How does this only have 300 likes? This is one of the most useful things I’ve ever read on Substack, I loved it and am definitely going to try! My only question would be if this also works with school, like learning for a history test. In the first few years of school I could get away with memorising but now I really need to understand what I’m doing and I feel like this method could really work!
I’m still learning this myself haha, but if I was back in school I would use mind-mapping for concepts and key points, and flash cards for dates or details. Thanks for reading nahla!
Your work is brilliant. It is clear, thoughtful and genuinely useful, and the garden metaphor captures the learning process perfectly. You make the reader feel as though learning is something alive rather than something to be conquered.
My brief addition would be this. Seeing the mind as a garden also removes the pressure to cling to every detail. Forgetting stops feeling like failure and becomes part of the natural cycle of growth. What matters is not holding on to every idea, but allowing the ones that truly connect to take root. When you approach reading this way, learning becomes lighter, more intuitive and far more enjoyable.
This approach truly works. I’d also like to add something: learning only becomes overwhelming when we try to absorb too much at once. It’s better to take it step by step. Learn a little, and apply it immediately before moving on to the next topic. If you don’t get a chance to apply something, it’s okay to let it go for the moment. When your learning connects to real application, you don’t need to memorize it naturally stays with you through hands-on experience.
I absolutely agree! But I have a question, does it mean active learning is a slow process and not a fast one? We live in a world where people feel they should read or learn fast to avoid FOMO. Should learning be rushed just because of this fear?
This completely changes how I think about reading. I’ve spent years taking endless notes without actually retaining anything. Building and iterating mental models makes so much more sense.
Can someone please elaborate on the part where he said "because the brain hates learning new information" I'm a bit conflicted there cause I always thought the brain loves getting information (new/old) and it treats it the same way as getting food, money, and all of that. It releases dopamine, so why say the brain hates learning new information. It doesn't sit right with me.
Your brain is cybernetic, which means it filters reality (and therefore new information) in relation to goals. If you have a goal you care about achieving, your brain will pick up on patterns or little building-blocks of information that can help you to achieve your goal. This is the dopamine you are referring to. If I create an outline for my newsletter at the start of the week, I always tend to spot unique ideas from random TV shows and books and YouTube videos that could be put within my writing. The information has a purpose, basically. If information doesn't seem relevant, or familiar or purposeful, your brain will struggle to retain it. Hopefully this helps a bit!
Thank you for sharing this loads of great information, it’s really going to help me as I take on more tasks on reading. I do agree with the idea of too much note taking can lead to you not actually gaining anything. I find myself highlighting too much and rewriting books on my notes, instead of talking/ having conversations with them. It’s exhausting keeping up with that. But, I do have a question about this: how do you connect knowledge from different aspects of life? Can it be connected? Can reading about gardening or animals or the beginning of humans, etc —so to feed your curiosity—be connected?
Great post, I hope a lot of people find it helpful.
I agree that the most learning-reinforcing technique is teaching something you just learned. At least for me, nothing works better to make new concepts stick. And I'm sure my family loves the dinner-table lectures, even if they don't say so.
The biggest problem with mind map for me is that I can't apply it to everything ( keyword: "I" ). For example, if I am reading a novel, it is easy to make a mind map because its just a story. But when it comes to a variety of subjects like financial derivatives, etc. That's when I struggle. If I just branch out into topics then that's just plain old notes and not a proper mind map.
I want to experiment with mixing mind-maps and flashcards. Mapping for concepts, relationships, and grouping big ideas, and flashcards for isolated details that add to the big picture. I will write about this once I mess around for a while!
How does this only have 300 likes? This is one of the most useful things I’ve ever read on Substack, I loved it and am definitely going to try! My only question would be if this also works with school, like learning for a history test. In the first few years of school I could get away with memorising but now I really need to understand what I’m doing and I feel like this method could really work!
I’m still learning this myself haha, but if I was back in school I would use mind-mapping for concepts and key points, and flash cards for dates or details. Thanks for reading nahla!
I also agree with you
I enjoyed reading it. Being READER and NOTE-TAKER myself, I have been confused about how to do it systematically. Thanks Craig.
