Last updated April 10, 2022

Status: Tags: #literature/books/implemented Links: Finished-Implementing List

UNORGANIZED INFORMATION

The 4 digital horsemen

• Distractions

• Reliance on technology to think for you, resulting in the weakening and atrophy of your brain’s critical thinking, reflecting, and other related aspects. Furthermore, it can lead to overconfidence on our true intelligence and knowledge

• With the accessibility of information technology provides, we are less inclined to use our brain to remember things

• Comparing yourself to others

• As a result of these different negative aspects to technology, we must moderate our use and use it only for good

• The two words “I am” are important in determining your destiny.

• The stomach is linked to our brain, so what we eat has an affect on our brain and learning

• Don’t be a people pleaser; stop molding into what others want you to be and start your own path

HOW TO LEARN ANYTHING FASTER

F.A.S.T.E.R.

FORGET

• forget about what you may think you already know to accept what is factual

• forget what is currently occupying your mind so you can have your full attention the task at hand

• forget about any limitations that may prevent you from learning this information

ACT

• act upon what you are learning by incorporating it into your life or by making the learning process more hands-on

• ask questions

STATE

• state of mind is important; having a clear mindset will help you focus on one thing, and mood-congruent memory is a thing!

• being enthusiastic, intrigued, and joyful while learning about something new will help with retention and focus. Therefore, try to find ways that what you are learning is important in your life.

TEACH

• To learn something as if you needed to teach it gets you in the mindset of trying to master the information;  it makes you pay closer attention to the details, and the act of teaching it to someone will help you study what you are learning

ENTER

• Make self-improvement and learning as important as any other daily activity, and enter it into your calendar. This will make you remember it and prove its significance in your daily life.

REVIEW

• reviewing is important in strengthening the neurons in the brain, resulting in your stronger memory and recollection of information

• as a result, try to space out what you are learning

• We forget 50% of the stuff we learn within the next day, so review, recollection, and spaced repetition is important in retaining information

MINDSET

• To achieve our goals, our mindset must be on the same page

• stay confident, think positively, and have the motivation to do so

• There are clear connections between positive thinking and our physical health

• No problem can be solved from the same level of thought that created it

• Often, we are required to think outside the box to effectively solve some of our most challenging problems

LIMITS

Labels put on yourself or others become limitations that hinder us from reaching our potential

• Don’t listen to such limitations, and be mindful of the limitations you place on others

By listening to such limitations, we are constantly operating in survival mode, forcing to retreat or live in fear

Limits can be found in our

Mindset- abundance of limiting beliefs that we must overcome

Motivation- lack of energy or purpose in achieving your goals

Methods- lack the skills and techniques required to be limitless

We must disregard all these LIEs (Limiting Ideas Entertained) and BS (Belief Systems) to ones that better support our goals.

“When we take responsibility for something, we are imbued with a great power to make things better”

“If we get a handle on our icebergs, we gain an enormous amount over our feelings and lives.”

• If we are able to find out the unconscious motives that may hinder us, we can find ways to get rid of them.

How to get rid of limiting beliefs

Naming our limiting beliefs

• Identifying the problem is the first step in solving it

• Pay attention to the LIEs and BS you tell yourself everyday

Get to the facts about these beliefs

• In most cases, they’re not even true, and are just there to hinder your capabilities

Create a new belief

• Think of a belief that will shadow over your previous one and positively guide your mindset in the right direction

• ”I always make little mistakes in math” turns to “I need to slow down my calculations to avoid little mistakes”

If you have trouble forgetting your old beliefs, pretend a wacky figure that you would never listen to is saying these things to you.

As a result of positive thinking, we can

• broaden our attention and thinking

• undo our previous negative thoughts and emotions

• become psychologically resilient

• build consequential personal resources

• head down a path of future well-being

Furthermore, by spreading these thoughts, we can creative positive environments that will help foster this mindset and help it reach new heights.

A break for our mind is essential for growth and thinking

• a lack of breaks results in poor memory, mental fog, and fatigue

• as a result, use methods like the pomodoro technique to balance working and relaxing

Ask questions to stay focused on what is important, enhance understanding, and improve retention.

Three important questions to ask when learning something new is:

• How can I use this?

