How to Learn Almost Anything in 48 Hours Read online

  To My Father, Ali

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Foreword

  7-Step Guide to Learning Anything in 48 Hours

  1 Introduction

  How It Works

  2 Memory Principles

  3 Memory Techniques

  4 Advanced Memory Techniques

  5 Plan, then Act

  Using These Techniques

  6 Everyday Memory

  7 Study Techniques

  8 Speaking to an Audience

  9 Learning Languages

  10 Music

  11 Knowing More about…Everything

  12 Become a Memory Athlete

  Put Your Memory to Work

  Sources

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  About the Contributors

  Copyright Page

  FOREWORD

  Over the next ten years education will be massively disrupted. Everyone will be able to learn anything they want five to ten times faster than they do now. Tansel Ali has already started this disruption, and in How to Learn (Almost) Anything in 48 Hours he introduces us to concepts and techniques that give the reader tools to learn anything in record time. This enjoyable book also provides practical exercises, tools, tips and tricks to practise these skills not traditionally taught in schools. Congratulations to Tansel for leading the way to faster and better learning, and setting the groundwork for the next decade of education. The future of learning is here.

  Nolan Bushnell

  Founder of Atari Corporation

  March 2015

  7-STEP GUIDE TO LEARNING ANYTHING IN 48 HOURS

  Below is a 7-step guide to learning almost anything in 48 hours. Applied with the techniques and tips from this book, it will create a structured process for you to follow and make sure you’re on track to achieving learning success.

  1. Gather materials and resources to learn (Up to 3 hours)

  You’ve made the choice to learn something. The first step then is to gather all the resources and materials you need to get started. If you were to learn a language, for example, the list of resources might include books, audio, websites and apps. It might also be helpful to find a native speaker with whom you can practise speaking the language.

  2. Develop memorisation strategy (Up to 2 hours)

  Once you have gathered all you need, make a decision on the memory techniques you plan to use from this book. For example, if you’re wanting to memorise a lengthy list, such as past presidents of the Unites States of America, you would look at using the Method of Loci. If you’re wanting to acquire knowledge fast, you would look at developing a mind map of the content and using visualisation methods such as SMASHIN SCOPE to create engaging associations in your mind with the knowledge. Reading this book will help with identifying the most relevant strategy. The more practise you get at identifying which memory techniques to use, the better you become at developing a memorisation strategy.

  3. Organise/prioritise materials (Up to 1 hour)

  With your strategy developed, the next step is to organise the materials and resources you have to fit inside your strategy. If your strategy was to memorise all 1500 French phrases, then you will need to make sure you have your 1500 French phrases set out in a way that will make it easy for you to go through them one by one. One method of doing that is to enter or copy and paste each phrase into a spreadsheet so that it becomes easy to access.

  4. Create accountability (Up to 1 hour)

  It is important to share your learning task with a family member, friend, or anyone else that will hold you accountable. Accountability to others creates motivation to get you going so that you don’t let others down. We do tend to slack off if we are accountable to only ourselves.

  5. Memorise (Up to 30 hours)

  Once you have all of your materials and have developed your process for learning, it is time for action. It is best to start with short periods of memorisation rather than long. The reason for this is that it is less strain on the brain, you will complete a set memorisation period quickly, and as you get better you will increase your time. If you start with longer memorisation periods then it will overwhelm you very quickly. Keep it short and simple.

  6. Review (spaced repetition) (Up to 1 hour)

  Once you have memorised you will need to go back and review your work. This helps to store your memorisation in long-term memory. Depending on what you’re learning, of course, the rule for spaced repetition is to review an hour later, then a day later, then a week later, a month later, three months later, six months later and finally a year later.

  7. Practise and apply (Up to 10 hours)

  Once you have memorised and used techniques to achieve what you want, you will need to practise to give yourself feedback on your memorisation. This is the test of how much you have learned. If you have indeed memorised 1500 French phrases, go into an environment where French is spoken and have conversations. Are you able to speak it? What works? What doesn’t? Note all these down and figure out why these were the case. Learn from them and then go back and re-memorise. Having the chance to practise what you have memorised is crucial to the learning process. Memorisation only helps you to store the information, whereas learning helps you understand. Practise is the intersection where these two meet. So try to practise as much as you can and, before you know, you will learn anything you want to learn in record time.

