How to Force Your Brain to Study (when you don't feel like it)
Summary
TLDRThe 'Ladder Method' is a learning technique designed to overcome the mental barriers that hinder studying, especially when feeling tired or overwhelmed. By breaking down complex subjects into manageable, low-effort rungs, the method helps to organize information and build understanding incrementally. It involves identifying easy-to-understand concepts, comparing them with known information, and deciding where they fit within a structured framework. This approach not only makes studying more manageable but also more efficient, as each rung of the ladder requires the same level of effort, leading to a stronger foundation and reduced procrastination.
Takeaways
- 📚 The 'Ladder Method' is a learning technique used to overcome the reluctance to study, especially when feeling tired or burnt out.
- 🧠 Our brain is energy-efficient and tends to avoid unnecessary energy consumption, which can make studying feel overwhelming due to the mental effort required.
- 💡 The brain processes new information by understanding, comparing it to existing knowledge, and deciding where to store it, which is energy-intensive.
- 🔍 The 'Ladder Method' involves breaking down the learning material into manageable parts or 'rungs' of low effort to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
- 📈 The first rung of the ladder focuses on identifying low-effort content that is easy to understand and compare with known information.
- 📝 Nonlinear note-taking and highlighting can be used to track thoughts and focus on important parts of the material during the ladder method.
- 🕒 Each rung of the ladder method is designed to be of low effort and progressively builds on the previous rung, making learning easier over time.
- 🔑 The technique works well because it maintains consistent effort across each rung, dividing the workload into manageable parts.
- 🎯 The method can be applied to projects or assignments as well, starting with easy high-level planning and progressively adding more detail.
- 🚀 Regular use of the ladder method can change one's perception of studying, making it less daunting and reducing the likelihood of procrastination.
- 🌟 The script suggests that while the ladder method is powerful, there is more to effective learning, hinting at the existence of other techniques.
Q & A
What is the 'ladder method' mentioned in the script?
-The 'ladder method' is a learning technique used to break down complex topics into manageable parts, each requiring low effort, making it easier to study and retain information even when feeling overwhelmed or tired.
Why does the brain feel overwhelmed when faced with studying a large amount of information?
-The brain feels overwhelmed because it has to organize new information, which is an energy-consuming process. It has to understand, analyze, and decide where the new information fits in relation to what is already known, and trying to do all three at once can be daunting.
How does the brain use energy while learning?
-The brain uses energy to understand new information (through reading or listening), compare it with what is already known, and decide where to store the information based on its relation to existing knowledge.
What is the purpose of breaking down a topic into different 'rungs' of effort in the ladder method?
-The purpose is to make each study session manageable and low-effort, allowing the learner to progressively build on their knowledge without feeling overwhelmed. Each rung focuses on easier parts of the topic, making it easier to continue studying.
How does the ladder method help in reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed when studying?
-The ladder method reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed by dividing the study material into smaller, low-effort parts. This allows the brain to focus on one aspect at a time, making the learning process less daunting and more achievable.
What is the significance of the 'marbles and cups' analogy used in the script?
-The 'marbles and cups' analogy represents how the brain organizes new information. Marbles are facts or concepts, and cups are categories or areas of knowledge. The brain has to decide which cup each marble belongs to, which is a mental effort that can be overwhelming without a structured approach like the ladder method.
How does the speaker use nonlinear note-taking in the ladder method?
-The speaker uses nonlinear note-taking to track thoughts and ideas while going through the material. This helps in identifying low-effort parts of the topic and building a scaffold for further learning.
What is the speaker's experience with using the ladder method while working full-time and studying for a Masters degree?
-The speaker successfully used the ladder method to study for a full-time Masters degree while also working full-time and running a business. They managed to graduate at the top of their cohort, highlighting the effectiveness of the ladder method.
How can the ladder method be applied to projects or assignments?
-The ladder method can be applied to projects or assignments by starting with easy, high-level planning and progressively getting more detailed with each rung of the ladder, similar to how it is used for studying complex topics.
What is the secret to why the ladder method works so well according to the script?
-The secret to the ladder method's effectiveness is that each rung requires the same amount of effort as the last, making every study session easy. As the learner progresses, the foundation becomes stronger, making it easier to understand and organize new information.
How does the ladder method impact procrastination and the perception of studying?
-The ladder method can make studying seem less daunting, reducing procrastination. As the brain realizes that studying is manageable and not as hard as initially perceived, it becomes less likely to put off studying.
Outlines
📚 The Ladder Method for Overcoming Study Procrastination
The speaker introduces the 'Ladder Method', a study technique used to overcome the reluctance to study, especially when feeling tired or burnt out. This method has been instrumental in the speaker's success, allowing them to study effectively while managing a full-time job and a business, as well as completing a Masters program at the top of their class. The speaker explains the brain's tendency to avoid unnecessary energy consumption, which can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed when faced with the task of studying. The brain's energy efficiency is highlighted, with a focus on how it organizes new information into memory, which is an energy-intensive process. The speaker uses a metaphor of marbles and cups to illustrate how the brain categorizes new information, and how the absence of a structured approach can lead to mental exhaustion and procrastination. The Ladder Method is presented as a solution to break down the study process into manageable steps, each requiring low effort, thus making the task of studying less daunting.
🔍 Implementing the Ladder Method for Incremental Learning
The speaker details the implementation of the Ladder Method, which involves breaking down the study material into 'rungs' of effort, with each rung representing a low-effort step. The process begins with identifying low-effort content that is easy to understand, compare, and organize. The speaker uses nonlinear note-taking and highlighting to track progress and focus on key areas, creating a scaffold for further learning. As the speaker progresses through each rung, they build upon this scaffold, gradually adding more detail and refining their understanding. The second rung of the ladder involves revisiting the material with a focus on deeper understanding and refining the initial general comprehension. The speaker emphasizes that each rung requires the same amount of effort as the previous one, making each study session manageable and the learning process cumulatively easier as the foundation of knowledge strengthens. The technique is also applicable to projects and assignments, starting with high-level planning and progressively adding detail with each rung. The speaker concludes by explaining that the Ladder Method can transform one's approach to studying, making it less of a chore and more of a structured, incremental process.
🎓 The Impact of the Ladder Method on Learning Habits
In the final paragraph, the speaker discusses the broader impact of the Ladder Method on learning habits. They mention that once the brain becomes accustomed to this method, studying becomes less daunting, reducing the likelihood of procrastination. The speaker also hints at the existence of additional learning techniques beyond the Ladder Method, suggesting that there is more to effective learning than just this one technique. They encourage viewers to explore further by watching the next recommended video by YouTube's algorithm, which they humorously acknowledge as knowing the viewers better than they know themselves. The speaker thanks the audience for watching and teases the next video, leaving the audience with a sense of curiosity and anticipation for more learning strategies.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ladder Method
💡Learning Science
💡Energy Consumption
💡Information Organization
💡Mental Effort
💡Overwhelm
💡Nonlinear Note Taking
💡Scaffold
💡Rungs of the Ladder
💡Effort Distribution
💡Procrastination
Highlights
Introduction of the 'ladder method' for studying even when one is not in the mood.
Use of the ladder method while working as a doctor and running a business, as well as in a full-time Masters program.
Explanation of why we feel overwhelmed by the thought of studying and how the brain conserves energy.
The brain's process of organizing information, comparing it with known facts, and the energy it consumes.
The ladder method breaks down the study material into manageable parts based on effort required.
Nonlinear note-taking and highlighting as part of the ladder method to track thoughts and focus.
Skipping parts of the textbook that require too much effort at the beginning stages of the ladder method.
Building a scaffold of understanding with the parts of the material that are easy to grasp.
The second rung of the ladder involves going deeper into the material with a focus on refining understanding.
Each rung of the ladder method requires the same amount of effort, making study sessions manageable.
The technique helps in making sense of the material as the foundation and structure become stronger with each rung.
Application of the ladder method to projects and assignments, starting with easy high-level planning.
The ladder method reduces the tendency to procrastinate by making studying feel less daunting.
Invitation to learn more techniques in the speaker's full guided program.
The ladder method is a game changer for those who have never tried studying in this way.
Encouragement to watch the next recommended YouTube video for more insights on learning.
Transcripts
there is a method of learning that I've
been using for years to force my brain
to study even when I don't feel like it
especially on days where I am feeling
tired and burnt out it's called the
ladder method I use this method to study
learning science while working as a
doctor full-time while running a
business I also use this for my
full-time Masters again while I was
working full-time and I managed to
graduate at the top of my cohort it's
probably one of the most used useful
techniques that I use on a daily basis
anyone can use including you and I show
you how it works on something like this
beefy textbook but first we have to
understand why we don't feel like
learning in the first place and once you
understand that the ladder method will
make a lot of sense now there's a reason
that we don't feel overwhelmed at the
thought of tying our shoelaces or
walking 20 steps but we might get
overwhelmed at the thought of climing an
entire Mountain even though walking a
few steps and tying your shoes are the
first steps of climbing a mountain
what's happening is that our brain is
making a judgment on how hard something
is going to be and how much effort and
energy it's going to require our brain
uses a lot of energy it's the most
energy consuming organ in our body
consuming 20% of our resting energy so
it is incredibly efficient at avoiding
unnecessary energy intake now when it
comes to study in one of the most energy
consuming things that your brain has to
do and therefore doesn't want to do is
to organize information it's a crucial
part of forming memory and developing
understanding so here's how that works
imagine these marbles represent new
information each marble is a fact or
concept that you need to learn and these
cups represent how your brain is trying
to organize it whenever you learn
something new your brain has to look at
it
understand it analyze it and make a
decision about which cup it belongs in
it looks at how similar it is to what is
already inside these cups and it groups
this information based on similarities
and all of this thinking takes energy
and we feel that as mental effort our
brain is working and once it figures out
where it belongs and then it organizes
it then the mental effort goes down cuz
it's stored away and this process
repeats with the next piece of
information it looks at makes a decision
and then decides where we want to store
it and then we repeat this process until
our learning
is
complete so then what part of this makes
our brain feel overwhelmed so that we
don't feel like studying well imagine if
I didn't have any cups at all
now instead of picking up a piece of
information looking at it and asking
ourselves which Cup Does It Go in we