• Why do I need to use this?

• When will I use this?

7 Lies of Learning

1. Intelligence is fixed

• It isn’t lmao, you just gotta put in the effort to improve

• If you think becoming smarter is impossible, then how can you do it?

• By thinking in such a fixed mindset, we can’t change anything

• Intelligence is malleable (neuroplasticity), and is dependent on your growth mindset

• Instead of saying I’m not good at this, say you’re not good at it YET

-

2. We only use 10% of our brains

• Bruh, are you serious

3. Mistakes are failures

• Instead, they are a sign of trying something new

• Instead of comparing yourself to others, compare yourself to your previous self

• Making mistakes can help us learn and become better than our previous selves

• The importance should not be the mistakes we make, but rather what we learn from them

• The only failure from a mistake is choosing not to learn from it

4. Knowledge is power

• Knowledge gives us potential to have power, but to harness it we must put it into action

• Don’t promise, prove

• Knowledge x Action = Power

5. Learning new things is VERY difficult

• Tackle learning into small steps and multiple sustained efforts

• Just like a stonecutter, chipping away at little bits will grant you the end result

• By persevering in such daunting challenges, it also showcases our tenacity

• We just need to learn the methods to efficiently learn. When we do, the challenge becomes easier and fun

6. People’s criticism matters

• ”The biggest travesty in the world is people preventing and limiting themselves from expressing who they really are because they’re afraid of what other people think”

• Don’t fear what other people may think of you, let go of the negative criticism people give you. Nothing is as scarier as regretting something on your deathbed because some person told you or made you believe you couldn’t do something.

• Don’t take criticism from people you wouldn’t take advice from

7. Genius is born

• ”Through deep practice, ignition, and master coaching, anyone can develop a talent so deep that it looks like genius”

• There is always a method to achieving genius”

MOTIVATION

Motivation doesn’t just mean that you enjoy it; sometimes you just need to do things (exercise, pay taxes).

Motivation isn’t something you just wake up with, we can muster our own motivation throughout the day.

Motivation = Purpose x Energy x Small Simple Steps

Flow is the ultimate form of motivation.

Goals

Goal Setting

Be sure to set S.M.A.R.T. goals:

SPECIFIC

• Goals should be well defined (ex. I want to make $1000 profit this month with stocks)

MEASURABLE

• Goals should be measurable so you will know when it is achieved ($1000)

ACTIONABLE

• Goals should be able to be broken down into steps towards achieving it

REALISTIC

• Goals should be challenging but still attainable

TIME-BASED

• Goals should have a deadline to push us to complete them in time (a month)

Furthermore, make sure goals are important to you and reach your H.E.A.R.T.

HEALTHY

• Goals should support your greater physical, mental, or emotional health

ENDURING

• Goals should have an end result that will keep you motivated during even the toughest of times

ALLURING

• Goals shouldn’t feel forced upon; they should be exciting and engaging

RELEVANT

• Goals should be made with an idea of overcoming obstacles, improving your life, or incorporating your core values

TRUTH

• Goals should be something you truly believe in and should not be created just because your best friend is doing the same thing

Purpose

• Knowing your purpose in life helps you live with integrity.

• Your life purpose consists of the main motivators within your life–the reasons why you wake up in the morning. Purpose can guide life decisions, influence behavior, shape goals, offer a sense of direction, and create meaning.

• Purpose is what you want to share to the world; how you use your passion.

• Reasons that are tied to your purpose, identity and values will sufficiently motivate you to act.

• When we’re unaware of our values and the values of the people closest to us, it creates a space for conflict to arise.

• Motivation comes from purpose, fully feeling and associating with the consequences of our actions and inactions.

• You can’t force motivation until you have addressed your limiting beliefs and invisible identities. -If you aren’t motivated, make sure that your goals fit your values.

Self-Love

A major part of self-love is being protective of your time and energy

• It is important to set boundaries around your time, emotions, mental health, and space.

• It is important to fuel up everyday with adequate sleep and healthy food

Ultimately, motivation is a set of habits and routines, guided by your values and your identity that you carry out everyday.

Do this:

• Write down a list of your most common “I am” statements. How do you feel about the way these statements define you?

• List the things you value the most. Prioritize that list, and see how it aligns with yourself.

• Ask yourself “why” before you do anything

BRAIN ENERGY

Energy is also important in having motivation. To generate more brain energy, follow these 10 steps:

1. A good brain diet

• There is a connection between a good diet and a healthy brain, so eat healthy

Top 10 Brain Foods

• Avocados help with blood flow

• Blueberries reduce brain aging, protect it from oxidative stress, and help memory

• Broccoli improves cognitive function and memory

• Dark chocolate helps focus and concentration, stimulates endorphins, and improves cognitive function

• Eggs improve memory and choline

• Green Leafy Vegetables reduces the effects of brain aging and improves memory

• Salmon, Sardines, Caviar all reduce brain aging

• Turmeric reduces inflammation, boosts antioxidant levels, improves brain’s oxygen intake, and reduces cognitive decay

• Walnuts provide high levels of antioxidants, protect neurons, prevent brain aging, and improve mood

• Water is important to prevent dehydration (brain fog, fatigue, and slower reaction and thinking speed)

2. Brain nutrients

• Pretty similar to 1.

3. Exercise

• Aerobic exercise boosts the size of the hippocampus, the brain area involved in verbal memory and learning. Even 10 minutes a day will pose great benefits.

4. Killing ANTS

• A.N.T.s refer to the automatic negative thoughts that we have

• They meaninglessly drain the energy that we can be using for other things, so it’s best to find way to get rid of them

• By removing negative thoughts in your life, you can accomplish greater things

5. A clean environment

• Visual clutter can divert your attention to less important things, so clean your workspace

• Blue light keeps you awake

6. A positive peer group

• People act differently when they are alone when they are with others

• If you want to be productive but your friends think otherwise, it will be hard to focus on your goals. Either find new friends, or let them influence you less

7. Brain protection

• Take care of your brain, wear helmets when needed and stay safe!

8. New learning

• By continuing to learn, you are working out your brain like it’s a muscle

• Increasing your brain usage results in the enhancement in capabilities

9. Stress management

• Excessive stress can hinder your brain functions, and prolonged excessive stress even changes it. As a result, it is important to control your stress and keep it at reasonable levels

10. Sleep

• Better focus, memory, decision-making, and clarity require good sleep

• It is important in maintaining and creating the pathways in your brain that help you remember things

• During sleep, “blood vessels (and lymphatic channels) in the brain hyperfuse and flush out metabolic buildup from the day and remove neurotoxins and distribute components that enhance cellular repair”

• Exercising helps improve sleep

MEDITATION

Meditation has many benefits, such as:

-boosting immune function

-decreasing anxiety

-increasing gray matter

-helps reduce the risk of insomnia

Controlling your breathing during meditation helps you practice observing your thoughts, and helps you understand the control you have over your thoughts; you can choose what you think.

SMALL SIMPLE STEPS

The Zeigarnik effect is where uncompleted tasks linger and create tension in our minds until they are completed

• ex) when procrastinating, you may feel guilty for not doing the task and constantly think about it in your head

Instead of feeling bad about procrastinating, give yourself a break.

• Beating yourself up won’t do anything. Instead, break the task into small pieces. By completing these tasks slowly, you will also relieve yourself of the space it occupies in your mind

Three things can change a person’s habits and long-term behavior: having an epiphany, changing your environment, or taking small baby steps for change. By taking little steps, you will be on your way to completing the task at hand, and may gain motivation to continue after having already started. Furthermore, it creates a visible path towards how you can actually achieve the goal.

These small simple steps can then become habits, resulting in every-day productivity.

Habits

Habits are comprised of four components: a cue, a craving, a response, and a reward.

When trying to break a bad habit, try to find a replacement for it to help ease the transition

(ex. when trying to quit smoking, chew nicotine gum instead).

