How to learn anything and everything fast

"The ego and vanity in man often stand in the way of his acceptance of the position that super-ordinary consciousness, to which he is a total stranger, can be possible for some members of the species to which he belongs. This frame of mind is often pronounced in scholars who fondly believe that more and more extensive knowledge of the world and its infinitely varied phenomena provided by poring over vast libraries of books, is the only expansion and advancement possible to the human mind. It cannot but be repugnant to a polymath to be told that there is a learning beyond his grasp, that the very nature of the mind can change and can soar to normally super-sensible planes of being, which are inaccessible to the keenest intellect, however well informed and penetrating it might be." (Gopi Krishna, The Wonder Of The Brain).

The boundary limits are set differently for each human mind depending on the individual's scope of perception. The scope of perception within each individual changes based on their own frame of reference in how they interpret the world and the life around them. 

It’s not about memorizing information, it’s about processing it. Just like in the world of computers, you should practice the habit of learning day-by-day so that you will become a better processor, not a bigger hard drive.

You can use the Feynman technique to:

• Learn a new concept or knowledge in a short period of time.
• Understand a topic or study you don’t really “get”.
• Improve knowledge retention after your studies regardless you’re a student, employee, or employer.
• Comparing to memorize a set of information for a presentation or an exam that usually take a huge amount of time (and stress) to produce a lousy result, the Feynman technique delivers a better result in less time (you can achieve the desired results in less than 30 minutes.)
• Making an idea or concept your own by delivering it in your own words with your personal experiences and input. In another word, steal like an artist.

Let’s go through the Feynman technique so you can implement this to learn anything faster and better.

Step 1: Choose Your Concept

Step 1 doesn’t sound like a step at all. But this is one common mistake people made in their learning. Failing to draw a clear line and define what concept we want to learn is the guaranteed way to waste all the time and energy you invest into your study.

The first step is to select the concept you want to learn. If the concept is new to you, walk through it for one to two times before you proceed to step two. Take out a blank piece of paper and write the title out on top of the page.

Step 2: Teach It

Now, write down everything you know to explain the concept. Pretend like you’re teaching it (not to an expert or your professor) but to a toddler. This eases off the pressure to get everything right and helps you to revise the concept you just learned in your own words. Avoid using any jargon vocabularies in this step because that usually how we fool ourselves.

This step is crucial because it doesn’t only revise what you have already known, it also reveals and pinpoints the areas that you don’t fully understand.

Step 3: Fill in the Gaps

There will be questions and gaps pop up when we are doing step two. No worries, that’s the point of using this technique. You now have a clearer picture of what you know and what you still don’t know.

Go back to the materials to fill in the gaps. This process helps you to understand the knowledge at a deeper level. Repeat step 2 and 3 until you feel you can understand and explain the concept completely.

Step 4: Review & Simplify

Review the final concept you get. If you are using overly wordy or confusing language, or you simply rephrase the paragraphs without truly understand the concept, try again so you filter the content.

Simplify your vocabularies and language so you’re explaining it in your own analogy. One way to do this is by pretending you’re teaching verbally. If you’re using your own words and have a complete grip on the concept, your speech and presentation should be smooth without very little lags.

Additionally, there are few more things to consider:

1. Learn with a higher purpose - Create a mission around the art of learning.

2. Leave gaps in between information - Try skipping a chapter in a book or tutorial. When you might get blocked in your progress you will either find a new perspective from which you can solve the problem or understand better the missing concept and its purpose when you actually need it.

3. Discipline yourself with time pressure - Push yourself out of your comfort zone.

4. Stay Fit - Exercise, run, do Yoga and meditate. Not only your physical fitness but also your mental fitness will improve.

5. Reset your brain with plenty of sleep- Also take Power Naps in-between.

6. Practice Tests: Quiz yourself to check how much you know

7. Reflect. Keep asking questions, record the answers, synergize them, and test the answers you get

Thanks for reading. The above article is a compilation of useful information collected over time.

-Vijay Gaur

Digital Marketing Consultant at BrandNshout.com