Hello all, I’ve just got into reading and finished 3 books in about 3 months. The thing is I cannot for the life of me tell you what any of those 3 books are about. When I say I don’t remember I mean it.
I just finished atomic habits which seems like a rather easy read but I can’t remember what the book is about.
I’ve searched Reddit and YouTube and how to remember what you read but nothing is sticking.
Can any one share some tips? I’m going through a rough time and mainly focusing on self help books but they can’t help me if I don’t remember.
Thank you!
You may want to research and apply some study skills, as if you were reading these books for a college class.
You should do your own research to learn more, but some things I remember are:
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study in 20 minute blocks. After 20 minutes, take a break and think about what you’ve just read.
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try and put what you’ve just read into your own words
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take notes and write down themes/ideas that you thought were important.
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if you’re easily distracted, try and read in a quiet place.
These are just some ideas, but you’ll find many more if you look around online, or maybe pick up a book specifically about this. But remember, your memory, and your capacity to retain and repeat information, is a skill that can be improved. So don’t give up!
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Haha - yeah I know that feeling. If it’s self-help books then I would say taking notes or marking up the books to refer back to key points.
The thing I find with self-help books is the more you read, the more you drown in ideas. I now tend to leave more time between to help the ideas grow and test them out. I’ll often read a novel or something in-between.