To successfully create a new habit, we must have sufficient motivation, ability, and reason in creating it:

Motivators

Pleasure/pain

• The most immediate motivator, as it is a primitive response

Hope/Fear

• Based off of anticipation of what will happen or not happen by doing the habit

• Uses pleasure/pain to persuade you

Social Acceptance/rejection

• You may pick up habits to fit in or please others

Ability

When we find something easy, we are more likely to do it. There are 6 ways for something to be considered easy:

Time- we have the time to do it

Money- it does not heavily impact our financial stability

Physical effort- it is not physically demanding

Brain cycles- we are not required to think much of the task

Social deviance- it fits in with societal values and norms

Nonroutine- if its related to something we usually do in our everyday life

Prompts

There are three prompts:

A Spark

• immediately leads to motivation

(ex. If you are an addicted smoker and one of your smoking buddies passed away, you will fear such a result in your own life and try to quit)

A Facilitator

• an ability-enhancing tool that complements existing motivation

(ex. If you are motivated to stay fit and go on runs but can’t because it’s the winter season, a facilitator could be a gym membership or a treadmill)

A Signal

• One can have high motivation and ability, and just need a signal to initiate the habit

(ex. You may love playing the piano and are really good at it, but you need a piano to do so)

The acronym WIN can help us create successful habits:
Want

• Think about why you are motivated to develop the habit

Innate

• Make sure the habit you are trying to develop aligns with your innate abilities

Now

• Do something that will make you want to do the new habit

(ex. Keeping note on a calendar, a phone alarm)

Baroque music is effective in studying and learning

Completing routines early in the day results in the “science of momentum”, where you may feel more willing to continue your motivation throughout the day

Jim Kwik’s Morning Routine

1. Keep track of your DREAMS

Decide- tell yourself the day before that you are going to remember your dream

Record- write it down as soon as you wake up

Eyes- keep your eyes closed after waking up and reflect on your dream

Affirm- tell yourself the day before that you are going to remember your dream

Manage- have a good sleep routine for a consistent and optimal environment

Share- tell others about your dreams to bring them out and engrain them into your brain

2. Make the bed (science of momentum)

3. Drink a glass of water

• after 8 hours of no water intake, your brain and body is thirstyyy

4. Celery juice

• boosts immune system, flushes toxins from the liver, and helps restore adrenal glands

5. Brush teeth with opposite hand

• primes your focus

6. Quick workout

• bring heart rate up and brings oxygen to brain

7. Take a cold shower

• resets nervous system, manages inflammation

8. Breathing exercises

• fully oxygenate body

9. 20 minutes of meditation

• clear the mind for the day

10. Drink tea

11. Journal

• get first thoughts of the day onto paper, and set 3 goals for work and 3 goals for personal development

12. Read for 30 minutes

• he reads a book a week!

13. Drink a brain smoothie

Key takeaways are recalling dreams, getting hydrated and oxygenated, nourishing yourself with nutrients, and setting a plan for the day.

FLOW

Flow, a state of extreme productivity, has 8 characteristics:

1. Absolute concentration

2. Total focus on goals

3. The sense that time is either speeding up or slowing down

4. A feeling of reward from the experience

5. A sense of effortlessness

6. The experience is challenging, but not overly so

7. Your actions almost seem to be happening on their own

8. You feel comfort with what you are doing

The four stages of flow:

1. Struggle

• One must search for what they need to reach the flow state, whether it be through intensive research, extreme brainstorming, or anything else you are trying to focus on but are rather struggling to do

2. Relaxation

• This stage occurs before flow, and gives you a break from the struggle you went through. Examples include walking around, meditating, or any other form of relaxation. This does NOT include paying attention to distractions such as checking social media or playing games.

3. Flow

• Ultimate concentration

4. Consolidation

• Similar to the crash after a high. In this stage, one reflects upon and brings together all that was accomplished during the flow state

So, how does one find flow?

1. Eliminate Distractions

-It can take up to 20 minutes to refocus yourself onto a task after being distracted, so it is important to get rid of any possible distractions when trying to summon your flow state.

