Making Learning Quick and Easy Series: Techniques to Improve Learning to Learn
Are you tired of learning? Are there things you want to learn, but learning them intimidate you? Do you want to learn something, but you do not think you have the time? If there are things you would love to learn, but school took all the fun out of your learning, then this article is for you. It is also for those who want to improve their learn ability and have more time for other things.
There are a many ways to learn. In addition it depends on what you are trying to learn. At least some of the techniques, learning approaches, and meta-learning short cuts proposed in this article will help you on your journey to learning quickly and easily.
Learning to learn is a major field of study. In this article, I have collected the most effective techniques and learning strategies that I know of. Please share your learning made easy ideas in the comments and/or comment on what has helped you in this article.
Less is more. This is a series of articles because there is so much information. When there is too much information presented at once, the brain switches off. This is the exact opposite of the desired result.
Disclaimer: this article cannot possibly cover all the techniques, learning approaches, and meta-learning short cuts available. It is meant to open your mind to the best learning techniques for your own brain. You are in control and creativity is your greatest asset and friend in learning.
Context and Environment
Context and environment are central to learning. Are you learning on your own? Are you studying for a test, exam, or performance? Or is the learning occurring in an organic manner unfolding in the moment? In other words, are you in a classroom, lecture hall, or laboratory? Or are you learning to play a game with your friends or learning to ride a bicycle in the field or on the sidewalk?
As you can see your learning style will have to adapt depending on the answers to the above questions. However a lot of the tips and tricks offered in this article can help over different environments and contexts. So keep context and environment in mind when you are reading this article.
Incentivise Your Brain to want to Learn: The Lazy Brain
This trick is great getting your brain to optimize itself for learning. All you have to do is tell your brain the following thing:
You, brain, are lazy!
What does this mean and how does it help you learn better and faster? The brain is set up to be lazy. That means that it does not like working hard. Knowing this helps you convince and incentivise your brain. If you tell your brain that; “If you do not absorb this information quickly and easily the first time. Then I am going to have to make you put in more effort because I need to learn this information. It might mean that you and I are going to have to put in more time and review this information more often because you did not put in enough effort. So you can choose”. This incentive makes a big impact on a brain built for efficiency. Brains are very good at learning for survival purposes. That is 1 reason they are set up to be lazy. While learning something several times over hones the skill or makes information more accessible through increasing the neural pathway, 1 time learning can be just as effective and more efficient.
Be Curious
A toddler learns at a rapid rate. This is because the world is new, exciting, and there are so many opportunities and things to learn. Toddlers are also very curious by nature. Curiosity sets the brain up to learn. Be a sponge for information like toddlers.
Have you noticed the continual use of questions in this article? You might have asked yourself why there seems to be a disproportionate number of them. Here is the answer:
Question open the mind and prime your brain to find answers.
Therefore the more questions you can generate, the quicker your learning. Your brain will naturally look for answers. A word of warning here: be aware of the answers and check them! For instance, if you asked your brain, “how do I get better at learning”? Your brain might answer, “stop learning so much”. While this is an answer, it is not ideal at all. You want your brain to come up with answers like, “pay attention the first time I hear or read the information I want to learn”. These are the types of answers you want to stimulate. Then you have to thank your brain for coming up with such an answer and ask it to continue to collect more answers. You might have to re-ask the question in order to achieve this or you might have inform the brain that 1 answer is excellent, but you are look for as many answers as possible. So that you can learn even better. Again pay attention to what answers your brain comes up with and thank your brain for helping you each time it gives you an answer. Keep encouraging it to come up with other answers, especially if the answers are not desirable or useful. Even if the answers are not desirable or useful, thank your brain for answering your question. In this way you encourage your brain and keep it motivated.
In addition you have to pay attention to what questions you ask your brain and how you word these questions. Asking your brain to come up with ways of loosing weight might be tempting, but it sets you and your brain up for failure. How? By using the word “loosing”. When we loose something, we look for it. With weight what tends to happen is you look for the weight you have lost, put it back on and add a more weight. Also watch out for wording your questions negatively. Use positive words and phrasing.
Use Affirmations
Similar to questions, affirmations help you to get the most out of your brain. Some examples of affirmations for learning are:
I can learn quickly and easily.
Learning is fun.
I love to learn about learning.
Such affirmations are stated in the positive. They are short and to the point. Affirmations need to be relevant to what you want to achieve by using them. You can make them up or search for ones that work for you.
It is important to repeat your affirmations as many times as you can. This will re-inforce them and make them work quicker and more effectively. If this seems like too much work then think again. Each affirmation takes a few seconds to say. In addition you can either use these affirmations as a meditation in your meditation time or you can say them over and over whenever you remember you “should” be saying your affirmations.
Give Yourself No Option
Your brain is very intelligent. Use this to your advantage. Tell your brain you have no option but to learn this information or skill once. Maybe you really do not because you do not have a pen to take notes or you are in a lesson learning to play an instrument. Therefore you have to rely on your memory and learning skills. If you tell your brain ahead of time, when you start learning, or when you realise you want to learn something and, for instance, do not have a pen. Then you are setting your brain up with no other option other than to learn.
Make Learning Fun
Children learn when things are fun. Adults are children who are bigger. So make learning fun no matter what age you are.
Challenge Yourself
Everyone loves challenges. So challenge yourself in learning to learn. There are 2 main ways to challenge yourself:
a) Quantatively
b) Qualitatively
Quantitative challenging means that if you can learn something in half an hour, challenge yourself to learn it in 25 minutes. If you manage that, then challenge yourself to learn it in 20 minutes. Keep challenging yourself to learn quicker and quicker.
Qualitative challenge means challenging yourself to learn more effectively. For example, How can I make learning this fun? Can I make a game out of this boring subject? How do I improve my learning here? What can I do to succeed in learning this before my deadline? By asking and answering these questions you can increase your ability to learn more, quicker!
Summary
In this article you learned that learning can be made quicker, easier, and more fun. So far you have learned that context and environment play a big part in learning. You have also learned that incentivising your brain to learn because it is lazy, being curious, using affirmations, giving yourself no option, making learning fun, and challenging yourself both quantitatively and qualitatively are effective strategies in learning to learn quickly and easily. Looking forward to sharing more strategies and meta-learning short cuts with you in the next article.
