I Spent 2000 Hours Learning How To Learn — Pt.2
A long time ago, I used to struggle to grasp new concepts and ideas. So, I began a journey.
After watching, reading, and listening to over 2000 hours worth of content from experts on how to learn, I started applying new techniques to help me learn. Today, I have utilized learning tools to become as sharp as ever.
This is part 2 of the series on my top findings on how to learn efficiently and effectively.
Use Toggles
Many people write notes in a bulleted format, and then have to rely on completely flash cards later on, or just rereading what they noted to learn a subject (this is a terrible method).
Instead, while creating notes, use a software that utilizes toggles in the form of bullet points to help you learn later. Obsidian and Notion can do this.
These toggles open and close the information from nested bullets, so they help with active recall.
While taking notes, try to create them so the nested toggles are answers to the parent toggles (the ones closer to the left margin). Then, once you are done with your notes, close all the toggles. While reviewing, try to remember what was under each toggle, instead of just reviewing all the notes.
This method utilizes active recall, and is extremely powerful. Use toggles to quickly add information to your memory and understanding.
Stop Taking Breaks
Alright, alright. I know taking breaks can be healthy, but too many can kill your thinking and connection-forming in your brain.
Take the Pomodoro technique, for example. Many using this technique will work in 25 minute chunks before taking a break. However, this is too short to induce deep work and flow state, which is needed to operate at your most optimal level.
Instead, work until you reach your flow state, or when you are “in the zone.” Work for at least an hour before you take a break. If you take a break in-between beneficial periods of thinking, you make it harder to create connections.
So, take less breaks. And watch as you will have amazing, complex thoughts that you never would have thought you could have had before.
Sell Your Sawdust
When studying, we do a lot of work, and the goals for returns are defined beforehand. Maybe it means a better grade on a test, or earning a certification to put on your job resume. But, we never stop to think about what other benefits this could give us.
Selling your sawdust means using what you’ve learning in certain areas and redistributing it to other ones. Maybe this means making a YouTube video on what you learned from a book you read. Or writing an article on Medium on some research you did.
Not only does this introduce to you to a potential audience, it also helps you understand the information you are trying to learn. By boiling down what you had learned into easy-to-understand content for others, you simplified the content in your own head as well. This makes it easier to recall this information in the future.
For you and the audience waiting for your sawdust, it’s a win-win.
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