2. Give yourself time

-It takes 15 minutes to reach flow, and your peak is only reached within 45 minutes

-It is recommended to set aside 90-120 minutes for flow to hit

3. Do something you love

-To achieve such extreme focus, you must be passionate about the task at hand

4. Have clear goals
   -You can’t focus on a task if you don’t know what you need to focus on

-Find a specific purpose and goal for the time you allotted yourself

5. Challenge yourself a little
   -You don’t need focus to do something easy, so it is important for the task to be challenging but not too challenging where you become frustrated

Being able to achieve flow multiple times a day will make you feel like a superhero. However, there will be 4 supervillains you must keep at bay to properly unlock your potential:

1. Multitasking

• You must ignore other stimulus and tasks that you have to do, and simply focus on the one thing at hand

2. Stress

• Create a forcefield that impenetrable by outside stressors; don’t let stress affect you, and just focus

3. Fear of failure

• ”Perfectionism reduces creativity and innovation”

• Wanting to perform a task perfectly will heighten the feeling of failure and you will become too focused on not failing to give the task your complete attention

4. Lack of conviction

• Ask yourself
  Do I have the necessary skills to do this?
  Do I have all the information i need to do this?
  Do I have enough passion for this project to do this?
  You must be able to say yes to all questions before achieving flow state.

METHODS

FOCUS

Multitasking is ineffective

• By constantly shifting our brain to do different tasks, it burns up a focus fuel called oxygenated glucose

• It is an inefficient way to get anything done; putting focus on one thing at a time is much more effective

Focus allows us to train our brain power on a certain task and complete it. Through focus, we are able to accomplish amazing feats, and it is important in accomplishing things.

Luckily, concentration is like a muscle; we can exercise it and strengthen it. A definition for concentration can be “the ability to keep your awareness on one thing for an extended period of time”. Whenever your thoughts drift away, it is important to bring them back to the task at hand. It isn’t the mind that is moving, but rather your awareness. As a result, we must remain concentrated on a certain idea in our mind to be truly focused. If you’re having a conversation with someone, it’s important to put effort into paying attention to the conversation and nothing more. Eventually, such concentration will become second nature.

To aid our focus, we can declutter our environment; the physical clutter around us take away attention from the task at hand.

-It takes us 23 minutes and 15 seconds on average to regain focus after being distracted. With the amount of distractions in our daily lives, it is important to eliminate as many as possible.

-Meditation, yoga, and martial arts can help us calm our mind and eliminate such distractions.

For quicker forms of relaxation, one can
1. Breathe (4-7-8 Method)

• Exhale and make a whoosh sound

• Close your mouth and quietly inhale through your nose for 4 seconds

• Hold your breath for 7 seconds

• Exhale through your mouth and make a whoosh sound for 8 seconds

• Repeat the cycle 3-4 times to have a quick mental reset

2. Do Something That Has Been Causing You Stress

• Things on our mind will are going to stay living in our head rent-free until we deal with them

3. Schedule Time For Distractions

• Setting a time eases your mind, as you no longer have to worry about when you will have to do it

Study

There are four levels of competence/learning:

1. Unconscious Incompetence

2. Conscious Competence

3. Conscious Competence

4. Unconscious Competence

5. Complete Mastery

When learning, it is encouraged to try and aim for 4 and beyond; a level where you know how to perform a skill, and can do it unconsciously.

The methods we are taught to learn are ineffective (cramming) and outdated (rote memorization) for the fast-paced society and abundance of information that is available to us. To become a limitless learner, one must make studying a part of their entire life.

Here are 7 ways to unlimit your studies:

1. Employ Active Recall

• Active recall is when you review material after learning it to see how much you remembered

• This helps you find out what information is familiar vs what information is remembered

• To partake in active recall, one must review the material, hide the material, then

re-review the material to see what you remembered

2. Employ Spaced Repetition

• By spacing learning intervals, you are further exercising your neural connections

• This results in long-term, durable retention and knowledge

• Spaced repetition is most effective when reviewing material at similar intervals

3. Manage The State You Are In

• Your state when performing an activity has an impact on your success

• Sit as if you’re learning the most valuable, life-changing information you’ve ever come across

• Sitting straight also facilitates breathing and the circulation of oxygen within your brain and body

4. Utilize Your Sense Of Smell

• The scent of rosemary has been shown to improve memory

• The scent of peppermint and lemon promotes concentration

• Smell is underused, but highly effective; just like how a certain smell can bring you back to a previous childhood memory, another scent can help us recall things more effectively

5. Music for the Mind

• Music stabilizes mental, physical, and emotional rhythms to attain a state of deep concentration and focus in which large amounts of content information can be processed and learned

