The Only Skill that Matters: The Proven Methodology to Read Faster, Remember More, and Become a SuperLearner

by Jonathan A. Levi

A woodsman was once asked, “What would you do if you had just six minutes to chop down a tree?” He answered, “I would spend the first four minutes sharpening my ax.” —Unknown

To this day, Feynman is known for his four-step model of learning, which goes like this: Pick a topic you want to understand, and start studying it. Write down everything you know about the topic on a notebook page. Use illustrations wherever possible to simplify your understanding and portrayal of the subject. Add to that page every time you learn something new about it. Pretend to teach your topic to a classroom. Make sure you’re able to explain the topic in simple terms. Go back to the books when you get stuck. The gaps in your knowledge should be obvious. Revisit problem areas until you can explain the topic fully. Simplify and use analogies. Repeat the process, continually simplifying your language and connecting facts with analogies. Do this as many times as needed to strengthen your understanding.