have to ask ourselves how many cups do I
need which cup should I get what are the
alternative options what else do I need
to put into this hypothetical cup and
then what am I meant to do if uh a few
more pieces of information later I
realize that that was wrong after all I
don't know what other options there are
because I've only got this one piece of
information to work with and trying to
figure out all of that takes much more
effort and energy which creates the I
don't want to study feeling so there are
three main ways that your brain uses
lots of energy while learning first is
to just understand what it is consuming
reading listening to the second is to
compare it with what you already know
and then the third is to decide where
it's going to put that information where
does it belong based on how similar it
is or how related it is to the things
that you just compared it to and trying
to do all three of these things at once
while you're learning creates overwhelm
and is going to be very daunting so what
do we do instead so let's say that I
want to study this chapter in this
textbook immediately I look through this
and I feel like man there's a lot to
cover I feel like this going going to
require a lot of work I'm getting
overwhelmed and now I don't want to
study this is where the ladder method
comes in based on the ladder method we
are going to be breaking up this topic
this chapter based on different rungs of
effort and each rung on the ladder is
low effort so let me show you this
here's what I'm doing during this I'm
going through the textbook and I'm
looking for the things that are low
effort I'm saying what are the things
that feel easy for me to understand that
I can easy compare with the things that
I already know and that I can easily
think about and how the topic might be
organized I'm also using some nonlinear
note taking to track my thoughts which I
talk about in some other videos I'm also
highlighting the parts that I actually
focused on just for you to be able to
see at the end of this I wouldn't
normally highlight anything when I'm
doing this just a nonlinear notes is
fine you'll be able to see that but I'm
just trying to show you what I am
focusing on and what I am either skim
reading or just compl completely
skipping because I think it would take
too much effort to try to understand or
compare or to organize by the way don't
worry this is an old ass textbook uh
with highlighting all over the place
already uh I'm not ruining a new book
okay so as you can see I have skipped
basically you know like most things if
you look at the parts that are
highlighted most of it has been skipped
you know it's pretty bare however I have
managed to with just the parts that I
focused on build a pretty decent
scaffold for me to work off of and so
this topic has become a little bit
easier for me now than it would have
been 10 15 minutes ago so if I'm really
tired I can call that a day I can end on
that rung or the ladder and I can pick
up the second rung another day or if I
want to I can just do the second rung
now and on the second rung I'm going to
do exactly the same thing I'm going to
look for the things that feel easier and
feel lower effort I'm going to build on
my scaffold and build up on my knowledge
but the difference is that it's going to
take a little bit longer each successive
rung on the ladder takes a little bit
longer because now more things make
sense to us than they did before and
we're probably ready to go into a little
bit more detail having said that it is
still low effort because now I've
established some of those major cups I
need to fill so let's now do the second
rung
[Music]
[Music]
all righty and that was about 35 minutes
that I spent on that so you can see the
second rung took a little longer I was
able to get through more detail what was
surprising in a way is that the second
rung when I went through it there wasn't
a lot more stuff that I felt like I was
going through but it was more like I was
just going through the same ideas but
deeper and really figuring it out and
you can see that a lot of the time was
spent on just organizing the information
so you can see of the ways that our
brain can use energy before I was using
a lot of that energy on just trying to
understand things and put things
together in a very general rough way
again just figuring out maybe how many
cups I need roughly and in the second
rung I'm now refining that I'm spending
more of their energy not on just
understanding but now really on just
making sure those decisions and those
compar are correct so same amount of
effort just used in a different way
depending on the rung now the third time
I go through it should be enough to
cover off this topic I'd be going
through a little bit more of those
details either adding them to my map or
adding them to flash cards depending on
the type of information most topics I
find you generally can get through all
of it in just three rungs of the ladder
and so here's the secret as to why this
technique works so well it's because
each rung takes the same effort as the
last rung and I'm splitting all the work
that I need to do for this topic into
each rung it makes every study session
easy cuz we're just not letting
ourselves spend time on things that are
hard but also it gets easier the more
you do it even though with each rung
we're covering more content and more
detail it's easier to make sense of it
because our cups and our structure and
our foundations are so strong the more
you learn the easier it gets you can
also the same approach for projects or
assignments as well where you start with
the easy high level planning first and
you progressively get more and more
detailed with each rung of the ladder
now this is just one type of way that
you can use the ladder method and there
are so many other applications of this
principle that I teach in my full guided
program but for someone who has never
tried studying like this it is a
complete Game Changer by the way if you
are interested in my program you can
check out the link in the description
there's this technique and dozens of
other techniques that you can learn once
you start using this ladder method a
couple of times your brain will realize
hey studying isn't that bad and it will
make you less likely to put things off
and less likely to procrastinate and
although this technique is amazing there
is a lot more to learning than just the
latter method so make sure to check out
this video next which YouTube thinks you
will like and as we all know the YouTube
algorithm knows us better than we know
ourselves anyway thanks for watching and
I'll see you in the next one
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