How to Remember More of What You Read, Hear, and See | Video

Project Managers must cope with a torrent of reading material. And when you want to learn, there’s a wealth of articles, videos, and podcasts. Plus, at work, you have articles, meeting minutes, and reports to read. So, how can you remember more of what you read, hear, and see?

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Reading, Listening, and Viewing are the easy parts of Learning

It would be simple if you could just read or watch something, and it would stick. If only the ideas and essence would stay in your memory.

But they don’t.

And your rush-rush, busy-busy life is largely to blame. Dashing from one thing to another is a recipe for… what was the word?

If you want to remember more of what you read, hear, or watch, try this…

First, do more of your reading, watching, and listening when you are fresh. This way, your mind is primed and ready to store the new information.

Next, if you can do so without distractions, you’ll be able to focus 100 percent.

But the Magic in Crafting Memory so You can Remember More comes Afterwards 

Process the information through ‘active reflection’. 

• Make notes about the key points.
• Better still, transform them into a mind-map, a diagram, a table, a mnemonic, or even a list.
• Think about how what you’ve read fits with what you already know…
• How it changes your understanding of things
• And how will it affect what you need to know or do in the future?

And my top tip is to use that information as soon as you can. Tell someone about it, bring up its implications in a meeting, or write about it.

If You are Studying, Make a New Habit to Remember More

Here’s something for when you’ve finished learning a new topic. It could be reading, videos, or exercises. 

1. draw a map of the ideas you’ve covered
2. show connections to other ideas
3. describe, out loud, the essential points, as if explaining them to someone else

This way, you process that information through your mind in different ways. You draw it, say, it, and hear it.

Recommended Videos to Help you Remember More

Carefully curated video recommendations for you:

• Purposeful Reflection… What did You Learn? | Video
• How to Learn from Failure | Video
• Failure and Blame: Learn to Avoid Project Failure | Video
• How to Make Your Message Memorable | Video
• How to Pass Your PMP Exam [Project Management Professional] | Video

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What Kit does a Project Manager Need?

I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list. I added my own. 

Check out the Kit a Project Manager needs

Note that the links are affiliated.

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For more of our videos in themed collections, join our Free Academy of Project Management.