  CHAPTER 1

  INTRODUCTION

  ‘Nothing is impossible—the word itself says

  “I’m possible”!’—Audrey Hepburn

  Time is perhaps the most precious thing we possess. We only have it once, it’s not renewable and we could all use it better. We can be so entrenched in our daily lives that, in spite of our desires, we can’t seem to find the time to better ourselves, pursue our hobbies and participate in activities we love. I frequently hear people say they wish they could learn a language, play a musical instrument or even hang out with their family more—if only they had the time. But then time passes, and nothing changes. We need to remind ourselves, as many philosophies and religions espouse, that all we have is now. How to Learn (Almost) Anything in 48 Hours gives you new skills to learn things that you never thought possible, and to make sure your time is used effectively.

  Today at the touch of a few buttons we have access to far more information than we could ever need. We’re not just bombarded with information from online but from schools, universities, short courses, seminars, workshops and conferences. Unfortunately, our brains are often unable to cope with the relentless volume of data from multiple sources day after day. Information overload is a real problem and can cause anxiety and stress. The knock-on effects of stress may mean increased forgetfulness, and reduced confidence, self-esteem and productivity. Learning should be exciting and fun and never frightening. With that in mind, this book is a deliberate, conscious disruption to traditional learning methods, especially that of rote learning.

  Studying memory has made me appreciate that the brain is far more amazing than most of us realise. The idea for How to Learn (Almost) Anything in 48 Hours came about after I memorised two Yellow Pages phone books in only twenty-four days. I reasoned that the techniques and strategies that helped me do that could be used by everyone to learn faster and better, and the memory techniques explained
here apply to all forms of information-based learning.

  No matter what your school grades, class, culture or environment indicate, I believe you can learn anything you want to. Nothing is too difficult. People who have learned these memory techniques have gone on to learn languages in record time, memorise books, shine as elite athletes, dazzle as public speakers, and become outstanding leaders and people of influence such as inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk and basketball star LeBron James. You do not require a degree or need to have blitzed special exams to have this knowledge. You just need your imagination and the will to try.

  • Make the most of now. Don’t delay starting something. There is only now.

  • Think about your personal goals and how you would like to lead your life.

  • Your mind is amazing, therefore you have the ability to be amazing.

  • Do not be afraid to fail. I’m writing this book because I’ve failed countless times.

  • Don’t give up. Muhammad Ali was once asked how many sit-ups he could do. He replied that he only started counting once he started to hurt. Pushing through that difficult part will lead to success.

  HOW IT WORKS

  ‘The secret of getting ahead is getting stated.’

  —Mark Twain

  DID YOU KNOW?

  New brain connections are created every time you form a memory.

  CHAPTER 2

  MEMORY PRINCIPLES

  In recent years there has been an explosion of interest in all matters to do with the brain, as seen in the popularity of brain apps, books and games, and topics such as plasticity and general brain health gaining greater currency. This book helps you adopt newer, faster, more effective forms of learning, which also means training your brain to think and act in new ways.

  Imagination is the key

  For generations rote learning has been our principal way of remembering things, with repetition the sole focus of our memorisation. A more effective way of remembering, though, is to use our imagination. Rather than repeat information over and over again we can create highly imaginative visual stories to connect with what is to be remembered. Aside from being fun, remembering made-up stories engages our brain in many more ways than traditional memorisation. Words are processed on one side of the brain, images on the other. Repeating words is ineffective, but creating images from those words is incredibly strong.

  Consider how often people go back to reread sentences in books because they felt they missed something or could have understood something better. It happens a lot. Contrast that with people watching a movie and how many would rewind every few minutes to make sure they don’t miss anything. I’m guessing there would be none. This is because the movie visually engages us; we see body language, environments, we feel emotion, we experience being in the moment, we are one with the movie. Reading text is different. There needs to be an ‘encoding’ process that transforms the text into images for us to truly understand—we need to create the experience. This doesn’t mean that watching something is better than reading. It just means that using visual processes to trigger your imagination helps us remember better. Reading text can also trigger the imagination far beyond what we see on a movie screen. It is the use of imagination that will give you a better mind and memory to learn faster and better.

  Memory foundation: the building blocks to a better memory

  Before learning memory techniques, it is essential to build a foundation for your memory. Having a foundation gives you the basics to remember and learn anything. Without it you will not learn as effectively and will need to keep going back to review your work. Interestingly, the two major principles discussed in this chapter build both memory foundation skills and creativity; they work hand in hand, complementing each other in the memory process.

  SMASHIN SCOPE

  One of the greatest learning methods I’ve come across in my many years as a memory trainer is called SMASHIN SCOPE. It was devised by British learning entrepreneur Tony Buzan, who also created mind mapping (more of that later), and his colleague Vanda North. It’s an acronym that details how we can use our brain to greatly enhance our visual perception. These twelve principles not only help us remember better, they help us become a more creative and lateral thinker.

