Before you go to sleep, remind yourself about what you’ve learned today.

• Your neurons continue to change and fire and reconnect in new patterns while you consciously focus on other things and while you daydream and sleep. But you can do things to steer and focus this massive incognito capability of yours.

Involve your whole body! From time to time in your learning sessions, move around, take breaks, exercise a bit.

• This will keep oxygen and neuron-boosters like BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor – a neuron-feeding protein that appears to even generate new neurons!!!).
• This will also give your unconscious brain a chance to consolidate some of your learning (assumes you concentrated and captured the information into your brain in the first place!)

Space your learning sessions. Block out specific times and situations to focus and try things.

• Your brain will be able to use the in-between time to consolidate what you have learned.

Set your timer for 25-45 minutes, then when it goes off, stop and move, rest your brain, reward yourself in some small way.

• When the timer goes off, stop – even if you are in the middle of something. When you come back, you’ll be motivated to finish what you started (The benefit of learning for specific time periods is called the Pomodoro technique) the value of interruptions is called the Zeigarnik Effect)

Use the interleaving technique. This happens when you- alternate different methods that are focused on what you want to learn.

• If your goal is to become a better listener, for example, read a bit. Then watch a best practice video. Then try out a new listening technique with somebody in your family. All related but different learning sources. (There is a list of resources and tips for how to use them in the Tip, Learn From Any Resource in this App.
• Tackling your learning challenge from a variety of angles helps create the multiple neuron connections and brain pathways that will make your learning stick.

Imagine or talk about how and where you will use what you are learning.

• This links your learning with the environment where you will use it (your memory works better when actions and ideas are linked with places – it is called episodic memory).
• This makes it more likely that your environment will trigger you to use your learning – the memories, skills, and any changes you want to make.

Learn with someone.

• A shared learning experience adds and helps you process ideas and intentions – helping concentration
• When you work with other people, the hormone oxytocin is often released, making learning more pleasurable

Talk about your learning with others – get their support during peaks and valleys

• At the beginning of your learning project, get a learning partner to learn with.
• Periodically talk with somebody about your learning, ask for feedback, share successes and frustrations. You can share your goals and commitments and ask others to help you keep on your learning path. This will help you get through the difficult times.

Try out new methods with a co-worker or partner as part of your learning.

• This will also create an ally when you are ready to fully transfer your learning to life.