Write down important ideas you want to learn

Humans are inherently bad at retaining information. We forget almost all of the things we read and hear about. However, when we write things down, we’re far more likely to retain it.

This is exactly what Beethoven used to do when he composed music. In the book “Managing Oneself,” Peter Drucker, the founder of modern business management, says,

“Beethoven left behind an enormous number of sketch books, yet he said he never actually looked at them when he composed. Asked why he kept them, he is reported to have replied, “If I don’t write it down immediately, I forget it right away. If I put it into a sketchbook, I never forget it and I never have to look it up again.”

This is why whenever I learn about an interesting idea, I write it down immediately. I write it down so I can understand and remember the concept better. Even if you don’t ever re-read what it is you wrote down, the simple act of writing it down will increase your ability to retain information.