Thanks for reading!!
Your work is brilliant. It is clear, thoughtful and genuinely useful, and the garden metaphor captures the learning process perfectly. You make the reader feel as though learning is something alive rather than something to be conquered.
My brief addition would be this. Seeing the mind as a garden also removes the pressure to cling to every detail. Forgetting stops feeling like failure and becomes part of the natural cycle of growth. What matters is not holding on to every idea, but allowing the ones that truly connect to take root. When you approach reading this way, learning becomes lighter, more intuitive and far more enjoyable.
First time on Substack and this was very helpful as a knowledge seeker, Thank you 🙌🏾
Thanks for reading!!
Loved this. Turning reading into a live, evolving dialogue with your own mind.
Thank you! Hope it helped :)
This approach truly works. I’d also like to add something: learning only becomes overwhelming when we try to absorb too much at once. It’s better to take it step by step. Learn a little, and apply it immediately before moving on to the next topic. If you don’t get a chance to apply something, it’s okay to let it go for the moment. When your learning connects to real application, you don’t need to memorize it naturally stays with you through hands-on experience.
I absolutely agree! But I have a question, does it mean active learning is a slow process and not a fast one? We live in a world where people feel they should read or learn fast to avoid FOMO. Should learning be rushed just because of this fear?
Focus on comprehending and understanding what you read, and you won’t need to think about time :)
Active learning is self paced according to me. Do what works best for you.
Alright! Thank you.
This completely changes how I think about reading. I’ve spent years taking endless notes without actually retaining anything. Building and iterating mental models makes so much more sense.
A very good learning method
Thanks for reading Bert :)
This came to me just at the right time ... Thank you for sharing this
Thank you remy! Hoped it helped you out in some way :)
Can someone please elaborate on the part where he said "because the brain hates learning new information" I'm a bit conflicted there cause I always thought the brain loves getting information (new/old) and it treats it the same way as getting food, money, and all of that. It releases dopamine, so why say the brain hates learning new information. It doesn't sit right with me.
Your brain is cybernetic, which means it filters reality (and therefore new information) in relation to goals. If you have a goal you care about achieving, your brain will pick up on patterns or little building-blocks of information that can help you to achieve your goal. This is the dopamine you are referring to. If I create an outline for my newsletter at the start of the week, I always tend to spot unique ideas from random TV shows and books and YouTube videos that could be put within my writing. The information has a purpose, basically. If information doesn't seem relevant, or familiar or purposeful, your brain will struggle to retain it. Hopefully this helps a bit!
It did. Thank you
Thank you for sharing this loads of great information, it’s really going to help me as I take on more tasks on reading. I do agree with the idea of too much note taking can lead to you not actually gaining anything. I find myself highlighting too much and rewriting books on my notes, instead of talking/ having conversations with them. It’s exhausting keeping up with that. But, I do have a question about this: how do you connect knowledge from different aspects of life? Can it be connected? Can reading about gardening or animals or the beginning of humans, etc —so to feed your curiosity—be connected?
I think so, look for analogies and patterns across all disciplines of life and this should help you!
Alright! Thank you.
Absolutely loved this! Thank you!
“wondering why I was finding it so hard to remember everything I was reading, memorizing, and writing notes about.
It’s because I didn’t fucking care.”
Great read and useful tips, thanks.
Great post, I hope a lot of people find it helpful.
I agree that the most learning-reinforcing technique is teaching something you just learned. At least for me, nothing works better to make new concepts stick. And I'm sure my family loves the dinner-table lectures, even if they don't say so.
Thank you for this! Truly enjoyed reading this article.
Thank you for reading!!
The biggest problem with mind map for me is that I can't apply it to everything ( keyword: "I" ). For example, if I am reading a novel, it is easy to make a mind map because its just a story. But when it comes to a variety of subjects like financial derivatives, etc. That's when I struggle. If I just branch out into topics then that's just plain old notes and not a proper mind map.
I want to experiment with mixing mind-maps and flashcards. Mapping for concepts, relationships, and grouping big ideas, and flashcards for isolated details that add to the big picture. I will write about this once I mess around for a while!