Why You Should Actively Recall What You Learned
Have you ever had a moment where you wrapped your identity around a certain subject in school?
For me, it was electromagnetics in my junior year of college.
That was one of the hardest classes in the program.
If you could pass that, then you could pass anything.
For the entire semester, I revolved my routine around that class:
- I would sit in front of class.
- Do all the homework.
- Volunteer to tutor others.
I was going to dominate this class!
And dominate… I did.
I ended the semester with an A+.
The next year, a few of my friends were taking the class.
Word got around that I had gotten an A on electromagnetics the year before.
So, these friends asked me to tutor them.
When they asked me for help, I was stuck.
I was familiar with the concepts.
However, I completely forgot how to solve the problems!!
My friends looked at me disappointed.
‘Did Armani really know the subject or was he a fraud?’
Why We Forget What We Learned
We forget what we learned because we are busy.
It’s really as simple as that.
When we are busy, we get new information presented to us.
When we get new information presented to us, the old info exits our mind.
This is why religious schools have the best structure for learning.
In religious schools, there’s only one language:
They repeat the same things a ton because they know that humans are naturally forgetful creatures.
The more you repeat something, the more it becomes a part of your reality.
I forgot about electromagnetics because I wasn’t remembering the topic.
I had a mountaintop view of learning the subject.
Once I reached the mountain top, I thought, “I did it!!’
Then I came down (began forgetting).
If I wanted to remember the subject, then I should have had the eternal road mentality.
Where I walk forward (learn a bit more) every day.
Identify Which Subjects Are Important
There are a lot of subjects we learn to pass an exam.
These subjects don’t add much practical value to our lives.
Electromagnetics was like that for me.
There’s no reason to actively recall a subject that doesn’t add value to your life.
It’s better to prioritize subjects.
Let’s say your business is built on the core philosophy of “customer obsession.”
Then you want to keep recalling this specific topic.
And you want to recall it from different angles.
Don’t just repeat “customer obsession” in your mind.
- What about customer obsession?
- Are there case studies that you can recall?
- Books that led you towards the customer obsession philosophy?
- Customers who said you were on the right track?
- Customers who said you sucked?
By recalling customer obsession from multiple angles, you give this subject more power.
A lot of great brands fall because they try to prioritize everything.
In that stage of prioritizing everything, they are led astray.
When to Recall & How to Do It
I love to recall when I’m driving.
A lot of times, I will listen to music or have the music off.
The goal is to remember what I learned.
When you recall one thing, you automatically recall another thing within that field.
From there, you start a loop of thoughts that reinforce your learning.
If you begin thinking about “customer obsession”, then you will automatically think of something else related to that topic.
Suddenly, you think of Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart.
He once said:
- “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”
That quote resonated with you.
Rather than just leaving that as a quote you memorized…when you actively recall it, you RELATE that quote to your personal experiences.
You recall a customer who you worked with.
You remember how he worked with you and brought you new business through referrals.
Without this customer, you wouldn’t even have a business!
Suddenly, the customer obsession philosophy gets deeper engrained in your nervous system.
As you are in this loop of actively recalling information, suddenly, you get a text message.
You have a choice:
- If you answer that text message, then you will kill your momentum.
- If you don’t answer that text message, then you will keep your momentum going.
Which option will you take?
Dwell on the Topic
The more you remember something, the more you keep remembering it.
Soon, you will go about your daily life, and you will remember the content.
That content will influence how you conduct yourself.
Other than actively recalling information, another strategy is to dwell on the topic.
Dwelling is more passive.
We aren’t going in with any specific conditions.
We simply say:
‘Think about this topic however we want.’
When you issue a vague command on the topic, you’ll be taken on different wormholes on the subject.
Wormholes you never considered before.
An optimal time to dwell is right after you learned about the topic.
Let your mind flow…
You are turning wet cement into dry cement.
Dwelling is easier when you set aside time for it.
Since I drive a good amount, I dwell when I drive.
Remember What You Learned
You remember what you learned by constantly engaging with the topic.
Don’t build too much pride.
I built a lot of pride when I got an A on electromagnetics.
I thought I knew the topic.
Sure, I knew it then.
But after not engaging with the topic for long enough, I forgot about it.
It doesn’t matter how well you knew a topic…
Heck, this topic could have been something you dedicated 4 years too!!
*cough* College *cough*
But if you stop actively recalling the information, then you will forget.
Humans are busy creatures.
Each new information that you absorb will have you removing past information from your mind.
If the topic is important enough, then you need to keep recalling it.
For more strategies on learning, be sure to check out the Modern-Day Polymath.
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