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May 9, 2020 - November 18, 2021
Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.” —The Wonder Years
and spent many hours battling my way through dense information.
With this newfound structure and purpose, I managed to discover a potential within myself that I never thought possible.
discover many amazing methods, both ancient and modern, in the areas of accelerated learning and memory development.
You have to do something different to become different.
rearrange memories in your mind to answer the question. You are a data-collecting being, and memory is where your life is lived.
experience is just a collection of memories!
understanding is the key to learning,
Learning and memory are the two most magical properties of the human mind. Learning is the ability to acquire new information, and memory holds that information in place over time.
how to harness the incredible power of their brains.
You need to do different to get different.
Mastering your memory will require a different kind of thinking.
This book is divided into three sections covering the four keys (or “Cs”) to improving your memory. The first section talks about improving your Concentration. The second section is about improving your ability to Create imagery and Connect concepts, and the final key is about creating a habit with Continuous use. The four Cs are the solution to any memory problem
transform bland information into something that is real and well-organized. This, in turn, gives the information meaning so you will use it instead of discard it.
The goal is to improve learning and understanding.
Always remember that where your attention goes, your energy flows.
Free your mind. You always have two choices with any experience in your life: You can either learn from it or you can place blame. The choice is always yours.
If you consistently change your approach and increase your desire to learn this information, you will master it.
The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it—as long as you believe 100 percent. — Arnold Schwarzenegger
Your beliefs about what your concentration and memory can do may be your own limited version of the truth. Many people never get a taste of their true potential because they have decided to entertain only a limited view of what they can do.
you need to create a belief system that supports them.
“My memory has the ability to store and recall mountains of information. It is the only container with this characteristic: The more I put into it, the more it will hold.”
We are all free to choose what we focus on. In the end, our choices will determine the beliefs we carry around with us.
A belief is a sense of being certain; what you believe, you become.
Every single thought we have is creative: Each one has the power to build and the power to destroy.
When you change a belief, you change a mental construction and, therefore, your life.
When you change your beliefs, you allow yourself to experience more of your potential and create new possibilities.
Your beliefs are the stories about yourself that you have accepted to be true … so you can decide to change the stories.
All you need is a willingness to learn, a method, and self-discipline.
Listen and become interested in other points of view and embrace change as well as new things. Allow information to come to you. Open all channels to receive information.
Concentration is made up of many small choices practiced consistently.
We’ve trained our minds to have continuous partial, fragmented attention.
You have to learn to be here, now. When you are at work, be at work. When you are at home, be at home. “Learn to be silent. Let your quiet mind listen and absorb,”
We fill our minds with all kinds of conflict, which takes us away from the moment. Have you ever had a fight with someone at home, then spent the whole work day trying to concentrate? Conflict pulls your mind in many directions; it is the opposite of concentration.
Your inner voice is the center of your focus; it helps explain and make sense of your world.
Start to catch yourself doing more things right.
Stop overwhelming yourself by continually changing the channels of your mind. Sharpen your intellect by making it a habit to do one thing at a time. Rediscover the value of consecutive tasking, instead of settling for the diluted quality that comes from simultaneous tasking. Exceptional work is always associated with periods of deep concentration. Nothing excellent ever comes from a scattered effort. When you are “all there,” your brain power and resources will be all there, too.
When people approach information they rarely know what they want out of it. They don’t direct their minds. Learn to engage and be present with information by creating a strong PIC:
Purpose: A clear purpose is important because clarity dissolves resistance. Always remember why you are reading or learning the information. Keep your purpose at the forefront of your mind. If you don’t know what you want, how are you going to know when you get it? Learning with a purpose increases your attention, comprehension, and retention; it also helps organize your thoughts. The more specific your purpose, the more information you will get.
Focus on getting information that you can use—and then put it into practice.
Interest: Your level of interest sets the direction of your attention and, therefore, your level of focus. If you are not interested, remembering what you read will be almost impossible. When something is high on your interest list your mind is alert, disciplined, and focused.
When you are interested in a subject and your concentration is at a peak, you can remember mountains of information. It almost feels automatic. Attention deficits are mostly interest deficits. Your mind never wanders; it moves toward more interesting things.
The first step is to find your interests and then find links or connections between your interests and the new information. For example, I’m interested in training and sharing knowledge with other people. When I read anything, I always search for new information relating to my interest. When I read or listen through my interest filter, I am focused and I can concentrate.
In other words, all “boring” information can be made more interesting with the right mindset. Gilbert Chesterton said, “There are no uninteresting things, only uninterested people.” So get interested!
Curiosity: Questions are the answer to improving curiosity. Before you start reading or learning anything, ask yourself motivational questions. Most people ask questions that don’t move them to action. They look at the book and say things like, “Why do I have to read this book? This is too much to read. It looks really boring.”
Get curious about your mind and how it works.
Cultivate curiosity, and life becomes an unending study of joy.”
Life is easy when you simplify and make peace with your train of thought.
Worry is a creative mental process. By asking yourself “what if” questions, you set your mind up to worry. If you consistently ask, “What if I lose my job?” “What if I crash my car?” “What if criminals attack me?” then you will create “movies” in your mind that constantly loop those scenarios and cultivate a state of worry.
Learn to practice peace, because if you have no attention you have no retention. Most people swing from one emotional extreme to the other. Concentration is about learning how to stay centered. When you concentrate your power, you can achieve anything. Imagine your mind is a flashlight. Most people allow their flashlights to jump all over the place, diffusing the light’s power. You want yours to stand still and shine brightly. Nothing outside of you is going to fix your concentration; it is an inside job.
