one you’ve been “meaning to start” for weeks (or months?!)
The cursor blinks and out comes… Nothing.
Your mind? As blank as the screen before you.
Where do you even begin? How do you take the swirling chaos of thoughts, ideas, and half-formed concepts in your head and turn them into something… anything that could be your ticket out of this hamster wheel?
Personal Branding & Passive Income? It feels impossible, like a fairytale.
And those new AI tools for content creation? The ones that are making you feel left behind?
Actually, that’s the part I can help you with— which just might lead to your 1000 true fans who pay for your vacations (happily).
And it all starts with the ideas you captured yesterday.
Whether it’s a fleeting thought, a reflection, or a detailed idea, the Second Brain OS helps you effortlessly gather everything in one place.
And if you still haven’t done so, then go back to Day 2 where I walk you through the Todoist Second Brain OS Integration for capturing thoughts as they happen. Here’s a Quick Recap of the Tips:
- Leverage the Quick Capture Widget & Shortcut: Install the Todoist widget on your phone and Todoist Capture Shortcut for Mac/Windows, ensuring no idea is lost.
- Capture On-the-Go: Get into the habit of capturing ideas immediately as they pop up, no matter where you are. After all, now it’s just a tap on your phone or a button press on your keyboard!
- Daily Review Ritual: Dedicate time each day to chat with your Second Brain OS CustomGPT, reviewing and reflecting on your captured ideas. This will enhance your awareness of the valuable content potential within your notes, giving you a big boost.
Step 1: Use Second Brain OS Custom GPT to Search through Your Notes
Once you capture a note, it’s immediately organised and related to past ideas within you Second Brain OS.
The result? All you need to do is start a conversation with the Second Brain OS CustomGPT!
And to 10x the speed, I have a workflow that will help you go from “I have a rough idea in my head” to “I know exactly what to say, in what order to say and how to say it”.
Side Note: userQuery means “the text used to search your knowledge” and searchK means “how many results to return” (where each result is ~1000 characters or ~250 words)
Idea: "Note Taking, Sources & Articles, Readwise, Capturing Highlighting, Watching YouTube Videos, Listening to Podcats, Centralizing your Knowledge with a Second Brain OS"
Using the idea, please write a detailed userQuery & search my knowledge with a searchK of 25.
Task: From the given notes, identify 5 or more large clusters (themes).
For each cluster (theme), review the notes from start to finish again to identify topics for the cluster (theme).
Then using the notes, expand each topic by adding points from relevant notes.
Using these points, identify key, questions that the topic and points answer.
I understand that a topic can be linked to multiple notes.
Mention the relevant note_id’s for each topic.
Respond with: theme_id, theme, topics, points, questions, notes_id’s
Step 2: Get your Second Brain OS to Understand your Audience
People listen when your content relates directly to:
- their fears
- their frustrations
- their specific struggles
- their deepest pain points
This topic deserves its own crash course, but here’s the key takeaway: generic “one-size-fits-all” content will only gather dust.
Whether it’s a LinkedIn post or an Instagram Reel—you have seconds to capture attention, spark interest, invoke desire, and prompt action. Ditch the extra words, fluff, hesitations, apologies, and unnecessary comparisons. They have no place in your articles.
And to speed this up, here’s a killer prompt to create a 10/10 audience persona (yes, this is 100% original and a google search should ideally land you on my website)
Specificity Guidelines: Based on your latest response, what unique situations, experiences and problems is my target audience facing related to the topics? How would these topics be relevant to their unique situations, experiences and problems? Include results that are specific to the industry and business model. Be as specific as you can.
Task: Identify 5 clusters (situations) that target the pain points, emotions, fears, and insecurities held by the target audience. Clusters (situations) should ensure a deep connection between the theme's tactical/strategic insights and the emotional depths of the cluster (situation). Each identified cluster (situation) must represent a significant question targeted at the audience and provoke the audience to take action. Clusters should describe specific situations that the target audience feels trapped by, using the format: (Trapped by .... Feeling ... Seeking). Pain Points: For each cluster (situation), break down comprehensive bullet points that target the pain points, emotions, fears, and insecurities. Ensure that each pain point accurately represents the cluster (situation), triggers deep emotion, and provokes thought. Outcomes: Clearly state the desired outcomes of the target audience, resulting from the situations. Keyword Identification: For each cluster (situation), identify powerful keywords for copywriting. Statements: Based on the pain points and outcomes, craft statements as pairs of frustrations & desires and pairs of fears & dreams. These pairs should echo the internal dialogue in the target audience's mind. I understand that a cluster (situation) can be linked to multiple themes. Mention the relevant theme_id’s for each cluster (situation).
