7 proven techniques to retain what you read

Reading a book is truly rewarding, but remembering what has been read is not so straightforward. Here are seven sure effective ways to remember and carry along with you whatever falls from every book. After all, knowledge shouldn’t end at the turn of the last page.

Chose books for your intentions

Choose books that you would like based on your objective and goals. When reading, you are focused on whatever material you have. You’re more interested in what you’ll be reading and this sets your brain to consume what you read. Now, be selective to ensure you read something that will test your mind or raise your knowledge for personal purposes or professionally.

Take a note while reading

Record your insights, underlining important passages or describing them in your words. Note-taking helps you understand and process content actively. The act of writing fixes your memory better and encourages you to understand better. You can even use sticky notes or other digital applications like Kindle for note-taking.

Teach what you’ve learnt

Teaching the material to someone else is one of the best ways to remember it. Tell a friend, family member, or even through social media what you learned in the book. It’s said that if you can explain it simply then you understand it. Remembering and reflecting regularly should also be done.

After finishing a book, take a few minutes to review your notes summarising key ideas and thoughts about the connection of ideas with what you have otherwise read or experienced. Every once in a while go over your notes — weekly, monthly — to help make memory firmer and new light could emerge over time.

Apply what you’ve learnt

Make the information practical. Apply a concept or strategy from the book to real life. For instance, if you are reading something on productivity, try to do a new method in your daily routine. Application directs abstract ideas into real concrete experiences, and hence easy to remember.

Discuss the book with someone

Join a book club, participate in online forums, or discuss with a friend what you are reading. Discussions broaden new insights and facilitate the learning process. Listening to other people’s interpretations can help you understand and remember the information much better.

Review the book after six weeks

Not every book needs to be read twice, but a reading of a few months would help to imprint the memory. You might find ideas or insights missed the first time. That is what is known as spaced repetition, a very efficient technique to retain things over time.

These strategies are going to help you be able to absorb and hold onto more from each one of the books, rendering reading not a passive entertainment but an active, ongoing learning process.