To learn more effectively, learn with MOM
- Motivation – what motivates you to learn, why you learn what you learn
- Observation – powerful memory comes from powerful presence
- Mechanics – super brain tools and techniques that follow
Spaced Repetition – Do It Right
We all know spaced repetition can help us learn not only more effectively, also retain information longer. To use spaced repetition to the fullest, remember 2 key points.
1. If you miss your days, don’t beat yourself up. Be kind to yourself. Go back and learn.
2. Team stands for (T)ogether, (E)veryone, (A)chieves, (M)ore. Find accountability partners. Join your local community. Share your progress and hold each other accountable.
Basic Association is the Mother of Long-Term Memory.
If content is king, context is kingdom. Use basic association technique to store information in your long-term memory. Below, we will see how it fits into the real world application.
Information + Emotion = Long-term Memory
Top 10 Foods for your Brain
- Avocado
- Blueberry
- Broccoli
- Coconut Oil
- Eggs
- Green leafy vegetables
- Salmon and sardines
- Turmeric
- Walnut
- Dark chocolate
Let’s see how we can apply association to remember the list better.
Imagine 10 parts of your body:
- Head
- Nose
- Mouth
- Ears
- Neck
- Shoulders
- Chest
- Hands
- Belly
- Seat/Hips
Remember these 10 parts. Now, let’s assign the super food list to our body parts.
- Head –> Avocado (imagine the shape of the avocado resembles the shape of your head)
- Nose –> Blueberry (imagine two blueberries sticking right up your nostrils)
- Mouth –> Broccoli (imagine the broccoli full in your mouth)
- Ears –> Coconut oil (imagine the coconut oil spilling out of your ears and feel it)
- Neck –> Eggs (imagine the egg in your neck)
- Shoulders –> Green leafy vegetables (imagine spinach and kale sitting on top of your shoulders as you look left and right)
- Chest –> Salmon and Sardines (imagine the V-shape of your chest as if it were the salmon meat)
- Hands –> Turmeric (imagine the turmeric powder on your hands)
- Belly –> Walnuts (imagine and feel the walnuts protruding your belly)
- Seat –> Dark chocolate (imagine, well… you get the idea)
ABRA Technique to kill your ANTs
- Acknowledge – don’t resist your thoughts, the more you do so the harder it is to suppress them
- Breathe In
- Release
- Align – align your thoughts to your goals, remind yourself what you stand for and discard every harmful thought
Get Quality Sleep
Quality sleep improves your brain in 2 key ways: (1) it helps to consolidate information from short to long-term memory (2) it facilitates new ideas and solutions. To improve your sleep quality, remember to:
- Turn off digital devices
- Sleep in complete darkness
- Keep your bedroom work-free
- Exercise early in the morning
- Keep your bedroom cool
BE SUAVE To Remember People Names
- Believe
- Exercise
- Say the other person’s name to greet them
- Use the other person’s name throughout the conversation
- Ask the other person’s name and interests
- Visualize the person’s name written on their forehead
- End the conversation by using the person’s name
Use Chain Linking
In addition to ‘basic association’, you may try using ‘chain linking’ technique to store your learnings in long-term memory. Consider the words below:
- Fire Hydrant
- Balloon
- Barrel
- Board
- Diamond
- Sir Lancelot
- Mask
- Toothpaste
- Sign
- Bar
Let’s see ‘chain linking’ in action. Imagine the ‘balloons’ tied to the red vivid ‘fire hydrant’. The balloons seemingly come from the ‘barrel’. Inside the barrel, there is a ‘board’ that closely resembles the shape of a ‘diamond’. The diamond drops on ‘sir lancelot’ head. He is then rushed to emergency in a ‘mask’. The ‘mask’ as it turns out is dirty that it needs to be cleaned with ‘toothpaste’. The leftover toothpaste is thrown away and now stuck at the ‘sign’ outside the ‘bar’.
Quick Hack to Remember People Names – FDR Technique
To remember people names, write their names on their foreheads using your imagination and micro hand movements.
TIP to Remember Anything
1. Turn
2. Into
3. Picture
Super Brain Exercise – Juggling
Oxford study shows jugglers have bigger brains. Juggling helps you stimulate brain-derived neutrophoic factors (whatever that is), make new brain connections, have better time management and increase your confidence-competence loop.
1. Start with one ball.
2. Do this over a bed or a couch so the ball won’t roll away from you.
3. You can use a ball that won’t roll (try socks)
4. If you drop it, it’s okay (we all do)
5. Toss the ball from one hand o another
6. Keep breathing
Super Brain Exercise – Crossovers
Try doing crossovers during brain breaks. Crossovers help you connect your left and right brain. Touch your left elbow to right knee and then quickly touch your right elbow to the left knee. Repeat the process.
Learn More in Less Time – Pomodoro Technique
- Schedule your learning to 20-30 minute chunks.
- Take 10 minute brain break after each chunk.
- You may use Pomodoro app on your smartphone, or simply a timer on your computer.
Beating Procrastination
- Know your why
- Break down the task into manageable chunks
- Just start doing (even if you have no idea where to go)
- Be kind to yourself
- Procrastinate procrastinating
5 Obstacles to Fast Reading
- Lack of education (you haven’t learnt to read effectively)
- Lack of focus (your mind is constantly wandering and getting distracted)
- Sub-vocalization (you keep saying the words to yourself)
- Regression (you keep going back and re-reading the words, often unconsciously)
- Limiting beliefs (whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re equally right)
Use Visual Pacer to focus and avoid regression.
Underline the words you read with your finger. You don’t have to move your finger all the way to the margins. Human beings have ‘peripheral’ vision which is why we can see than just the things we focus.
Don’t move the body. Move the book.
Don’t bend your head down. Bring the book up and maintain good breathing.
Avoid moving your lips as you read.
This will help you stop vocalizing the words to yourself.