The Untold Story of MediZen
From complete 0 to today.
Hey friends,
As MediZen is launching in 5 days,
It would be nice if I told you a story.
A story of “Why”.
Why I decided to create MediZen
Why I believe productivity is doing less
Why I believe there is a life to live
👇🏻
We live in a world that confuses exhaustion for excellence.
But I stopped buying into the lie.
MediZen started with a simple question,
“Why does ‘working hard’ have to mean ‘barely living’?”
I have lived in Hong Kong since 3 years old. I studied in the most competitive high school. I was fully exposed to the hustle culture. I thought suffering was the price of admission. I wore all-nighters like armour.
Then one night, I cracked.
A truth hit me:
Surviving is not the same as living.
This shift isn’t just aspirational.
It’s transformational.
The Paradox of Productivity Tools
Productivity platforms like Notion have exploded in popularity, promising to streamline workflows and declutter minds. But for many, these tools become yet another labyrinth of tabs, templates, and to-dos.
The problem? Most systems prioritise efficiency over intentionality. They’re designed to help you “do more,” not to help you live more.
This gap led me to create MediZen - a Notion template designed not as a “second brain,” but as a 3rd Brain: a system with a purpose. 🧠
A 40-Hour Journey
I started with almost zero expertise in Notion, web design, or productivity frameworks. What I did have was frustration:
The inspiration
After binge-watching experts like Tiago Forte, Ali Abdaal, and Andrew Huberman, I realised most systems ignored a critical truth: Productivity is pointless if it robs you of your life.
The philosophy
MediZen isn’t about cramming more study hours. It’s about creating space for rest, relationships, and reflection. The name merges “medicine” and “Zen,” reflecting a belief that productivity should feel like flow, not friction.
The build
Frameworks over features: I distilled principles from PARA (Forte) and time-blocking (Abdaal) into minimalist academic and task dashboards.
Zen anchors: Daily intention prompts, emphasis on health and relationships.
Medical-specific workflows: History taking templates, AI prompting, cold email templates - tools tailored to med students’ chaos.
Why “3rd Brain”?
The “2nd Brain” concept focuses on outsourcing information. MediZen goes further:
First brain: Your biological mind.
Second brain: Your system for storing knowledge.
Third brain: Your system for protecting purpose - guarding time, energy, and joy.
The Launch and Bigger Picture
MediZen isn’t just a Notion template. It’s a manifesto.
Less is more: A rejection of productivity porn in favor of mindful progress.
Tools as servants, not masters: Systems should adapt to you, not the other way around.
Life beyond school: Live a life first. A career follows.
The final product isn’t flawless, but it’s human, built by someone who understands the struggle it aims to solve.
The Bottom Line
It is time to consider productivity as a practice, not a panic.
Building MediZen taught me that the best systems aren’t about doing more - they’re about deciding what to do less.
MediZen is launching on May 4th.
I hope you are as excited as I am.
Talk soon,
Adam