Respond with: situation_id, associated_themes_id, situation, pain_points, outcomes, statements (5 whys, inner dialogue and core desire) in a table
Step 3: Create a Big Picture Outline Which Becomes a Content Roadmap
Let’s talk structure – it’s not just for architects and engineers, my friend. Writers need it too (badly!).
When you use words like “Steps,” “Tips,” or “Techniques,” you’re not just feeding your audience information; you’re handing them a battle plan to overcome their problems.
It’s like planning a trip with a map:
- You mark each important stop along the way
- This guides readers through your content, step by step
- And it shows them that you know what you’re talking about
And with options like Steps, Workflows, Tips, Techniques, Secrets, and Mistakes, you’ve got a format for every topic under the sun. Whether you’re teaching someone how to bake the perfect soufflé or explaining the nitty gritty of machine learning, there’s a structure here that’ll make your content sing.
So the next time you sit down to create, remember: you’re not just writing a thread or making a video; you’re building a bridge between your expertise and your audience’s needs – and with this approach, that bridge is solid gold, my friend.
Based on your now deep understanding of the notes from my knowledge and the themes, topics audience, pain points and outcomes from your analysis, follow the Outline Template below to write an outline
Outline Template Guidelines:
Create a 5-day outline using one of the following structures, incorporating a power word as an adjective before the noun:
5 [Power Word] Steps to [Verb] [Topic]
Description: This structure provides a clear, actionable path to achieve a specific goal or master a particular skill. It breaks down a complex process into manageable steps.
5-Step [Power Word] Workflow to [Verb] [Process]
Description: This approach focuses on optimizing or transforming a business process. It offers a systematic way to improve efficiency and effectiveness in a specific area of operations.
5 [Power Word] Tips to [Verb] [Skill/Outcome]
Description: This structure provides practical, often quick-to-implement advice to improve a skill or achieve a desired outcome. It's great for offering valuable insights that can be applied immediately.
5 [Power Word] Techniques to [Verb] [Ability/Task]
Description: This format delves into specific methods or approaches to enhance an ability or perform a task better. It's ideal for sharing more in-depth strategies or specialized knowledge.
5 [Power Word] Secrets to [Verb] [Goal/Achievement]
Description: This structure reveals lesser-known or counterintuitive approaches to reaching a goal. It's perfect for sharing insider knowledge or unique perspectives that can give readers an edge.
5 [Power Word] Mistakes to Avoid in [Topic/Process]
Description: This structure educates people on common errors related to a given topic. It's effective for helping readers learn from others' missteps and fast-track their success.
Power Word Examples: Essential, Crucial, Game-Changing, Proven, Powerful, Effective, Transformative, Unbeatable, Vital, Innovative
Choose the structure that best fits your topic. Here are some verb examples to pair with each:
Steps/Workflow: Master, Implement, Achieve, Establish, Transform, Streamline, Optimize, Automate, Revamp, Accelerate
Tips/Techniques: Enhance, Improve, Maximize, Boost, Cultivate, Innovate, Refine, Adapt, Overcome, Leverage
Secrets: Unlock, Discover, Harness, Amplify, Dominate
Mistakes: Prevent, Overcome, Recognize, Eliminate, Sidestep
Your outline should follow this structure:
Choose a topic and one of the six structures above.
Create a compelling title using the chosen structure, a power word as an adjective, and an appropriate verb.
Write a brief introduction for Day 0, explaining the importance of the topic and what readers will gain.
Outline 5 days of content, each focusing on one step, workflow stage, tip, technique, secret, or mistake.
Add a brief conclusion that ties everything together and motivates readers to take action.
