4 Step SECRET SYSTEM For Remembering EVERYTHING You Read

We’ve all been there.

You get all motivated and hyped up. You delete all your social media apps. You go and buy a bunch of self-improvement books.
“I’m going to be so intellectual now! This is the new me!”

But for some reason, it seem like no matter how much you read:

Your life doesn’t seem to be changing.

You can sit there reading for hours, but when you actually go out into the real world, all that information just disappears from your head.

About 18 months ago, I was in this exact situation. I bought the book “How To Win Friends and Influence People” (or actually I illegally pirated it online, but hey, it’s basically the same thing). I started reading it for hours every day, thinking “This is it! I’m never going to be lonely again! Time to become popular!”

But guess what? I still could not win any friends, and I definitely couldn’t influence people.

I was still lonely.

The same thing happened for every self-improvement book I read.

• Atomic Habits

• Psycho-Cybernetics

• The Millionaire Fastlane

And every YouTube video I watched. Every self-improvement podcast I listened to. I was spending all this time learning, but no matter how hard I tried, it just wouldn’t stick.

But then came the turning point. I had had enough. I decided to make a change.

I learned a system for remembering everything.

Mindset Shift

Before I teach you the 4-step system I developed, I need to hit you with a mindset change - you don’t have to remember everything.

If you’re anything like me, you almost get a sense of panic when reading. There’s so much information here, so much advice, how tf am I meant to remember it all?

Chris Williamson has a good quote that really sums up the mindset I want you to implement:

“The Good Shit sticks.”

Don’t worry so much if you can’t remember, word-for-word, every single important fact from every non-fiction self-help book you read.

If you can even take 1 or 2 life-changing things that resonate with you from the book and apply them into your life regularly so they have an impact, that’s brilliant. More than enough.

You paid like 10 bucks for it. That’s a pretty good ROI.

The problem comes when even the stuff that resonates, even the things you read that are really helpful, and could genuinely change your life in the current situation you’re in - when even that stuff doesn’t stick.

That’s what we’re here to solve with my 4-step system:

1. Perception

2. Summarisation

3. Application

4. Education

Let’s get into it.

Step 1 - Perception

Write. Shit. Down.

Write down anything good. Anything that really resonates. Anything that makes you go, “aaaah, that makes sense”.

If you don’t write it down, how tf are you going to remember it? How are you expecting to keep that one single bit of advice at the top your mind, with all the thousands of other thoughts you have every day?

Even the physical act of just writing it down or typing it up in your Notes app means you mull over it in your head for longer - so there is more chance of you actually remembering it.

You might be thinking “this is just some basic ass advice”, but really think to yourself:

When was the last time you sat down to watch a YouTube video, and you literally made notes?

This should be the norm.

Step 2 - Summarisation

So whilst writing things down is great, we want to go one step further.

At regular points throughout the book, maybe at the end of each chapter, just stop. Close the book, and try to summarise the main teaching points you have learnt so far.

Some books might already have a “key points” section at the end of each chapter - I don’t care. Do it anyway.

This is leveraging the power of Active Recall, scientifically proven to be one of the most effective memorisation techniques. Literally test yourself.

I like to do this at regular points of longer YouTube video guides, or podcasts too. Just that extra minute or so will help solidify the concept in your brain.

The way that you want to do this is to paraphrase it - say it in your own words. This really makes sure you understand it on a deeper level, more than just regurgitating the exact words and phrases from the book (this is what school exams got wrong).

Step 3 - Application

Apply the concept into your life.

The only way you can really say you’ve “learned” something is by going out and gaining experience in whatever you’re learning. Up until that point, it is just knowledge. Memorisation. You have no context to view it in.

Sure, you can know the theory, but when you actually go and apply it, you are reinforcing it on a physical plane too. That’s when it really gets solidified in your mind - when you reinforce a concept both on the mental/conceptual planes, and the physical plane. 

If the book you’re reading says to go and do something - go do it right now. 

It could be the best advice possible, but you don’t know yet. It’s no good to you if you don’t go and apply it in your real life.

If you can’t apply what you’re reading as you are going along, for whatever reason (maybe you’re reading late at night or something) - don’t worry.

Just vividly try and imagine the next scenario when you could implement it. For example: if you’re reading a social skills book, picture yourself saying what the book tells you to one specific person in a specific situation at school.

Picture yourself going up to that one friend and taking an interest in whatever they’re talking about, or using their name a lot. Let that conversation play out in your mind.

This leverages a powerful concept from the book Psycho-Cybernetics:

Our brain doesn’t know the difference between imagination and reality.

So by doing this mini-visualisation every time, and then even writing it down, this reinforces the neural connections and helps you solidify it in your subconscious. Your mind and body think you’ve already done it.

Step 4 - Education

“The teacher learns more than the student.” - James Clear

I have made more personal progress in the last 4 months, since I started my YT channel, than I did in a whole year of self-improvement before that.

When you teach a concept to someone else, you have to understand it on such a deeper level than you would otherwise. To simplify, you have to acquire competence.

“If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.” - Albert Einstein

Another reason why teaching is so powerful, especially when done through social media, is that it gives you that additional extrinsic motivation to learn.

It frames your problems in a different way - now, when I encounter a problem, I get excited.

“If I find a way to overcome this problem, this is a potential future video - or even product.”

So right now - write down everything about how you are feeling. The more painful detail, the better. You are in the blessed position of being inside your future dream customer’s head. Do you know how much big companies would pay for that?

This is your future advertising firepower. This is marketing gold.

When you find a way to overcome this, this is now a potential future video, or even a potential product. This is your ticket to success.

And even if it doesn’t work out that way, it sure as hell helps you learn better.

If my channel never pops off, I've made so much progress that it was worth it either way.

So - remember the 4 step system:

1. Perception

2. Summarisation

3. Application

4. Education

Now go through these steps for this letter.

Hope this gave you some value.

Until next time,

Yvan