A Faster Method for studying

Summary

The speaker shares insights from the book 'Limitless' about maximizing learning potential through the FASTER method. They highlight the importance of forgetting preconceived notions, asking deep questions, maintaining a healthy state of mind, teaching what you’ve learned, and creating a productive environment. The speaker emphasizes building a personalized routine for optimal learning and productivity, drawing comparisons to a car that needs the right fuel to perform well. The message encourages experimenting with routines to find what works best and staying disciplined to foster deep work and focus.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The author from *Limitless* values learning as the ultimate superpower and focuses on a technique called 'Faster' for deeper understanding.
• 🔄 The 'Forget' step emphasizes forgetting prior knowledge to approach new subjects with humility and curiosity, asking fundamental questions.
• 😌 Maintaining a good state of mind is crucial for deep focus. The author recommends techniques like deep breathing, regular physical activity, and mindful time blocking.
• 🎓 Teaching the material to oneself or others reinforces learning. The speaker uses mind maps and flashcards to simplify and connect concepts.
• 🏞️ Creating an optimal environment for studying is key. For the author, environments free of distractions, such as a library, help maintain focus.
• 🔧 Routine is essential for consistent deep work. The speaker mentions the importance of structuring the day, particularly with exercise and regular study times.
• 💡 Personalization is important: everyone's routine and study method should be tailored to their own preferences, like exercising at different times of the day.
• 🎯 The speaker uses specific tools like the app 'Freeform' for creating mind maps and structuring knowledge effectively.
• 🚗 The metaphor of treating oneself like a car helps in understanding the importance of refueling (rest, exercise) to maintain productivity.
• 🕓 A balance of structure and spontaneity is crucial. While the week follows a routine, weekends are left unplanned to encourage creativity and relaxation.

Q & A

What is the key concept from the book 'Limitless' that stood out to the speaker?

The key concept that stood out is the idea of choosing the superpower of being able to learn anything deeply and quickly. The speaker emphasizes that this is something everyone can achieve through methods like the FAST (with an added 'ER') approach.

What does the 'F' in the speaker's FASTER learning method stand for?

The 'F' stands for 'Forget.' The speaker explains that forgetting what you already know about a subject is essential to approach it with an open mind and ask fundamental questions.

Why is asking questions important in the learning process?

Asking questions is important because it leads to deeper understanding. By being humble and admitting you don't know everything, you can engage in meaningful inquiry, which helps you grasp concepts at a more profound level.

How does the speaker prepare their mind and body for studying?

The speaker prepares by engaging in deep breathing exercises, physical activity, and mindful time blocking. These practices help maintain a good state of mind and focus before engaging in deep work.

What role does teaching play in the speaker’s learning method?

Teaching plays a crucial role, as the speaker uses techniques like mind maps and flashcards to simulate teaching themselves the material. This helps reinforce understanding and identify connections between different concepts.

How does the speaker use environment to enhance focus during study sessions?

The speaker believes in creating an intentional environment free of distractions, such as studying in the library with noise-cancelling headphones. This helps create a focused, mindful study routine, allowing deeper engagement with the material.

How did the speaker adapt their study environment during the COVID lockdown?

During the COVID lockdown, the speaker created a focused study environment at home by setting a specific time (6:00 to 9:00 PM) and organizing their study area with a lamp and a time-block planner, which helped them get into the right mindset.

Why is routine so important to the speaker’s learning process?

Routine is important because it helps create consistency and structure, allowing the speaker to work at optimal capacity. It helps eliminate distractions and maintain a clear sense of direction throughout the week.

How does the speaker adjust their routine to match their personal preferences?

The speaker tailors their routine to their personal preferences, such as running in the morning to kickstart their day or finding the best time of day for deep work. They emphasize that everyone has different needs and should experiment to find what works best for them.

What advice does the speaker offer about finding the right study routine?

The speaker advises experimenting with different routines and not blindly following others’ advice. They recommend trying various schedules, such as early morning or late-night study sessions, and finding what fits your unique needs and energy levels.

Outlines

00:00

💡 Unlocking the Superpower of Learning

The speaker reflects on the idea of superpowers, noting how many people choose abilities like flying or super strength. However, the author of the book *Limitless* introduces the concept of the ultimate superpower: the ability to learn anything deeply. This leads to the method called 'Faster,' with an emphasis on the importance of forgetting prior knowledge to ask better, more fundamental questions. The speaker explains how this approach is key to understanding subjects on a deeper level, using personal experiences of learning new modules at university.

