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How to retain everything you learn.
The Spaced Repetition Method (science-backed):
The Spaced Repetition Method (science-backed):
Spaced Repetition leverages cognitive science to help you retain new information.
It plays on the way our brains work to convert short-term to long-term memory.
With Spaced Repetition, information is consumed at increasing intervals until it's committed to long-term memory.
It plays on the way our brains work to convert short-term to long-term memory.
With Spaced Repetition, information is consumed at increasing intervals until it's committed to long-term memory.
Here's how it works:
You first consume some new information at 8am.
Now you start the repetitions:
• Rep 1: 9am (1 hr later)
• Rep 2: 12pm (3 hrs later)
• Rep 3: 6pm (6 hrs later)
• Rep 4: 6am (12 hrs later)
• and so on
The memory is reinforced at increasing intervals.
You first consume some new information at 8am.
Now you start the repetitions:
• Rep 1: 9am (1 hr later)
• Rep 2: 12pm (3 hrs later)
• Rep 3: 6pm (6 hrs later)
• Rep 4: 6am (12 hrs later)
• and so on
The memory is reinforced at increasing intervals.
Why does this work?
Think of your brain as a muscle—each repetition is a "flex" of that muscle.
By steadily increasing the intervals between reps, you are pushing the muscle with a steadily more challenging load.
You're forcing the retention muscle to grow.
Think of your brain as a muscle—each repetition is a "flex" of that muscle.
By steadily increasing the intervals between reps, you are pushing the muscle with a steadily more challenging load.
You're forcing the retention muscle to grow.
The science behind Spaced Repetition is fascinating:
German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus was the first to identify its effect on retention.
In an 1885 paper, he formulated the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve (EFC).
The EFC maps the exponential loss of newly-learned information.
German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus was the first to identify its effect on retention.
In an 1885 paper, he formulated the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve (EFC).
The EFC maps the exponential loss of newly-learned information.
Ebbinghaus observed that each time the newly-learned information was reviewed, the EFC was reset at the starting point, but with a *slower decay curve*.
This is important!
Spaced Repetitions had the effect of flattening the memory retention decay curve.
Try it. It just works.
This is important!
Spaced Repetitions had the effect of flattening the memory retention decay curve.
Try it. It just works.
Spaced Repetition is a science-backed retention method.
There are plenty of free tools available to put it into practice.
Follow me @SahilBloom for more writing on learning and growth. I write about these topics in my newsletter. Join nearly 150K others! sahilbloom.com
There are plenty of free tools available to put it into practice.
Follow me @SahilBloom for more writing on learning and growth. I write about these topics in my newsletter. Join nearly 150K others! sahilbloom.com
One of the ways I “stack” this in practice is by combining it with teaching as an ultra-powerful way to learn.
After I learn something new, I’ll try to teach it in a natural setting (on calls or in normal discussions) at increasing intervals.
It cements the insight beautifully.
After I learn something new, I’ll try to teach it in a natural setting (on calls or in normal discussions) at increasing intervals.
It cements the insight beautifully.
Here’s a neat tool that one of my followers built to help execute on the Spaced Repetition Method in practice.
No affiliation, just thought it was cool! mindreps.co
No affiliation, just thought it was cool! mindreps.co
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