  Synaesthesia/Senses. This interesting word refers to our senses and sensations. Generally when we picture something it is a static image. If I said ‘whiteboard’, most people will see in their mind’s eye a whiteboard—either mounted on a wall or on castors. Rather than just ‘seeing’ the image, if we use our other senses we can become further engaged and involved with our subject—think of smell, touch, taste and sound. If you went up to the whiteboard and licked it, what would it taste like? Next time you see static images, use your senses to exercise your mind.

  Movement. Movement makes a static image dynamic. Using the whiteboard example, we can now visualise it spinning around, moving from side to side, or even growing legs and walking out of the room. The subject could even be you moving around the object—maybe you’re flying around it or vice versa. Movement creates traction in the brain that connects its subject, making it more memorable.

  Association. Without association there is no connection. If there is no connection then there is no memory. Visualise a pen next to paper—this is a weak association because there is no physical connection, but if the pen writes on the paper there is a connection. But to make this more exciting and memorable, what if the pen scribbles on the paper, ripping it to shreds? Writing on paper is a very logical and common thing. The shredding story doesn’t occur every day so it’s more memorable, with the brain saying, ‘Wow, what just happened?’

  Sexuality/Self. Tony Buzan says we all have a good memory around this topic so let’s use it. Maybe what you’re trying to remember or visualise resembles a certain body part. There are many ways to use this type of imagery for people so inclined. When I’m working with kids, though, I tell them to visualise themselves as the subject: imagine being the actual whiteboard. How does it feel to have people write on your face all day? Do you get a kick out of it or are you stuck and wishing to be free?

  Humour. Something funny can be a huge help with your visualising. This doesn’t mean you have to be the funniest person in the room, it means use what’s funny to you. When I meet someone called John, for example, I immediately picture him sitting on a toilet. For me that’s funny, for others it may not be—but it is memorable. I believe comedians are often super-creative beings because they find ways to communicate a point and to make it entertaining and unique. If you want to exercise your creativity, why not learn more about comedy?

  Imagination. When we visualise we usually think of real things in our world. We try and make logical associations with what we are trying to remember: I sat down on the chair; I stopped at the red light; I typed on my laptop. These examples are perfectly normal, but they are not memorable. If we want to have a great memory and become more creative, we need to step outside this logical realm. Instead of just imagining sitting on a chair, how about the chair turning around, jumping and then sitting on you? Your brain sees this image with stunning clarity precisely because it isn’t a normal occurrence, and so a stronger mental image is created. Imagination is your friend that can take you to places and help you see things you have never seen or experienced before. As Victor Hugo so vividly put it: ‘Imagination is intelligence with an erection.’

  Numbers. Sometimes we need a bit of order in our visualisations. Numbers create that order and provide some much needed relief for the logical thinkers among us. Applying numbers that mean something to you to an image can create a
much stronger emotional connection to that image. The number 23, for example, reminds me of the great sporting hero Michael Jordan. If I see the number 23 anywhere it reminds me of him and the day my Jordan 5 shoes were stolen while playing interschool football.

  Symbolism. As we’ve heard, a picture is worth a thousand words. Symbols often carry a great deal of information at just a glance. They also help communicate a specific message. What would happen, say, if street signs were written in sentences? You wouldn’t have time to read them before another sign appeared, and then another, then Bang! you’ve crashed. Your brain processes images much faster than words, which is exactly how speed reading works.

  Colour. Creativity loves colour. Used well, colours can help you think and remember very quickly. Instead of visualising a bright red tomato, perhaps see it as a bright blue tomato. That whiteboard might actually be black and blue, not white and silver. All you need to do is visualise the difference, and that will be enough to make it memorable. But you don’t always have to choose a different colour to visualise the item. Imagine Uluru in all its beauty against the setting sun, the amazing red rock glowing as you move closer to it. It is mesmerising. If you use the same colour as the thing you’re visualising, then accentuate it and bring out that experience in your mind. Try and feel the colour if you can.

  Order. Creating a sequence of events or stories allows our brain to follow a visual pattern that helps us to remember. Creating these patterns and sequences not only builds creativity, it also assists us in grouping things and storing them safely in our brain. This is where techniques such as the Method of Loci help us connect random objects together (chapter 3).

  Positive Images. Happy, positive images make you feel all cosy inside and they do help you remember. Negative images are often as memorable or even more so. When visualising you can use either: the bright red tomato looked so tasty I ate it; the tomato was rotten, but I still ate it—and then I vomited. The brain loves drama and gets attached to it.