05:00

🧠 Prepping the Mind for Deep Learning

The speaker emphasizes the importance of mental preparation before studying, likening it to physical exercise. Techniques such as deep breathing, working out, time-blocking, and limiting social media are discussed as ways to create the optimal mental state for deep learning. Additionally, the speaker shares personal habits like creating daily rules, breathing exercises before exams, and strategies for setting up productive study sessions to achieve focus.

👨‍🏫 Teaching as a Learning Tool

The speaker discusses the 'teach' phase of the Faster method, where teaching the material to oneself helps reinforce understanding. Techniques like using flashcards, creating mind maps, and pretending to be a lecturer are recommended. The speaker also highlights the importance of simplifying complex ideas, especially in engineering, and suggests using apps like Freeform to visualize and connect ideas for better comprehension.

🛋️ Optimizing Your Study Environment

Creating an intentional, distraction-free study environment is emphasized as crucial for effective learning. Drawing inspiration from *Atomic Habits*, the speaker shares how environmental factors, such as a well-organized study area, headphones, and tracking study hours, foster focus. The speaker gives personal examples of how studying in the university library and creating specific routines during A-levels helped improve focus and productivity.

🔄 The Power of Routine

The speaker highlights the importance of establishing a personal study routine that maximizes productivity. Drawing an analogy to fueling a car, the speaker explains that routines, such as morning workouts and structured study times, help the brain operate optimally. However, routines should be customized to each person’s preferences. The speaker advises experimenting with different habits and schedules to find what works best, while also incorporating flexibility on weekends for spontaneous rest.

Keywords

💡Superpower

A superpower, in this context, refers to a personal ability that one wishes to possess beyond normal human capacities. In the video, the speaker contrasts traditional superpowers, like flying or immense strength, with the ability to 'learn anything deeply.' This learning superpower is viewed as more beneficial for personal growth and intellectual mastery.

💡Faster Method

The 'Faster Method' is a learning technique mentioned in the video, originally based on the FAST method. It involves a step-by-step process to optimize learning, starting with forgetting prior knowledge to approach a subject with fresh curiosity, and then building from there. The speaker added the letter 'R' for routine, emphasizing the importance of a structured approach to deep learning.

💡Forgetting

Forgetting is highlighted as a critical first step in the learning process. It means setting aside pre-existing knowledge to approach new information with an open and unbiased mind. The speaker explains that this allows them to ask fundamental questions and gain a deeper understanding of a subject.

💡Deep Breathing

Deep breathing is used as a mental preparation technique before studying or taking exams. The speaker compares deep breaths taken during physical exertion, like sprinting, to preparing the brain for cognitive exertion. It helps in calming the mind, enhancing focus, and getting into the right mental state for learning.

💡Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a visual learning tool the speaker uses to organize and simplify complex information. By creating diagrams that link different ideas or concepts, it helps in understanding how various elements interconnect. The speaker mentions that simplifying complex engineering topics through mind maps aids in better comprehension and retention.

💡Environment

Environment refers to the physical and mental space in which one studies or works. The speaker stresses that a distraction-free environment, such as the library or a personal study area, is crucial for deep focus and productive study sessions. The environment should be intentionally crafted to enhance learning.

💡Routine

Routine is the structured, repetitive practice that forms the foundation for effective learning. The speaker highlights how having a daily routine, such as working out, studying, and maintaining good sleep patterns, helps optimize mental performance. Each person needs to find a routine that fits their personal rhythms and productivity patterns.

💡State of Mind

The state of mind refers to the mental and emotional condition required to focus and learn effectively. The speaker explains how deep breathing, mindfulness, and exercise help create a positive state of mind that enhances cognitive function, making it easier to engage in focused study.

💡Teaching

Teaching is described as a powerful tool for reinforcing one's own learning. The speaker mentions using self-teaching, by either talking out loud or organizing thoughts in their head, as a way to solidify knowledge after reviewing material. It helps clarify concepts and deepen understanding by simulating the role of a lecturer.

💡Intentional Practice

Intentional practice involves purposeful, goal-oriented study sessions designed to improve specific areas of learning. In the video, the speaker refers to setting up an environment and time-blocking sessions as part of this approach, ensuring each study session is focused, productive, and free of distractions.

Highlights

The idea of choosing learning as a superpower: Instead of common choices like flying or strength, the author of the book 'Limitless' emphasizes learning anything deeply and efficiently as a powerful skill.

The FAST method for learning: The speaker introduces a modified version of this learning technique, renamed 'FASTER,' which highlights the importance of forgetting prior knowledge to learn new concepts deeply.

Forgetting to enhance learning: To fully understand new subjects, the speaker explains the need to forget what you already know and approach new material with humility and curiosity.

Asking fundamental questions: The speaker stresses the importance of asking good, basic questions to deepen understanding and reveals that being honest about gaps in knowledge leads to better learning.

Deep breathing as a study preparation tool: The speaker uses deep breathing techniques before studying or taking exams, likening it to preparing for physical exercise, to engage the brain.

The importance of movement and exercise: Physical movement and workouts help the speaker clear their mind and stay focused before engaging in deep work.

Creating strict productivity rules: The speaker discusses the benefits of creating personal rules or constraints, like time-blocking and scheduling, to maintain focus and productivity.

Teaching as a learning strategy: The speaker highlights how they use teaching techniques, such as explaining concepts out loud or in their head, to reinforce their own understanding of the material.

Mind maps and flashcards as study tools: The speaker shares how creating mind maps and flashcards helps them simplify and connect complex ideas in a way that aids deeper understanding.

Environment matters for focused studying: The speaker stresses the importance of studying in an environment with zero distractions, such as the library, and creating intentional practices to boost focus.

Using free-form apps for mind mapping: The speaker mentions the use of apps like Freeform on their iPad to create mind maps, making learning more interactive and visually organized.

The role of routine in productivity: The speaker emphasizes the importance of having a structured daily routine, with a start and end time, to maintain focus and maximize output.

Individualized routines: The speaker encourages experimentation to find a routine that works for each person, acknowledging that different people might thrive with different schedules.

Weekend spontaneity to reset: While maintaining a strict routine during the week, the speaker values having completely free, unplanned weekends to recharge and balance their productivity.

Treating learning like fueling a car: The speaker compares themselves to a car, moving through destinations, stopping to refuel, and continuing to the next task, illustrating the need for breaks and structured study time.

