Transformative Reading Habits: There are 3 key strategies to transformative Reading Habits I have used over the years, and all of them have kept me focused on my studies, while retaining the material so I can recall it at a later point when I need to.
Transformative Reading Habits 1
Writing things down.
Why is this important?
Taking notes during the learning process means you immediately get proactive about the new material you are absorbing. The way I see it is that this activity puts me in the driver’s seat of the entire situation.
It means I don’t just sit and read passively or listen to an audio hoping I will naturally retain whatever I hear. And the benefits? Writing things down improves your brain’s cognitive skills, makes retention of information easier, and boosts memory.
How do you do this?
Note down what’s relevant. This includes key concepts, ideas, and topics. Make sure you don’t write down every single word you listening to or the entire chapter. Instead, boost your critical thinking skills by identifying what is relevant on the topic. Check out the Cornell Method for an excellent strategy on how to note down the key material.
Use bulleted lists. This saves time, enables you to skim the material when you need it, helps you locate information faster, and makes the review process easier.
Use color. I love to use multi-colored pens, markers, or highlighters to emphasize the most important sections. You can use specific colors to highlight top priority concepts, then pick other colors to identify second level priority items such as examples and additional information.
Make new information easy to find. When you find information you want to add to your notes later, draw an asterisk next to the concept that you want to expand on, and then add the new information in a footnote at bottom of the page.
Transformative Reading Habit 2
- Teaching the new material to someone else.
Why is this important?
You may think this is a weird strategy, but hear me out. First, it may sound counter-intuitive because how can you teach something as soon as you learn it?
Teaching is one of the most powerful memory techniques. You recall newly learned information by teaching it to someone else or simply retelling it to yourself out loud.
The benefit?
Repeating new material out loud helps you review, recall, and retain what you have learned better than just silently looking it over.
How do you do it?
First, get an audience. It can be a close friend, study partner, or family member. I have used this to punish my sibling when we were young, making them sit and listen to entire lectures. But it worked!
If you feel awkward or shy about it, just pretend you have a couple of invisible students.
Next, take a large sheet of white paper and tape it to your bedroom wall at eye level. This will be your work surface. Also, be sure to get any furniture out of the way so you can stand in front of it.
Then, get to work. On your new work surface, write an outline of the most important points in the chapter you just covered, and then go over the concepts aloud one by one.
Make it fun and dynamic. I like to draw diagrams and small sketches on the margins, with short lists of examples.
It’s also a good idea to summarize the key parts and highlight these sections using bold color with markers and highlighters, which help you recall details and reinforce what you have learned. I use bright colors like orange, blue, and yellow.
Transformative Reading Habit 3
- Making a connection between newly learned material and my life.
Why is this important?
Connecting newly learned material with the big picture of your life means you start to make the connection between what you are doing today with who you want to become in the future.
I see it this way: who I want to become is that version of myself that will benefit from the time I am investing now to learn new things, whether that’s getting a post-graduate degree, learning a challenging skill, or acquiring work experience in my field of expertise.
The benefit?
I don’t see the learning process as something abstract, but rather something that is important to my life.
How do you do it?
Take at-least 5 minutes each evening to recap what you learned. Ask yourself what went great, where you had a problem understanding and what you did to overcome the obstacle (for example, maybe you asked someone to explain a concept to you, or you took more time to re-read a chapter of a book), and how you can improve the learning process next time by creating shortcuts or doing something differently to get better results.
Connect your learning experience with plans you have for yourself. Maybe you are about to graduate from high school or college, get a new job, or learn a skill that will enable you to get certification and become an expert at something. How is what you are doing right now helping you get there?
When you connect the efforts you are making today to your future actions, you are much more likely to be consistent with learning new things because they will move you towards achieving your goals.
Take your learning a step further by adding value to others. One thing I always try to do as I’m acquiring more knowledge in a subject matter is not to keep it to myself. That goes for everything I research and write about: focusing and concentrating, acquiring a growth mindset, achieving self-discipline, and other topics.
You can brainstorm ways to share what you have learned, talking through your notes with a classmate or workmate, engaging in a conversation with people who share your interests.
You never know how one small thing you have mastered can become a life-changing piece of knowledge when you pass it on to someone else. Ultimately, it’s empowering because you add value to the knowledge and lives of others. And that is the best reason to learn and study!
Cultivating Abundance: The Extraordinary Power of Giving
Have you ever considered that giving could be your key to unlocking abundance in your life? It’s a remarkable concept – what you give has the potential to return to you, often multiplied. It doesn’t matter whether you offer kindness, support, or resources; the universe has a way of ensuring that your generosity comes back to you in one form or another. It’s a cosmic exchange where good begets good and vice versa.
If this idea resonates with you, we invite you to share this article with your loved ones on your social media platforms. You might be surprised by the transformative impact it can have on your life. Remember, we all possess something to give, and sometimes, the simplest act, like sharing this blog post, can create a ripple effect of positive change. Embrace the power of giving, and watch how it can enrich your life in unexpected ways.
