Hello, let’s catch up 👋

A few popular posts you might have missed this week:

• What Keeps You Poor 😫

• 6 Secret Tricks to Win Over Other People 🤫

• The more you read, the more you know 🧠

It’s been a while since I had done this, but…

I finally curated a new digital guidebook! 👇

It’s titled, 1 Percent Better Every Day.

Uncover the secrets behind the 1 percent rule with my in-depth guide inspired by James Clear's Atomic Habits. Learn how to harness the power of small, consistent improvements to enhance productivity, develop better habits, and achieve personal growth.

This guide is perfect for anyone looking to break through barriers, overcome challenges, and unlock their full potential.

Whether you're a student, professional, entrepreneur, or simply someone striving for personal growth, the principles outlined in this guide will empower you to make meaningful progress in any area of life.

It is FREE to download! GET IT HERE or click the image above.

Now on to today’s newsletter topic…

I love getting questions in my DMs about ways to improve as a reader.

I love answering these questions for you.

Here is a question that I was sent this week:

Most people forget 90% of what they read within a week.

It’s something the majority of us struggle with. I certainly do at times.

Remembering what you read doesn’t have to be a struggle at all.

When it comes to remembering what you read, it’s all about strategy, not just absorption.

“Ohhhh” is right. 🤣

See, I used to think that I needed to constantly absorb ALL of what I was reading to, at least think I would retain everything.

It’s just extremely counter-productive.

Until I discovered these 6 simple strategies that changed everything for me when it came to remembering what I had read.

1. Preview the content

See what the chapter is about before you read it.

- Read the introduction
- Look at the headings
- Read the summary

This primes you on what to expect.

2. Take notes

Jot down important ideas and details.

- Write a summary after each chapter.
- Highlight key points.
- Draw diagrams or mind maps.
- Use margin notes.

Writing helps you process what you read and retain information.

3. Connect the content

Connect new information to what you already know.

- Ask yourself, “How does this relate to my experience or other knowledge?"
- Make connections to other chapters.
- Draw parallels to other ideas.

Making connections between information helps create a more cohesive understanding.

4. Visualize the content

Visualize images in your mind as you read.

- Picture yourself in the scenes.
- Create a mental movie.
- Imagine objects and concepts.

Visualization helps solidify concepts and bring them to life.

5. Use spaced repetition

Review the material at set intervals to reinforce memory retention.

- Review what you read immediately after reading.
- Review it again a day later.
- Review it a week later.
- Review it a month later.

Repeating information helps move it from short-term to long-term memory.

6. Teach the content (this is how you apply what you’ve read)

Teach the information to someone else.

- Practice teaching it to others.
- Write a blog post or article about it.
- Record a video explaining it.

Teaching helps you solidify concepts in your own mind and identify any gaps in your understanding.

Use these strategies to retain more information and improve your reading comprehension.

Things that had my attention this week ✅

On YouTube: How to Stop Holding Yourself Back | Simon Sinek
Length: 02 minutes and 33 seconds

Bullet Summary:
- The human brain cannot comprehend the negative
- Focusing on what we don't want can reinforce negative thoughts
- Framing things in the affirmative is important
- Pilots and skiers know that focusing on obstacles can lead to failure
- It's important to focus on the path, rather than the obstacles, in our careers

Give it a watch!

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

- Blake

SPONSOR

The world is complex and interconnected, and we need to understand the big ideas from big disciplines, to have a whole map of the reality to be able to make better decisions. Critical thinking has to be based on going from the fundamental ideas to the mental models.  Mental models are the most important ideas of each science: philosophy, mathematics, physics, statistics, engineering, chemistry, biology, psychology, economics, and history.

You need to know and connect them.

Think in a multidisciplinary way. Think differently. Grab your copy here: