Template Management

I create separate brains for each template (the only time I do so).

When I need to start a new project, I open the appropriate brain/template, which contains only the structure I need, select all the thoughts, right-click the selected pane, and choose "copy X thoughts." Go back to my main brain, activate the project thought, and paste.

This has the advantage of copying any additional information you may have assigned to the thoughts in your template, such as thought types, tags, notes, etc.

And since each template is a stand-alone brain, it doesn't have any additional links that you usually have when you copy/paste within your main brain.

Note: The main reason I keep templates in separate brains is for simplicity. I like to keep my main brain only for knowledge management.

• By putting templates into the main brain they show up in searches and muddy up the knowledge base.
• It also follows my normal workflow when setting up a new project in my file management system. I have folder templates with specific structures based on the project type.