Learning and Creativity
After 72 hours of learning something new, if not reinforced, your memory of the content will reduce by half.
After a week, it will have reduced by three-quarters.
Take notes. Go over them and reflect to strengthen your memory.
In all its types, memory is the gateway to the mind. The stronger your memory, the better your access to its contents will be.
Split your learning in two: ‘inside lessons’ and ‘outside lessons’. Inside lessons are ideas or insights that you have generated. Outside lessons are what you have learned from others.
Splitting lessons identifies trigger points for how your insights were generated. It’s a means of tracking the causal patterns of ideas.
Cluster your ideas together. With clusters, you can see which interconnected ideas stand out, and what’s taken your interest.
Our minds are pattern makers/identifiers. Sometimes you will see a connection between ideas, and sometimes you won’t. Be persistent.
Follow your instincts. Don’t let doubt or the chatter in your mind get in the way if an idea feels right. Sometimes ideas will show you the right trajectory to take in your creative work.
Get the gist of whatever it is you’re learning. Keep it simple. Restrict ideas to their essence.