It’s obviously a great idea to read in an effort to learn and improve yourself. What do you do with what you read though? If you forget what you’ve read a short while later, then did it really do you any good to read it in the first place? Would you qualify that as a waste of time? Now it becomes a time management issue. Anyone with this problem could certainly use a new set of tools for learning.
The point in reading to learn and improve is to use what you read to change and grow as a person. If a person reads something for that purpose, it only makes sense to take whatever 
measures one can to absorb the material and put it to use. This requires an effective box of tools for learning, however.
Let’s start from the beginning and discuss some techniques to help us better learn from what we read. These techniques, or tools for learning, can be divided into three steps as follows.
1. Determine which information is of personal value to you
You could take an article and ask 100 different people to read it and tell you what about the article was valuable to them, and you would get probably 50 different responses. Some people wouldn’t get anything out of it. Others would tell you they felt like they benefitted from it, but wouldn’t be able to pinpoint what exactly they benefitted from (they should read this article!). Finally, you’d have people name different bits and pieces of what they read that they took something away from which will help them one way or another.
When you read something in an effort to learn and grow, remember that’s why you’re doing it while you’re reading. Be on the lookout for valuable nuggets in what you’re reading that you can benefit from. Know what information isn’t useful to you, and speed past it. Get to the helpful goods and devour them.
Think of it like a trip to the grocery store. You go there knowing that you’re going to buy groceries. You may or may not have a list. You’ll see lots of stuff that you don’t need while you’re there. You don’t stand around trying to find a way to use that stuff. Instead, you move quickly past it to get to the things that you think or know you can use. You select the items that you need, and you checkout and leave.
One can apply the same mindset to reading a potentially helpful article or book. Don’t waste time on the parts that don’t help you. Get in, get what you need, and get out!
2. Write things down
A person should always write down thoughts and ideas which are of value to them. Why? Well for one, writing it down increases one’s chances of remembering it. More importantly, once something is written down, one can go back and review it later. The more times you review something, of course, the greater your chances are of remembering that thing.
Get yourself in the habit of writing down thoughts and ideas that are valuable to you. This is why it is important to first be able to identify what information is valuable to you. Once you learn what thoughts or ideas could help you grow, write them down and review them from time to time in order to truly benefit from them.
It is a good idea to write down all valuable pieces of information in one place. For example, each time you read and come across something of value to you, write it in the same notebook or computer file as before. This way, when you are going to review what you’ve written down, you can review all of it instead of only the most recent item. Also, you’ll likely glance at it each time you’re writing down a new item, which will further help you to remember the things you previously wrote down.
3. Talk about what you’ve written down
When you’re reviewing the items you’ve written down, read them aloud. Hearing yourself say these things will also help you to remember them. Think of yourself as an actor or actress learning a new part. Reviewing your items out loud is your rehearsal. If you were to just read the script and try to do 1 take, you likely wouldn’t remember your lines. Rehearsing lines before the final take helps one to master them. You can take this approach to remember the valuable thoughts and ideas that you’ve written down, and it will work the same way.
Talk about the items you’ve written down with your friends and family. This requires you to conjure up the memory first, and then helps you to seal it into your memory by thinking through it in a discussion. Also, the person you’re discussing it with may be more knowledgeable on the subject, and may be able to offer you new insight or a different perspective regarding the subject.
When I learn something new and interesting, I discuss it with my wife. If it’s something she’s familiar with, we can discuss different ideas and perspectives regarding the topic. If she isn’t already familiar with the topic, then it serves to educate her on the subject as well. Either way, it definitely helps me to remember it.
You may already do this to an extent without really noticing that you do it, or without realizing its value. In the future, if you can make a conscious effort to talk about something you’ve learned with someone else, it will become that much more useful as a tool for you to remember new things.
I hope you won’t waste your time by reading something, then forgetting it. Hopefully, you will follow these steps and develop these tools for learning to ensure that you’re getting the most out of what you’re reading, and thus, the most out of your time.
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