How to Remember What You Read in Simple Steps

Most book readers (especially beginners) think that I spend my precious time reading when I can't remember a single thing from that book after some time. So I can understand your frustration. I used to think the same when I started my reading journey. I used to think reading was a waste of time if I didn't remember it.

 

But, After reading 50+ books & 100+ book summaries, I realized that books could bring health, wealth, and happiness to our lives even if we don't remember them. All we need is to change our perspective. I will tell you precisely what needs to be done in this post. So, keep reading.  

 

Difference between Studying and Learning -

 

We miss one point in our approach to reading books: there is a difference between studying and learning. So we try to study books instead of learning from them. 

 

Study is what we do in schools. We mug up the answer and try to recall them and forget them after writing them down on exam papers. 

 

Learning is what we do in real life. Do we study the whole car or mug up the manual before driving a car? No. Right? Still, we end up learning to drive.  

 

The same approach we should keep while reading books. We should learn from them, not study them. And we can't understand each and every lesson from all readers. So, try to get the bigger picture out of the book. Try to learn 2-3 different or new things or one big idea from a book stuck in your mind. Even if you know 1 lesson from a book and apply it in your life, your life can really change. 

 

How do retain those two or three big ideas or lessons from books?       

 

Read and Discuss -

 

What are the chances that you will forget your name in your lifetime? Almost Zero! Why? Your name is the only word in the world that you have repeated the maximum number of times in your life. So naturally, what's on the tip of the tongue has to be on top of your mind. Repetition is a friend of memory. 

 

When I discuss one big idea from a book with my friend, isn't it am I revisiting the book's text? We take notes or highlight quotes in the book, but we rarely go back to them in the future. 

 

Instead, if you keep talking about what you read passionately with your friends, you highlight the text in your mind. The more you talk, the more you revisit, and eventually, it becomes part of your character and personality. 

 

Here are four ideas I learned from books and how they eventually became part of my personality.

 

1. Don't Run Behind Passion

 

I remember I had read the book So good they can't ignore you when I passed high school. I was looking for stuff like my passion and what I should do it. I came across this book, and it changed me completely.

 

We all believe that passion means doing something that you love, something you enjoy doing. But the author says the opposite. The word passion originates from the Latin word 'pati,' which means suffering. We think that mastery stems from love, but it's another way around- love stems out of knowledge.

 

When Sachin Tendulkar spent relentless hours of net practice day in and day out, we now say that he is a passionate cricketer. One must sacrifice all the immediate pleasure and put his blood, sweat, and tears into a skill, cause, project, or mission. He then becomes so good at it that it is hard for the world to ignore him. And he is awarded the word "passionate."  

 

This one idea from the book changed how I look at skill and passion. I shared this many times with my friends that it has become part of my personality. 

 

2. Your Life has Meaning

 

Like passion, the meaning is something that most people are confused about. I was one of them before reading Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.

 

We always ask ourselves, what is the meaning of my life? But, unfortunately, no one can be able to answer it. The author says that you should not ask this question, but you should recognize that you are asked. You are the one who should answer this question. And you can answer by being responsible for life.

 

Responsibleness comes from three things:

 

1.    By doing a work

2.   By experiencing someone or Loving someone

3.   Suffering

 

One can find meaning by working, loving someone, or even suffering. We can find meaning in our suffering if we change our attitude towards it.

 

The idea of having meaning even in suffering has changed my outlook. Now I don't need to find meaning because I realize my life has meaning.

 

3. The Motivation is a Myth

 

We often think that the reason for not being consistent in our habits/work or not achieving our goals is a lack of Motivation.

 

We think that Motivation is the cause for results, but it's the effect. Motivation comes after doing work; it comes after making progress. It is not a pre-requisite. It will come to you automatically when you do your job and see a slight improvement in your career.

 

For example, when do you feel most motivated before or after exercise? Then, of course, after doing exercise, the little progress we make by exercising for one day encourages us to exercise the next day. So, the cycle is not like Motivation and then work. Instead, it is like Work and the Motivation to do the following work.

 

The same happens in the book. The Motivation is Myth by Jeff Haden. I remember one idea from this book, and it changed how I look towards Motivation.

 

4. Happiness is a struggle

 

We always think If I solve all problems in my life, I will be happy. We believe that If I earn more money or get a job or reach a certain level, my life will be sorted. But that doesn’t happen. When you run at a higher level, more significant problems are waiting for you to be solved.

 

The point is life will never be problem-free. Struggles will be there forever, no matter how many things you achieve in your life. So, embrace the struggles in your life, and happiness comes from solving problems. The more significant issues you solve, the happier you become.

 

This is a fantastic lesson I learned from the book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK by Mark Manson.

 

These were a few ideas from books that changed my life, and I have these ideas in my mind without trying to remember them.

Conclusion

You don't need to remember everything from the book. Just find the one thing and try to apply it in your life.

Written by Omkar Mirajgave