How to Remember Everything You READ (For Life) — In 2 Minutes

[0:00]Ninety-five percent of what you read today will disappear in the next 24 hours if you don't follow these three basic steps. Step one, don't read to finish, read to understand. Since childhood, we were taught to read fast, finish a chapter, book or syllabus. But nobody told you the truth, your brain doesn't remember speed, it remembers meaning. So the next time you read, don't rush. After every paragraph, pause for five seconds and ask, what is the author trying to tell me? That one question forces your brain to think, not just see words. And memory is created when the brain thinks, not when it scans. Understanding creates memory, finishing does not. Step two, the one line recall. Right after finishing a page or a chapter, don't highlight, don't reread or write notes, just do this. Take one line and say it in your own words, out loud or in your mind. This is powerful because memory isn't built when you read something, memory is built when you try to recall something. Even five seconds of pulling information out of your brain tells your brain that this matters, save it. One line, every chapter, that's it. Kim Peek, a real life mega genius, on which the Rain Man was made. He could memorize entire books word for word after reading them once. But even he struggled to use the information because remembering words is not the goal, understanding ideas is. Step three, the 10 to 24 rule. This is where you turn short-term memory into permanent memory. After you learn something new, review it once after 10 minutes, then again after 24 hours. But do not reread, just look at your one line summary and try to recall the main idea. You're showing your brain the same information right at the moment it's about to forget it. And that timing builds long-term memory faster than anything else. Most people think the goal is to read more books, but the real goal is to remember what you read and let it change your life. So the next time you open a book, follow these three steps and just be consistent.