For example:
"5 Proven Steps to Master Public Speaking Confidently (without having to close your eyes)"
"5-Step Game-Changing Workflow to Optimize Social Media Marketing ROI (without loosing money to Meta or Google)"
"5 Unbeatable Tips to Enhance Productivity in Remote Work Environments (without more zoom meetings)"
"5 Innovative Techniques to Revolutionize Product Development Processes (that don't need Jira)"
"5 Powerful Secrets to Unlock Rapid Career Advancement (without cold messaging your seniors on LinkedIn)"
Ensure each day's content is:
Actionable: Provide clear, implementable advice.
Valuable: Offer insights that aren't commonly known or easily found.
Engaging: Use examples, anecdotes, or data to illustrate your points.
Progressive: Build on previous days' content for a comprehensive learning experience.
Your outline should provide clear value and practical insights, motivating the reader to open each day and apply the learnings. The use of power words should create a sense of urgency and importance, compelling readers to engage with your content.
Now, create your 5-day outline using one of these structures, making sure to include a powerful adjective in your title before the noun, two outcomes after the verb and knock-off an objection in the parenthesis!
Step 4: Expand the Outline into Long Form & Short Form Content
Creating content that performs on social media use to be an art.
But when you combine copywriting science with AI, you end up with a detailed outline that can be repurposed into Newsletters, Twitter threads, YouTube videos, and Instagram Reels. This creates a natural, automated journey to help your audience go from “Does anyone really understand my problems?” to “Ah, so {you} know the solution and I trust you (yes, you!)”.
Why does it work?
- It starts by painting a “negative” picture of where the reader/viewer is at
- Then it gives action items which take the reader from agitation to mental clarity
- And it ends with a positive future where they can hold and feel the results in their palms
All of this leaves you with “Viral Value” articles that have a natural, magnetic pull.
Side Note: The word viral is a synonym for “High Converting Copy”— the data proves that authentic, valuable content (not the fancy cameras, lighting or editing tricks) is what leads to loyal followers that relate, engage and buy from you. And as the saying goes, “If you can’t convey your message with an iPhone video, there’s no need to waste money on a Sony camera”.
Task: Following the Declarative Sentence Opener Guidelines, the Tangible Outcomes Guidelines and the Template, update the outline. Start by giving me the updated outline for Day 1.
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Declarative Sentence Opener (DSO) Guidelines:
1. Open with one strong, declarative sentence. This sentence should make a bold claim, present a unique perspective, or offer a compelling insight. It should grab the reader's attention immediately and set the tone for what follows.
2. Use active voice and strong verbs to create impact. Avoid passive constructions and weak verbs that dilute the strength of your opener.
3. Be specific and concrete rather than vague or abstract. Specific claims are more engaging and memorable.
4. Challenge conventional wisdom or present a fresh perspective. A thought-provoking statement is more likely to capture the reader's interest.
5. Keep it concise. The most powerful statements are often the simplest.
Examples ["Your financial habits today will determine your freedom tomorrow.", "The most successful people aren't always the smartest—they're the most persistent.", "In the age of information overload, the ability to focus is your greatest competitive advantage.", "The path to mastery isn't about talent—it's about deliberate practice.", "True leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about asking the right questions.", "The key to happiness isn't having more—it's wanting less.", "Mindfulness isn't just a buzzword—it's the antidote to our distracted world.", "The most powerful form of marketing isn't advertising—it's storytelling.", "Emotional intelligence matters more than IQ in today's workplace.", "Success is a habit, not a goal.", "The most powerful tool for change is discomfort.", "The biggest obstacle to creativity isn't a lack of ideas—it's the fear of failure.", "Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.", "The most valuable skill in the 21st century isn't coding—it's adaptability.", "Success isn't about avoiding failure; it's about failing forward.", "Your network is your net worth in the modern economy.", "Multitasking is the enemy of productivity.", "Empathy is the most undervalued leadership skill.", "Innovation thrives on constraints, not freedom.", "The digital age demands continuous unlearning and relearning.", "Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation and creativity.", "Your morning routine dictates your day's productivity.", "Authenticity is the new currency in the digital age.", "Resilience, not talent, determines long-term success." ]
Remember, the goal is to make a strong, clear statement that compels the reader to continue. Each opening sentence should be a standalone declaration that sets the stage for the content that follows.
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Tangible Outcomes Guidelines
When creating content, focus on specific, measurable, and visualizable outcomes rather than abstract concepts. This approach makes your content more engaging, relatable, and actionable for the reader.
