Today I want to share with you some fundamental tips to learn anything that you want to. I love learning to create something unique or beautiful that touches people or is inspirational or funny.
Have you ever, like me, felt a massive thrust of excitement once you learn anything? You thought you wanted to share your newfound knowledge, only to forget it afterward. This left me feeling uninspired, unmotivated and lost in purpose. The worst feeling ever. What if, when we learn something, we can recall it anytime, whenever we want to. Do you know that it is possible? Here are a few fundamental tips from my coach Jim Kwik that you can use to increase your learning. Jim refers to this technique as the FAST method.
Firstly, he refers to Repetition and Review as the mother of learning. The more we repeat and review something, the better we learn it. Please take note of the books you are reading, and review them.
The F, in FAST, stands for FORGET. Forget anything you know about the subject or the Topic. Temporary forget about the Topic, set your opinion aside for a moment, and listen intently. Jim talks about the “half-life of information” we are learning more now, quicker than a couple of years back, and this rate is increasing exponentially. This listening intently skill is also key to understanding something. Put away, or get rid of any distractions, don’t do tasks switching, which tires your brain. This costs you time and increases the likelihood of you making more mistakes, and most importantly, it costs you energy, e.g., brain fog or mental exhaustion. Note down ideas or thoughts when it comes to your mind, and continue to focus on the task at hand. Forget also refers to forgetting about your Limitations and, for example, believing that you cannot learn anything quickly and memorize it.
The A, in FAST, stands for ACTIVE. Jim quotes, “Learning; remembering is not a spectator sport” You can only learn by actively engaging, for example: Asking questions, helping others if you know the answers already, e.g., positive peer groups, and taking notes. Note-taking with the hand is best for comprehension and retention—digital note-taking for storage and sharing. Divide the note-taking page into two, one side for capturing notes and the other side to create, for example, how, when, and where I will use this information.
The S, in FAST, stands for STATE. Jim quotes that “All memory is state depended.” Information + Emotion becomes unforgettable. E.g., at school, you were bored, not learning anything like remembering a speech with emotion. Jim wants you to engage, and become emotional by being active, Do the Super Brain Yoga exercise. Also, do cross crawls exercise, which creates more connection to your left and right brain but mostly changes your state. Jim believes the fastest way to change your mood is to do one of these exercises.
Finally, the T, in FAST, stands for TEACH. Learn to teach someone else. Jim wants us to say,” when I teach something, I get to learn it twice.” Your intention matters. Teaching someone as you know something. People call this the explanation effect. I love it when Jim quotes, “You learn to earn, to return,” To share with other people so they can also learn from you.
To sum up, Repetition and Review are essential, but it is not everything about learning. To learn and remember something, you must forget what you know about the topic. You have to become actively engaged with the content. You have to change your state so that you can connect on an emotional level. Finally, you have to start teaching what you have learned. You learn to earn, to return.
Thank you for your time; please let me know what your thoughts are. How often do you use this? What is challenging you to remember these tips? What do you think about this summary in general? Did it help you?