# August Bradley: A Systems Thinking Approach to Life & Knowledge Management  ## August Bradley and His Work - August Bradley has 25 years of experience in business and holds an MBA from [[Harvard Business School]]. He has founded three companies and worked as a consultant for many more. [(00:00:20)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=20s) - Bradley's work focuses on assisting individuals and organizations in enhancing performance and optimization. He shares his expertise through a [[YouTube]] channel and a Notion-based life design course. [(00:00:30)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=30s) ## Systems Thinking and the Life Operating System - Bradley's presentation will cover systems thinking, the concept of a life operating system, and a specific system called the Pillars, Pipelines, and Vaults system. [(00:05:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=322s) - Traditional education and work environments often emphasize breaking down subjects and tasks into their component parts. [(00:06:04)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=364s) - A system, such as a car within a transportation system, is defined by its function and role within a larger system, not just its individual parts. [(00:07:02)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=422s) - [[Emergence]], a key principle in systems thinking, refers to the phenomenon where new properties and functionalities arise from the interaction of individual components within a system, properties that are not present in the individual components themselves. [(00:09:33)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=573s) - Designing a system for emergence, where the combined parts are designed to interact and create something new, leads to what is described as "superpowers". [(00:12:37)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=757s) - Three practical examples of systems thinking are feedback loops, bottlenecks, and balancing properties. [(00:12:48)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=768s) ## The Life Operating System - A life operating system combines action management and knowledge management. [(00:16:41)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=1001s) - Value goals, which are high-level aspirations aligned with one's deepest values, stem from self-awareness and identifying what is most important in life. [(00:20:33)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=1233s) - Outcome goals, derived from value goals, are measurable objectives used to track progress and ensure alignment with overall aspirations. [(00:21:15)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=1275s) - Action management within a life operating system involves establishing habits, routines, and projects, breaking down projects into tasks, and conducting regular reviews (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly) to ensure alignment and progress toward goals. [(00:22:01)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=1321s) ## Knowledge Management and the Pillars, Pipelines, and Vaults System - A media vault will store information relevant to achieving life goals, including courses, training, notes, ideas, research on tools, service providers, software, hardware, individuals, and companies. [(00:22:43)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=1363s) - A knowledge vault aggregates, organizes, and operationalizes knowledge, making it useful, active, and available. [(00:23:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=1392s) - Knowledge management involves collecting, curating, extracting, aggregating value from, and resurfacing information in context, using systems like Notion to connect actions with aspirations and resurface relevant information during projects, client work, content creation, and routines. [(00:25:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=1542s) - Notion is used as a comprehensive platform to build systems where each part can inform another. [(00:28:34)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=1714s) ## Using Notion for Project Management - Projects in Notion have dashboards that include action items, future tasks, a task progress tracker, and the ability to add new actions. [(00:31:43)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=1903s) - A do date is used to schedule tasks, creating a manageable mini to-do list for each day. [(00:32:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=1962s) - A system is described that captures meetings and notes and identifies them as part of a specific project. [(00:33:20)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=2000s) - The system has dashboards that provide a contextualized view of tasks, notes, meetings, and knowledge topics related to a specific project. [(00:33:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=2009s) - The system includes a knowledge management dashboard called "Mind Expansion" that organizes and aggregates information from various sources, including books, articles, videos, and notes, and connects them to relevant topics. [(00:35:39)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=2139s) - Client dashboards resurface all information related to a client when opened, aiding in work and idea generation. [(00:38:34)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=2314s) ## Benefits of Using a System - A system, once established, simplifies life by providing clarity, transparency, and guidance for daily tasks. [(00:40:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=2450s) - A 15-minute morning routine, consisting of mindset practice, data entry, and identifying the day's most important tasks, significantly enhances productivity throughout the day. [(00:42:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=2529s) - Spending 20-25 minutes on a weekly review is a worthwhile time investment due to the performance benefits gained throughout the week. [(00:43:57)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=2637s) - It is generally advisable to have a single, integrated system for both work and personal life, although this is not always feasible due to practical constraints such as company systems and privacy concerns. [(00:45:24)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=2724s) - When using separate systems for work and personal life, it is important to establish clear boundaries between the two, avoiding duplication of tasks and projects. [(00:47:48)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=2868s) ## Notion as a Tool for Task Management and Collaboration - Notion allows for a greater degree of task management and organization compared to other systems. [(00:48:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=2896s) - Notion is a valuable tool for collaboration as it allows for the sharing of pages and access to privacy-controlled areas, facilitating teamwork and shared input. [(00:49:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=2951s) - Designing a daily plan with a prioritized task list enables better handling of unexpected events by providing a basis for comparison and informed decision-making. [(00:51:32)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=3092s) ## Emergence and the Benefits of Building Connections - [[Emergence]], in this context, is defined as a beneficial quality or property that arises from the connections between different pieces of information. [(00:53:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=3235s) - Building connections between notes, resources, and projects within a system can lead to several benefits, including enhanced idea generation, improved efficiency, and increased clarity and alignment in work and life. [(00:55:15)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=3315s) ## Building Your Own System - Notion is a versatile development platform that can be used to build comprehensive systems for personal knowledge management. [(00:58:34)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=3514s) - The best way to use Notion is to start with an established system like PPV and then customize it to fit your needs. [(00:58:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=3527s) - Building a system yourself allows for more intimate knowledge but is a slower process. [(00:59:05)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=3545s) - August Bradley was a guest speaker at an event organized by Thiago Forte. [(00:59:23)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0dC82mZZE&t=3563s)