Hey there, in this video, Ali Abdaal takes you on a journey to remembering and applying what you read. He starts by sharing his system of taking smart book notes, which has helped him retain and apply the information he reads. Ali also provides tips on how to read 100 books in a year, along with a list of 15 recommended books for this year. Along the way, he discusses his favorite tech for reading books and provides a book summary of “Atomic Habits.” Additionally, Ali mentions his free online courses and creator courses, as well as his weekly podcast called “Deep Dive.” The video dives into the seven levels of the journey, progressing from passive reading to actively engaging with the material. So if you’re looking to improve your reading retention and application skills, this video is definitely worth a watch!
Introduction to the Journey
Welcome to the journey of remembering and applying what you read! Reading is an essential part of personal development and lifelong learning, but it’s common to forget the majority of what we read and struggle to apply it to our lives. In this article, we will explore the seven levels along this path and discover strategies to enhance our memory and knowledge retention.
The Importance of Engaging and Taking Notes
Engaging with what we read and taking notes is crucial for remembering and applying the information. Simply reading without active engagement, also known as the Muggle level, leads to passive absorption of knowledge that quickly fades away. To truly make the most of our reading, it’s essential to highlight or underline important points, which we refer to as the Squib level.
While highlighting and underlining may help initially, they have limitations. The highlights are often forgotten, and accessing them becomes challenging. It’s time to level up to the Hufflepuff level, where we systematically review our highlights. This level involves using an application like Readwise, which connects to our Kindle account and sends us daily emails with random highlights. This way, we can revisit our highlights regularly and make meaningful connections.
To further enhance our engagement and retention, we move to the Ravenclaw level, where we utilize note-taking apps like Notion. These apps allow us to collect and organize our highlights in a centralized system, making it easier to review and access them when needed. Notion becomes our personal knowledge base, storing valuable insights from multiple books in one place.
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The Seven Levels of the Journey
Now, let’s delve deeper into the seven levels of the journey and understand how each one contributes to our quest for remembering and applying what we read.
Level 1: The Muggle Level
The Muggle level is where most people start their reading journey. It involves reading without active engagement or taking notes. While this level is acceptable for reading fiction, it hinders our ability to absorb and retain information from non-fiction books. Without actively engaging our brains, we passively read through the material, leading to forgotten knowledge.
Level 2: The Squib Level
At the Squib level, we begin to take small steps toward improving our engagement. We highlight or underline important points that resonate with us while reading. This simple action helps draw our attention to significant ideas and concepts. However, relying solely on highlighting or underlining has its limitations. We often forget what we highlighted, and the highlights remain buried within the book or Kindle device.
Level 3: The Hufflepuff Level
Level 3, the Hufflepuff level, introduces systematic review of our highlights. By using tools like Readwise, we can automatically collect and organize our highlights from various books into a central database. Readwise sends us daily emails with random highlights, making it easier to revisit and reinforce key ideas. This level emphasizes the importance of regular review to consolidate our memory and make connections across different books.
Level 4: The Ravenclaw Level
Level 4, the Ravenclaw level, takes our note-taking game to the next level. We utilize note-taking apps such as Notion to create a comprehensive system for cataloging our highlights. Notion allows us to import highlights from Readwise and other sources, organize them by book or topic, and easily access them whenever needed. This level provides a convenient and centralized way to store our knowledge, making it readily available for review and application.
Level 5: Dumbledore’s Army
Level 5 is known as Dumbledore’s Army, inspired by the famous group in the Harry Potter series. At this level, we actively engage with books by taking quick notes and summarizing what we’ve read. In Notion, we can create book review templates that prompt us to write a three-sentence summary, share impressions, note how the book changed us, and highlight our favorite quotes. Summarizing books in just three sentences helps solidify our understanding and actively ensures that we comprehend the concepts.
Level 6: The Order of the Phoenix
Level 6, the Order of the Phoenix, builds upon level 5 by encouraging the creation of literature notes. These notes go beyond simple summaries and incorporate personal insights and reflections. They provide a deeper understanding of the book and allow us to connect it with our own experiences and ideas. Literature notes serve as a tool for critical thinking and analysis, enabling us to apply the knowledge gained from the book to various aspects of our lives.
Level 7: Dumbledore Himself
The highest level in the journey is level 7, representing Dumbledore himself. At this level, we explore the Zettelkasten method, also known as the slip box method. This method involves creating interconnected notes, referred to as evergreen notes, that form a knowledge network. Every note serves as a building block, connecting ideas, concepts, and insights from various sources. The Zettelkasten method provides a powerful system for consolidating knowledge and facilitating creative thinking.
Progressing Through the Levels
The journey to remembering and applying what we read is not a linear path. We can begin anywhere along the levels depending on our current reading habits. However, it is beneficial to start at level 5, Dumbledore’s Army, and gradually progress through the higher levels. Level 5, with its three-sentence book summaries, allows us to actively engage with each book before exploring deeper levels, such as creating literature notes and implementing the Zettelkasten method.
By progressing through the levels, we develop a robust system for not only remembering what we read but also applying the knowledge in various aspects of our lives. It’s important to remember that the journey is personal, and we should adapt and modify the levels and strategies to suit our preferences and goals.
Sharing Book Notes Online
Sharing book notes online can be a valuable addition to our journey. It allows us to connect with like-minded individuals, attract an audience, and build a personal brand. Platforms like Goodreads, Medium, or personal blogs provide spaces to share our insights, book recommendations, and summaries. Sharing our notes online not only helps others but also solidifies our own understanding of the material and encourages further exploration.
Exploring the Zettelkasten Method
While the Zettelkasten method is introduced at level 7, it is worth mentioning its potential for enhancing knowledge organization and retention. The Zettelkasten method involves creating interconnected notes, often on physical or digital index cards, and linking them to create a network of knowledge. These evergreen notes provide a structured system for consolidating information and facilitating creative thinking and idea generation. While this method requires further exploration and experimentation, it holds promise for those seeking to dive deeper into organizing and integrating their knowledge.
Conclusion
The journey to remembering and applying what you read is an ongoing adventure that requires active engagement and note-taking strategies. By progressing through the levels and utilizing tools like Readwise and Notion, you can enhance your memory, build a personal knowledge base, and apply the knowledge gained from books to various aspects of your life. Remember to start at level 5, Dumbledore’s Army, and gradually explore deeper levels like creating literature notes and implementing the Zettelkasten method. Adventure awaits, so grab a book, take notes, and embark on this journey of lifelong learning and personal growth.