• Baroque music, classical music that is 50-80 beats per minute helps with focus and deep concentration (alpha brain wave state)

• Learning vocabulary, memorizing factors, or reading to this music is highly effective

6. Listen with Your Whole Brain

• There is a strong connection between listening and learning; 1 in 4 people are auditory learners

To effectively listen, remember the acronym HEAR:

Halt

• Listening is more than just the words of a person; also pay attention to a person’s vocal inflection, body language, facial expressions, all in which add more context and information

Empathy

• Try to understand where the speaker is coming from and why they are speaking; view it from their perspective

Anticipate

• Attach emotion and anticipation to what the speaker is saying to better remember and truly engage in what is being expressed

Review

• Ask questions to make sure you understand the topic, take notes, and reflect on what you just learned.

• Paraphrase it and imagine yourself teaching the information

7. Take Notes

• Taking your own notes customized the information to a way you can understand–to your own vocabulary and way of thinking

• Furthermore, it helps a person process information that can be easily understood in the future, and by paraphrasing notes, you are processing it yourself

• Make sure you understand why you are taking notes, and be present in determining whether information is or isn’t important enough to write down

• Taking notes with a goal in mind can help you filter out unimportant things and ensure the relevancy on the things you pay attention to

• Listen with the intention of catering to your needs, and write notes to serve you in the future.

• Once again, ensure that you are genuinely listening, and that you are giving the speaker your complete attention

• An idea for note-taking: on the left side write down things the speaker has directly told you, and on the right side write your impression on the information down (how, why when).

• Review your notes immediately after taking them

To ensure you are getting the most out of your note-taking, remember TIP

Think

• Think about what you are hoping to retain from the session

• This will help you filter the right information

Identify

• Listen to the information, and identify what is most important to you and your goals

Prioritize

• When reviewing notes, prioritize what is most important to you, and don’t be afraid to make more notes after to elaborate or emphasize certain points

MEMORY ENHANCEMENT

-Arguably the most important part in the learning process; you can’t learn something if you can’t remember it

-People tend to have below average memory skills because of the inefficient methods we were taught (rote memorization)

-In reality, there is no such thing as a good or bad memory; there is only a trained or untrained memory

Improving memory is essential because:

1. Memory is discipline for the mind

• Memorization helps train the mind to focus amidst all the distraction and laziness we endure in our lives

2. We can’t always google stuff

• Things like speaking a new language and driving can’t be looked up as you go

3. Memorization creates the storage of our thoughts

• We can’t pull information from nowhere; we need to have stored it into our mind in the first place

4. We think with the ideas held in our working memory, which can only be accessed at high speed from the brain’s stored memory

5. The exercise of the memory helps you learn and memorize more

• Think of it as a muscle we can train by continuous practice

MOM

To remember how to efficiently memorize things, remember the acronym MOM:

MOTIVATION

• We are more inclined to remember things that we are motivated to remember

• ex) You will be more inclined to memorize something if you are passionate about it

OBSERVATION

• When we fail to remember something, it is usually because we are not paying enough attention

• Be present in situations where you are trying to remember things

METHODS

• Remember the different memory methods that will be discussed below, and find one that suits you the most

It is easier to remember something if you can attach a reference point to what you are trying to remember

ex) You remember a person’s last name is Smith because they are a blacksmith. As a result, you form different connections to the thing you are trying to remember (last name) through the details of the thing (occupation). There are more strings you can pull to reel the memory in.

Associative memory dramatically helps boost retention.

Rote memorization is often found to be boring and ineffective for remembering things. This is because it only involves your analytical part of your brain.

People approach learning as a passive activity; instead of actively trying to remember things, they read information and check on whether they remember it or not. By being more active in your learning, you can receive greater results and higher satisfaction.

To learn a new piece of information, it must be associated with something you already know.

When recalling information, say out loud the things you remembered and why you remembered them. By doing this, you are helping yourself understand your own method of memorizing things.

Visual

Visual memory (painting a picture of the information you are trying to remember) is a great way to remember things. When remembering a list of items, try to infuse them all into a story with vivid details that appeal to the senses and flow in chronological order.

Emotion

Adding emotion makes something more memorable

Location

Associating something with a place can help you better remember it.

