You underline passages and save screenshots. They all sound sensible. Later, looking through the collection, you cannot decide which one to use.
Why read this: connect reading with a question
Farnam Street's How to Remember What You Read covers what to do before, during, and after reading. You do not have to adopt an elaborate system to benefit from it. The sections “Know your why” and “Now what?” are useful places to begin.
Reading for pleasure has value in itself. When you want to apply something, giving your reading a question makes it easier to recognize useful material.
The core idea: choose for purpose and fit
A memorable quotation may be worth saving, but using an idea takes a little more context. Consider its purpose, the situation it addresses, and the limits of its advice.
Ask three questions:
- What current problem does this help me consider?
- Which judgment would it change?
- What could I do with it today?
If none has an answer yet, keeping the idea as a bookmark is fine.
Apply it with the conditions attached
Start with the two sections above. Before applying a recommendation immediately, consider its context, its cost, and how you would recognize that you had actually tried it.
For example, you might compare two versions of your website's About introduction: one describing you, another making clearer what a visitor can find. Save both versions so that the change remains visible. This is an example proposed by this site.
Try this today: write four lines
Make a small application card:
- The problem I am dealing with.
- The idea I want to try.
- Its conditions and the things I still do not know.
- One action I can take today.
Carry out the fourth line and save a visible result. The card's usefulness matters more than its appearance.
Return in two days
Did the idea change your approach, or did it remain another bookmark? If you could not use it, was the source a poor match for your situation, or was your task still too vague?
Original article and author
How to Remember What You Read · Farnam Street. No individual byline or clear publication date was shown in the source reviewed. This guide draws on selected sections; the application example and card were developed by this site.