Understand before trying to memorize!

It happens that we learn something or hear about it and decide that we must remember it. 

A good example is news or an article you read. Then you tried remembering it because you wanted to share it later that day. 

Then, a few hours later, you try to remember what it was and tell someone. But, unfortunately, you have a hard time explaining it engagingly as much as you felt it was when you read it. 

One of the reasons it happens is:

You did not take the time to ensure you understood it well.  

What do I mean by ¨you don't understand it well¨? It was about something simple, though. 

I mean, you didn't make sure you could tell it in your own words. You understood what was said or written. But describing it yourself is somewhat different because you are not in the same context as when you listened to or read about it.

Let me give you an example. It probably happened to you multiple times in high school. 

You were listening to the teacher. Suppose you felt that you understood her explanation on a subject very well, whatever that was. Then, when finished, the teacher turns around and asks ¨who can summarize what I just explained?¨ 

Suddenly you hope you will not have to answer it ... And if you had to answer, you stumbled, trying to explain what you just heard that you understood very well a few minutes earlier.

Do you remember those moments?

Today, the same challenge happens when you understand something and must tell someone else later.

The solution

Again, the reason is that you need to ¨understand it¨ in your own words to talk about it freely.

To be sure you can deliver it like a pro, take a few seconds or a minute and try to simulate what you will say when you tell the story. You can do that in your head or out loud if the circumstances permit. If there are holes in your delivery, you will quickly realize it. Then, you can adjust what you remember and will tell before you do it for real. 

You will be surprised how easily 

you can remember and talk about it

if you take a few seconds to make sure

you ¨understood it well …”.