Though a large number of people associate learning only with college and school students, in reality most people are learning new subjects, techniques and new products throughout their life. Specifically business owners and top management are expected to adapt to the new technologies, government policy, products after understanding them properly, and take decisions quickly. Learning anything new can take a lot of time, effort, so many people would like to find out if it is possible to reduce the time required for learning. Based on extensive research some steps to learn 10x faster are discussed below.
Learning process
Before listing the steps in learning, it is important to understand how a person learns something new. The first step is when new information is acquired by the brain. This information can be acquired by reading, listening to audio, watching a video or slideshow or audiovisual presentation. In some cases, the memory is only a short term memory, while in other cases, the memory is retained for a longer time. It should also be possible for the individual to easily recall the information from the memory where it has been stored, whenever required.
Pen and paper
Though most people prefer to store their data in digital form on their computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet and similar gadgets, scientific research indicates that this is not the best way to learn quickly. Studies indicate that individuals who are making notes on paper notebooks and other similar non-digital methods are likely to learn more and faster. It appears that writing manually, improves the retention of new information in the brain. Hence before starting learning, the person should arrange for pens and paper notebooks or writing pads, so that he can take notes properly. He should also arrange for a comfortable well designed table, so that he can comfortably write his notes in good handwriting.
Taking notes
The next step in learning faster is taking notes of the new information. There are different techniques used for taking notes and the person can choose the best technique. He should also finalize the abbreviations and symbols which he will use, so that he can take the notes in a shorter period of time. While making the notes, the person should write the information in his own words. Each topic should be separated from each other, so that it is easier to retrieve and review the information. The learner should also train himself to distinguish between information which is important and will be required later, and information which is not relevant.
Sleep
Though most people underestimate the importance of sleep, it plays an important role in the ability of a person to learn. If the person does not have enough sleep, the neurons in the brain are overworked, due to which they cannot focus properly. Hence it becomes difficult for the brain to acquire new information, learn properly, remain mentally alert, and the perception is also affected. Hence if a person is planning to learn something new, he should try to get good sleep, so that he can acquire and retain the information quickly.