Loci Method

• A memory tool that relates things you want to remember with specific points or places that you know well.

• Consider a path through a location of your choice, and try to imagine the different items and details you notice along your path. Try associating something you want to remember with each detail/item, and try to put the items in chronological order throughout your path.

• Rehearse your path and see how effective it was. If it wasn’t effective, try analyzing what went wrong.

How to Remember Everyone’s Name

To easily remember names, one must BE SUAVE:

BELIEVE

• Believe you can remember their name

EXERCISE

• Practice this method

SAY IT

• Say their name after hearing it to ensure that it is right and so you remember it

USE IT

• Lock it in by constantly using it whenever possible

ASK

• Ask the origin of the name to add more neural connections and heighten your understanding

VISUALIZATION

• Attach an image to the person’s name

• ex) Mary → Wedding Veil

END

• At the end of the conversation, say their name one last time

How to Remember Vocabulary and Languages

• Word substitution is turning unfamiliar and complex words into images or ideas that are easier to understand

• ex) Nitrogen can be a knight, Washington can be beside a washing machine

• The purpose of word substitution is to come up with something that sounds similar enough to your previous word

• We tend to remember things we create

Speed Reading

There is a correlation between your ability to read and your success in life.

Importance of Reading

Reading is fundamental to learning; you cannot make learning an important part of your life if you don’t like reading:

Reading kicks your brain into gear

• Reading gives your brain a workout due to the different functions it undergoes

Reading improves memory

• Your brain functions at a higher level because of the workout you’re giving it

Reading improves focus

• You train yourself to stay focused on one thing

Reading improves vocabulary

• You come across new words to add to your own vocabulary

Reading improves imagination

• Prompts and ideas from others can help spark your own

Reading improves understanding

• You get to learn more about different lives, experiences, and forms of thinking that you may have never known about. You begin to grow your overall understanding of the world and people around you, not just yourself.

Reading efficiency is made up of two main parts: speed and comprehension.

There are three obstacles we must overcome to read more quickly:

1. Regression disrupts the reading process and slows us down

2. Outdated Skills can pose to be a challenge with the ever-increasing difficulty of material we read

3. Subvocalization (our inner voice when reading) forces us to read at that pace

• Instead of subvocalization, we can try and visualize what we are reading

• The sound isn’t what’s important; it is the meaning behind it

Misconceptions about reading:

1. Reading fast results in lack of comprehension

• It could actually be the opposite; since speed reading takes tremendous focus, you will be more attentive compared to when slowly and mindlessly reading a book

2. It’s harder to read fast

• Reading fast forces you to not backtrack, resulting in less energy spent rereading words

3. Fast readers can’t appreciate reading

• You don’t need to study every word and detail of a book to grasp its content and appreciate it

• Speed readers are flexible; they speed up during boring and nonessential parts, while they slow down and reread the most exciting and important information

• They are in control of their reading, and cater it to their wants

Techniques and Tips

1. Use a finger

• Using a finger to guide your reading can help fasten your pace and prevent you from wandering

• Decreases your regression

2. Push yourself

• By reading faster than you are comfortable, you train yourself to adapt to that new speed

3. Expand your vision

• Expand the words you can see to have a larger word intake

• Skilled readers see groups of words and ideas, not just the individual words

4. Counting

• Counting as you are reading prevents you from subvocalizing and forces you to simply look at the words

• People tend to remember and understand what they see rather than what they hear

5. Hold your book upright

• Puts less strain on your eyes

• Encourages good posture

6. Read for only 20-25 minutes at a time

• Primacy/recency effect

• Also take breaks when your eyes feel strained

7. Make reading a habit

• Most successful people read

Find reading habits you want to change, and think of ways to change it.

Practice using a visual pacer and increase your speed at which you read.

Write down what books you want to read this month and what you think you will learn from them.

www.jimkwik.com/reading

Critical Thinking

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them”

Thinking Hats

There are 6 different thinking hats we must take into consideration when making a decision or dealing with a problem:

White hat

• Gathering information

• Think of a white lab coat

Yellow hat

• View the situation optimistically

• Acknowledge solutions or positive things about the problem you’re facing

• Think of the sun

Black hat

• View the situation pessimistically

• Acknowledge the challenges of the problem, and what will happen if you don’t address it

• Think of a judge’s robe?

