This week your challenge is to get through new information quickly, and remember it.

If you are reading technical content (documents, reports, analysis, research, business books) or any other material, your goal is to maintain your comprehension while reading at higher speeds.

The “Read & Recall” exercise focuses on implementing a number of memory principles to help you recall the information quickly so you don’t run into the “tip of the tongue” phenomenon.

Do you remember the IRIS Method?

Inspect… Read… Inquire… Store…

Always start out with a strategic inspection of your reading material. Pay attention to the structure of the content. Decide how you want to chunk the Chapter or Section into smaller pieces.

Implementing a brief inspection will give you an idea on what to expect, so by the time you get to the next step of the IRIS Method (Read Everything), you will absorb the information more efficiently and effectively.

These are two powerful memory principles that you should always be mindful of.

The Power of Habit – Get into the habit of visualizing what you read and creating mental images. Your mind will automatically generate associations to make the information more memorable.

Research shows that writing things down helps you to remember.

Avoid taking excessive notes or highlighting too much because this can dilute the purpose.

Sometimes all you need to do is quickly write down a word or phrase that will help “jog your memory” when it’s time to recall the information. Taking notes efficiently will prevent you from breaking your focus and concentration.

Applying “Read & Recall” Exercise To Your Own Reading Material

First, decide how you want to chunk the information you read while implementing this exercise:

How It Works – Read a chunk of information, write something down, create a mental image.

When you know that you have to write something down, you force yourself to focus harder while reading the material. It’s a simple Memory Hack that allows you to hold yourself accountable.