Did you stretch?
Did you know that you need to stretch even after you learn something?
When I’m not being a learning nerd, I’m a fitness nerd. I’ve explored Tennis, Crossfit, Yoga, Running. There is one thing that remains constant across all - stretching. It’s one of those things that coaches emphasise as one of the most important things. We recognise the importance of stretching in fitness, but forget about it in learning.
Learning something new is like a good workout. It the right amount of intense - not too easy, nor too hard. There are times when you feel like giving up and it requires immense willpower to stick it out.
Irrespective of whether you pick a sport or a form of exercise, most workouts look something like this - stretch - workout - stretch. Those 10-15 mins of stretching after your workout can have the most profound impact on your fitness. The lack thereof can cause injuries and poor recovery. In a way, stretching helps in closing the loop on the workout.
Similar to that, in learning as well - it’s important to close the loop. Let’s take an example:
Situation A: You’ve read a book
Situation B: You’ve read a book and you talk to a friend about what stood out for you
Which one do you think you’ll remember what you learnt 3 months later? Situation B right?
Let’s take another example:
Situation A: You cook something new in the kitchen without following a recipe
Situation B: You cook something new in the kitchen without following a recipe and note it down for future reference
The next time you want to cook the same dish, which of the above will help you recreate that recipe again?
David Perell talks about the water cup analogy of learning. Learning is more than just acquiring knowledge, it is also being able to retrieve that knowledge when you need it. And that is exactly where stretching helps us.
Here are some ways in which you can stretch after you learn (based on the concept of generative learning)
Summarise it: Pick on the core concept and try to summarise it in your own words
Map it out: Try to find interconnections between different things you’ve learnt and visualise it using mind maps, process diagrams or causal loop diagrams
Make it visual: Draw a visual representation of what you have learnt
Teach it to a friend: Teaching others helps you become a better learner. (More on this here)
Act it out: Perform actions, gestures or do a role play on the concepts you have learnt
So the next time you’re learning something? Don’t forget to stretch!