Red hat

• Introduce your emotions into the equation

• Think about how you feel about the problem; bring speculation and intuition into the equation

• Think of a red heart

Green Hat

• Creative mode

• Think of new ideas that can help you in your decision/problem solving

• Approach the situation from different perspectives

• Think of green grass?

Blue Hat

• Management mode

• Make sure you effectively utilized all the hats and make a conclusion with everything

• Think of blue skies

This method of thinking is known as the De Bono approach, and is an organized method to think about solutions to problems.

Kinds of Smart

There are 8 categories one can be smart in:

1. Spatial

• Thinking about the space around them

• Pilots

2. Bodily-Kinesthetic

• Using your body as a form of to express yourself or solve problems

• Gymnasts

3. Musical

• Pays strong attention to rhythm, pitch, meter, tone, melody, and timbre

• Also evident in poets

4. Linguistic

• Understanding the implications of words (definitive and connotative)

• Shakespeare

5. Logical/Mathematical

• Able to see logical relations between actions and symbols

• Drawing connections between numbers, or between physical objects

• Albert Einstein

6. Interpersonal

• Has the ability to relate with others and understand their feelings virtually all the time

• Teachers, Oprah Winfrey

7. Intrapersonal

• Strong understanding of themselves

• Usually calm and collected under pressure or in general

• Gandhi

8. Naturalistic

• Has the ability to understand nature and its complexities

• Being able to identify the different species of plants in a jungle

• ???

Making Quick Decisions

• Consider the 40/70 rule when making decisions, where you have 40-70% of the information in a scenario before making a decision

• Less than 40% is considered guessing, and more than 70% is simply stalling

Create a Not-To-Do List

• It’s important to know what not to do as much as what we should do

• Write down things that are important but can’t be done

• A group project where someone isn’t done their part

• Write down things that you could do but don’t add value to your life

• Going on social media

• Write down tasks you are already doing and don’t need more attention

• Making dinner

Learning Styles

The VAK learning style helps you understand how you learn best

Visual

• Illustrations, charts, video, other media

Auditory

• Listening, lectures, discussions, podcasts, audiobooks

Kinesthetic

• Physical interactions, having a hands-on approach

Studying Errors

It is important to learn from our mistakes and take the occasion as a learning opportunity

• Understand what did or didn’t happen for the mistake to happen

• Ask yourself why the mistake happened; keep asking why until you can no longer answer

• Ask how you can avoid making the same mistake; if there are things you can’t control, ask how you can prevent them

• Think about how you can help yourself not make the same mistake

Second Order Thinking

Second order thinking helps us understand the effects of our actions beyond the surface

• Ask yourself, “and then what?”

• Think about how the effects may change as time goes on

• Think about what you might do after the consequences happened

Doing this helps us dig a little deeper and can give you a slight edge on others

Exponential Thinking

Exponential thinking isn’t thinking outside the box, but rather thinking in a completely new box. For example, instead of solving a problem, we can locate its roots. This kind of thinking is what turns into exponential and world-changing progress.

www.jimkwik.com/Viome

Four steps to think exponentially

1. Get to the underlying problem

• Solving the underlying problem can help solve the surface problem

2. View the problem from different perspectives

• What-if statements encourage this kind of thinking

3. Research about the problem

• Helps you learn more about the problem and the attempts of others to solve the problem

4. Extrapolate

• Try out solutions

Books to read after

Can be found on page 280

Start with why by Simon Sinek

Tiny Habits

The power of habit by Charles Duhigg

Atomic habits by James clear

Mindset by Carol Dweck

Flow: the psychology of optimal experience, psychologist Mihaly

The Stress-Proof brain

The Plateau effect

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

Speed Reading: Learn to Read a 200+ Page Book in 1 Hour

Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day

Application

• Remember to apply techniques like active recall, spaced repetition, and creating connections for important topics

• When making decisions, consider the 6 different thinking hats (objective, optimistic, pessimistic, emotional, creative, management)

• Always learn from failures, and engage in deep second-order thinking for important decisions

• When learning, make sure that you are motivated, are paying our utmost attention, and have sufficient methods to remember

**