Transcripts

so I've read this book called Limitless

what stuck out to me was when you asked

a question when you're little oh if you

could have one superpower what would it

be lots of people say I would like to

fly or I would like to be the strongest

person in the world or something like

Hulk but this guy in the book he said

his one was to be able to learn anything

like that to be able to learn stuff so

deeply and the beautiful thing about

that is that you can do it and he talks

about this method called fast but I've

implemented ER at the end as something

that I've found that helps me also so

it's faster why forgetting is so

important why it comes first is because

before you study something for the first

time say I was going to approach my new

module at University called

vibrations so it's like almost a

intersection between two things I

already know but for me to fully

understand it at a deeper level to

forget everything I already knew and ask

really fundamental questions and that's

where it comes to the second part so you

have to be humble and forget everything

you already knew to be able to ask

really good quality questions because

most of the time I'll be honest with

myself that I don't know it and I need

to go through it a bit more to be able

to understand it a bit more deeper and

then whil this is going all on I want to

have a good state of mind so one things

a couple things that helped me is like I

made a video on my channel how seven

rules I follow throughout the day

creating rules for myself

constraints and things that I play this

game called life with but things that

help me is if you ask anybody i' breathe

really deeply really audibly before I

study or if I'm in an

exam because my thought process with it

was when I'm running and I'm sprinting I

have to breathe low like really I have

to have really heavy bre breaths right

and when I'm doing studying I think of

it the same thing I'm working out my

brain so I try to do deep breaths for

like five deep breaths before I study I

try and work out I try and move my body

I try and have a mindful time blocking

practice I like to have strict schedule

productivity to help me be in a good

state of mind I like to spend good

quality time with my friends and my

family I don't like to be on social

media because it doesn't help my state

of mind before so things that help you

set yourself up to be able to get into

deep deep like work the next thing is

teach so I use my bear sometimes to do

this but generally you don't have to say

it audibly you can have it in your own

head and when I gone through like my

lecture slides I've asked some key

questions I might have researched it a

bit um after I've gone through that I've

made flashcards or I've just made an

outline of a mind map I'll try and go

through it and try and like Link in

stuff and act like I'm a lecturer trying

to teach myself almost and I found my

maps to be really good for that so if

you're just reviewing the flash cards

you've made from those questions that

you've gone from your lecture slides

trying to make a bit of like a rough

mind map you don't have to write any

words um just to find the connections

the overall structure so that you can

kind of simplify and simplify and

simplify within engineering the more I'm

learning more complex things the more

you have to simplify them because if you

don't know how to simplify it there's no

way of actually analyzing it in the

first place so whatever you learn learn

it at a deep level ask questions be

humble to ask all the questions you can

and become really intensely curious

about what you're learning and then when

you've done that and you've as answered

and you've learned about the questions

you've asked yourself sit down and try

and teach yourself it and just find out

the bigger structure and how it all

interlinks together I use an app called

free form on my IP to do that really

useful and really helpful and the last

two are things that really helped me is

environment the next one so the

reason I think environment is a really

big thing when a study is because I've

read Atomic habits and it's all about

creating an intentional practice when

you study so for me what helps me is I

have my time block off the right side of

me it's showing me what I'm doing and

I'm tracking and logging the hours I'm

studying and it's more mindful practice

so so having that environment being in a

place with no distractions having my

headphones in with sometimes like

binaural beats or brown noise or just

dead silence um having like this

environment that you create yourself

that has zero distractions and really

helps you get in the zone so for me at

University I found that I have to go to

unu first thing in the morning because I

need that to to like that environment to

work so I'd like to go to the library

because when when I'm at the library I

feel like someone's watching me and it

helps me get more deep and focus within

that and

um yeah like create a good environment

for yourself and how I did that during

my a levels during Co where I had to

study from home I would be like right

I'm going to study after school from

6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in my study I'm going

to do this thing and that helped me be

very clear with my environment and when

I sat down to work I put my lamp on had

my time block planner out and I just got

really deep in into the zone and I got I

let myself get really curious and do the

first step forget ask have a good state

so I worked out before and I taught

myself it and I feel like that's so

important and then the next one is R

which is

routine um so this is like a big thing

for me uh one of video that blew up was

like my simple study routine because um

I've been thinking about that for years

like in the background of my mind and

it's something that I've really gone

over and over trying to make the best

routine for me to help myself and my

engine work at full capacity I like to

think of uh myself almost like a car um

and I've got a type of engine and if I

provide it with the right fuel it will

be the most optimal and it will output

the right things

and routine could be different to

everybody because I believe everyone has

their own different engine and everyone

needs their own different Fuel and for

me to help me learn and study and think

deeply I need a routine I need something

that has a structure I need a start time

and end time I need to work out in the

morning I have going to my runs in the

morning because it just sets my day out

helps me move gets me good state of mind

I like to work out after I study um and

I like to have good quality sleep and

stuff like that and generally really

obsessing over your own r

routine and finding out what works for

you because you might be able to wake up

straight away and study that might be

your thing or you might want to work out

go for a run or something then study you

have to find out what routine works best

for you so be like a a lab rat of your

own experiment and I think that's

something that's really important

especially with social media and loads

of people telling you their routines

it's very important to take it with a

grain of Sal and think right maybe

running first thing in the morning

doesn't work work for you maybe you feel

better doing it in the evening do that

um or say you prefer to just wake up at

like 5:00 a.m. and do your your work or

you prefer to stay up late and do your

work depends on what type of person you

are but having a

routine allows you to get immersed into

the flow I found habitual nature of deep

work knowing and doing at the same time

and place every day is really helpful

but obviously you can't have that

always and that's when on the weekends I

like to have a completely free calendar

I like to have nothing planned and I

like to just go with the spontaneity of

the day and just don't have to worry

about it but when I'm working I almost

treat myself like a like a car going to

different destinations I know where I'm

going I'm trying to get to that point

and then I'll probably stop refuel and

then I'll get to another point and it

just helps helps me throughout the week

not get distracted because I know what

I'm doing where I'm going and yeah um if

that method helps you study a bit better

and helps you focus throughout the week

or the day during the studying um great

but if it doesn't find what else works

for you and I think yeah so thank you

very much for watching if you like this

video give it a like And subscribe and I

will see you all next week peace