The G.I.V.E. Framework

If you want to move from silence to expression, you need to have a system that supports your creative work. Newsletters, podcasts, and articles compete for our attention. Every conversation is potential fodder for a new article that you might create or video that you might produce.

How do you gather these random nuggets of wisdom and create something new?

Tiago Forte teaches a framework called C.O.D.E., which stands for collect, organize, distill, and express. Instead of working on code, I want to give myself to the world through teaching, writing, and connecting with others. I want to help others find their voice and give it to the world. I'd like to share with you the G.I.V.E. Framework.

Gather: Gather your materials. Take notes when you read, watch videos, listen to podcasts, and talk to people. Gather articles, PDFs, books, and sound files that will help you with your projects. Example: Take notes on index cards.

Interleave: Interleave your notes and other materials into your system. Shuffle things around. Toss things out that make little sense. Keep arranging, culling, sifting, and sorting until your materials fit together. Example: Mix up your index cards on the kitchen table.

Value: Through the interleaving process, you've already added value to your materials. At this stage, become more intentional about improving your materials. Allow your ideas to compete with one another. Synthesize some key ideas. Write summaries. Evaluate the importance of your materials. Example: Write new index cards combining ideas.

Express: Part of being human is the art of remixing ideas and creating something new. Add your own experiences and perspectives. Using your materials as inspiration, express yourself! Example: Using your index cards, create a script for a video or write a blog post.

Now that you've gone through this process, it's time to release your work into the world and become a GIVEr.