“Once you stop learning, you start dying.”
—Albert Einstein
When I began writing the first version of the Become a SuperLearner online course, I never could have imagined what it would become. Over the last five years, the creation of three courses, and the writing and publication of three books, we’ve touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. We’ve enabled them to finish graduate degrees, create dream jobs, start companies, and pick up fulfilling hobbies.
Along the way, by researching and teaching these powerful techniques, I have learned as much as my students, if not more. I’ve gone from being another victim of “information overload” to the unlikely champion of a movement to overcome it. And as I’ve taken up the mantle of this cause, my life has been given more meaning and purpose than I could’ve ever imagined.
The SuperLearner methodology is proof that we can unlock the hidden potential of our magnificent brains. It’s proof that we can claim our birthright as exceptional learners and learn anything our heart desires.
In these pages, you have discovered the little-known techniques to do it all. You understand not only how your brain works but how to prime it for learning. You know the strategies to maintain its interest and use it the way evolution intended. You are now able to tap into the tremendous power of your visual memory using the same ancient memory techniques as world record holders. What’s more, you have a framework for maintaining your memories long term. A framework that will save you countless hours no matter what you choose to learn.
But learning is far more than just memory and review. Fortunately, you also possess the skills to deconstruct any subject and create the perfect plan of attack. You know how to pre-read and analyze anything you wish to learn. And, with some practice, you’re even poised to double or triple your reading speed, while retaining a high level of comprehension.
As you go on to learn the next subject that piques your curiosity, you’ll be astonished by the power of these seemingly simple skills. By leveraging brute force learning and cross-pollination, you’ll not only learn more but do so with greater joy and engagement. By teaching others and developing fun ways to test your knowledge, you’ll learn even the most complex subjects in record time. And while there are more advanced techniques to learn and expand upon, you now know far more than the 20 percent that yields 80 percent of the results.
In short, you will come to recognize yourself for what you truly are: a bona fide SuperLearner.
I truly believe that the lessons contained in the pages of this book are the most important skills I can bestow upon another human being. They are among the greatest gifts I have ever been given, and now, they are yours to use, enjoy, share, and improve upon.