hey everyone and welcome to top think today we're
going to learn about 10 brain hacks to learn anything faster now let's begin
number one practical applications most of the things you read fly in one ear and out the other
unless you have a photographic memory you're going to forget more than you remember so why do
we lose track of so much information why can't we memorize everything we learn most of what we learn
is abstract we learn ideas concepts and theories we listen to arguments for and against our beliefs
these things are incredibly interesting but many of them lack any kind of practical application
okay let's say you're learning how to build a birdhouse you practice what you learn by building
an actual birdhouse right well that practical application ingrains those lessons deeper in your
brain because a practiced application turns an idea or a lesson into something concrete
if you want to learn anything faster make it practical put your knowledge to good use
create something physical and repeatable make it something you can show tell or read to other
people okay let's say you take a class in public speaking you could learn about public speaking
all your life but if you never actually speak then you won't really understand what you're
learning so put your knowledge into practice succeed fail and learn then do it all over again
because practice makes perfect each repetition you'll improve and make new connections you'll
discover innovative applications for the knowledge you've gained and those discoveries are priceless
number two pareto's law many learners believe the same self-destructive myth that myth goes
something like this in order to learn something new i must understand everything about it
you pursue a sense of perfection in every subject you learn you want to know everything but
eventually you reach a breaking point you realize how much you don't know you realize how difficult
and confusing that subject really is your lack of knowledge becomes an insurmountable
obstacle and you just give up if you can't know everything you'd rather know nothing
ah but this is the wrong way to learn perfection is and always will be a myth no one not even the
leading experts know everything every subject from metaphysics to history is far too complicated to
master especially in a short amount of time so let's change our perspective instead of learning
one hundred percent of a subject just focus on the first twenty percent build a healthy foundation
and then stop this comes from a civil engineer and economist named vilfredo pareto pareto discovered
that eighty percent of the consequences come from twenty percent of the causes in other words input
and output are not equal pareto's principle has a wide range of applications and learning
new information is a big one the first 20 of the information you learn will yield a larger
percentage of knowledge than the next 80 percent you'll understand the vast majority of any given
subject even if you don't know the tiny individual nuances so don't worry about mastering every
subject you encounter if you want to build a wide breadth of knowledge then just learn the first
twenty percent of as many subjects as you can and with just twenty percent of a subject mastered
you'll know enough to understand and change your perspective on the world around you
number three burst learning how long should you study many people study for hours on end
they stare at the pages of a book until they fall asleep at their desks but is that the best
way to study are you learning as much as you can researchers at louisiana state university
discovered that shorter sessions are much more effective ideally you should study between 30 and
50 minutes at a time anything less than 30 minutes is too short you won't get deep enough in your
studies to absorb any information but anything more than 50 minutes is too long you'll pack
your brain with too much information so you end up forgetting a larger percentage of what you learned
if you want to learn something new stop grinding for hours and hours you may feel pressured to
study until you can't study anymore but that isn't the best use of your time or your brainpower
keep your study sessions productive and concise and then take a break use that time to review
what you learned or put that knowledge into practice and that way everything you learn
becomes cemented in your memory number four an introductory framework do you skim through books
many people skim the pages because they're just too lazy to read each word skimming may seem like
a terrible way to learn but it plays an important role in the learning process by skimming the pages
you're creating a framework you're getting a loose understanding of the information you're
about to learn you read the titles you see the key points you gloss over the graphs and diagrams
skimming the pages is like reading an introduction to the ideas you're about to explore in detail
but skimming only works as an introduction if you skim the pages and then you walk away
you're not benefiting from the framework you've created instead go back to the beginning and
read the content in detail use that framework to structure the concepts you're learning and
if you can do that your brain will make valuable connections right off the bat
number five consistent perseverance learning isn't always fun easy or stimulating but if you want
to learn faster and more effectively you have to power through the pain just think about learning
like playing a sport professional athletes have to get up every morning and train as best they can
it doesn't matter how tired they are it doesn't matter how sore they feel
they practice and persevere day after day because hey that's what it takes learning works the same
way to become a better learner you have to learn something new every day you have to be disciplined
and consistent because that consistency will make you a better learner in the long run
number six mental relaxation here's a learning technique that most people overlook the best way
to learn isn't always burying your nose in a book sometimes the best thing you can do is step back
and give yourself time to think after a 50-minute session step away from whatever you're studying
stop trying to learn something new instead give your brain some space to process what
you've learned try something soothing and simple like a hot shower or a short nap you can also use
relaxation exercises like meditation to stimulate your memory and process complex ideas however you
choose to spend your time just make sure you let your mind wander let yourself be creative give
your brain the opportunity to synthesize concepts and to make new connections because that's when
you stumble upon the greatest revelations number seven avoiding mindlessness there are plenty of
techniques to jump start the learning process but there are just as many ways to sabotage it
our world is filled with mind-numbing activities when you want to stop thinking you might watch
a movie or scroll mindlessly through social media unlike creative exercises like meditation
these brain numbing activities stop the learning process in its tracks you're limiting your brain's
ability to think and imagine you're counteracting all the learning you just did instead of cementing
that knowledge in your mind you're letting it slip away if you want to learn more efficiently
then get rid of these mind-numbing habits and routines they're not doing your brain any favors
number eight familiar connections learning new things is important you should expand your
perspective and explore areas of unknown knowledge but to make those discoveries valuable you have
to make connections between new knowledge and familiar knowledge familiar knowledge describes
the information you encounter on a regular basis it's familiar because it's directly
relevant to your life if you can connect your knowledge to your own life you gain a better
understanding of the world you live in and the life you lead every time you learn something new
take some time to reflect how do your discoveries relate to your life how do they change your view
of the world you'll be surprised how profound and thought-provoking these connections can be
number nine the natural learner according to a 2016 study by the pew research center learning
is a lifelong process the people who learn the most incorporate learning into every aspect
of their lives in their free time they read books and magazines related to their passions
they socialize with groups of like-minded people and they take classes to expand their minds
they learn in every aspect of their life because learning isn't just something they
do for work learning is a part of who they are it's part of everything they enjoy learning feels
natural to these lifelong learners and with a little effort it can feel natural to you too
number 10 diversifying methods all the brain hacks on this list will help you learn faster and more
efficiently but none of these tricks are perfect each one has strengths and weaknesses if you want
to make the most of your knowledge you should find ways to blend them all together diversifying your
methods stimulates your brain your brain is attracted to anything novel and unique
so each time you change your methods your brain gets excited to process information in a new way
this discovery comes from a 2016 study by john hopkins university
researchers found that diverse learning tactics yield a greater understanding
than one consistent method so challenge your brain to engage with new mediums spend 50 minutes
learning one way and then spend 50 minutes doing something completely different by diversifying
your methods you become a more productive learner no matter what subject you're studying hey thanks
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