1. Identify the core outcome you want to convey.
2. Ask yourself: How can this be measured or quantified?
3. Consider: What's a realistic timeframe for achieving this outcome?
4. Reflect: How would achieving this outcome visibly change someone's life?
5. Refine your language to be as specific and concrete as possible.
By focusing on tangible outcomes, you make your content more impactful, memorable, and likely to inspire action in your readers.
Tips: 1. Be Specific: Use clear, quantifiable metrics whenever possible, 2. Make it Time-Bound: Include timeframes to create a sense of urgency and achievability, 3. Focus on Results: Emphasize the end result, not just the process, 4. Make it Visualizable: Describe outcomes in a way that readers can easily imagine in their own lives, 5. Use Concrete Language: Avoid vague or abstract terms in favor of tangible descriptors.
Examples: [ {intangible:"Improve sleep quality",tangible:"Fall asleep 30 minutes faster and wake up refreshed after 7 hours"}, {intangible:"Learn to meditate",tangible:"Reduce stress levels by 30% with daily 10-minute meditation sessions"}, {intangible:"Become more mindful",tangible:"Practice mindfulness for 15 minutes daily and reduce anxiety symptoms by 40%"}, {intangible:"Improve networking skills",tangible:"Make 5 meaningful professional connections at your next industry event"}, {intangible:"Enhance public speaking",tangible:"Deliver a TED-style talk to an audience of 500 within a year"}, {intangible:"Get in shape",tangible:"Run a 5K in under 30 minutes after 12 weeks of training"}, {intangible:"Learn to code",tangible:"Build and launch your first AI ChatBot in 15 Days"}, {intangible:"Improve negotiation skills",tangible:"Secure a 15% salary increase in your next job offer"}, {intangible:"Enhance photography skills",tangible:"Sell your first 100 stock photos within 3 months"}, {intangible:"Improve time management",tangible:"Complete a week's worth of tasks in 4 days without overtime"}]
---
<Template for a Day>
### Negative Outcomes
(1 Sentence Opener following DSO Guidelines)
(3 Sentence Explanation)
(1 Sentence Conclusion following DSO Guidelines)
(1 Sentence Transition following DSO Guidelines)
(3-5 Negative Outcome Bullets with few details to elaborate on them)
### Action Steps/How to fix it
(1 Sentence Opener following DSO Guidelines)
(3 Sentence Explanation)
(1 Sentence Conclusion following DSO Guidelines)
(1 Sentence Transition following DSO Guidelines)
(3-5 "How to fix it Action Steps" Bullets with few details to elaborate on them)
### Tangible Outcomes
(1 Sentence Conclusion following DSO Guidelines)
(1 Sentence Transition following DSO Guidelines)
(3-5 "Tangible Outcome" Bullets based on the Tangible Outcomes Guidelines)
</Template for a Day>
Phew! Today was a bit intense but rewarding, yes?
Let’s do a quick recap of the gold we’ve mined:
- We turned your scattered thoughts into a treasure trove of content ideas
- We crafted an audience persona that speaks directly to your ideal follower’s soul
- We built a content roadmap that turns your expertise into a step-by-step journey
- And we expanded that roadmap into both long-form and short-form content that sells without selling
Your Second Brain OS is now primed to turn your knowledge into content that converts.
But here’s the kicker: This isn’t just theory. This is your ticket out of the 9-to-5 grind.
Remember that late-night scenario we painted at the start? That doesn’t have to be your story anymore.
Oh I forgot! There’s Step 5!
Take action! Pick one idea from your Second Brain OS and run it through the steps we covered today. Turn it into a Twitter thread, a LinkedIn post, or even a short YouTube video. AND POST IT!
And if you’re really enjoying the Second Brain OS, a public post on your experience will mean the world.
Trust me, the moment you hit that ‘Post’ button, you’re one step closer to breaking free from the corporate hamster wheel.
And guess what? We’re at the end!
I hope this has been an exciting 3 day journey and that you’re equipped with a Second Brain Operating System that takes you from spaghetti & scatter to clarity & consistency. Whether you’re just after organizing your knowledge or aim to build a magnetic personal brand to sell digital products, you will find the latest updates in the Second Brain OS community.
Next up: AI Agents to help you speed up even more complex and time taking tasks!
Keep capturing, keep writing and keep posting!
