My Learning Process: Audiobooks, Podcasts, Videos

When I find an audiobook, podcast, or video that resonates with me, I want to fully understand the concepts that the author or speaker presents. Years ago, I discovered that I do not retain information with just one pass. For instance, when I listened to Essentialism for the first time, I would excitedly try and relay Greg McKeown’s concepts to my wife, only to discover that I hadn’t quite grasped them. So I went through the book again and again. While this improved my comprehension, I still could not articulate the concepts as well as I would have liked. That’s when I came up with a learning process that really helped information sink in: bookmarking + writing quotes + contemplating.

My learning process looks something like this:

  1. Listen to an audiobook from beginning to end to get the full context.
  2. Listen to the audiobook again, from beginning to end, but this time bookmarking impactful sections.
  3. Sit at my computer, listen to the bookmarked sections, and write down the quotes in Evernote or Notion.
  4. As I capture the quotes, I add a section underneath where I write about what that quote means to me. I also might detail how I can apply that concept in my life.

For example, here’s one from the book Essentialism:

CHAPTER ONE – Essentialist

4:14 “Instead of making just a millimeter of progress in a million directions, he began to generate tremendous momentum towards accomplishing the things that were truly vital.”


(My Take) That is pretty much the crux of the book. We are constantly being marketed to, even socially, and our attention often splits because everything seems so important. To narrow your focus and concentrate on what truly matters is paramount. The challenge then is to find your WHY. The HOW will reveal itself.

Audiobooks: Detailed Process (Audible)

I use Audible for my audiobooks, specifically for the bookmarking feature. When creating the bookmark, I try to get as precise as possible. This way, when I listen to it later to capture the quote, I am precisely where I need to be.

Rewind

Use the rewind feature to go back before the quote and wait for it to begin. This takes a little practice, and sometimes I have to repeat this enough times to know when that quote is about to start.

Bookmark

When the quote starts, tap the “+ Clip” button and you’re bookmark is added to a list.

Access Bookmarks

First:

Click on the 3 dots in the upper right hand corner of the main screen.

Second:

From the 3 dot menu, click on “Clips & bookmarks”.

Listen to Bookmarks & Write Down Quotes

Next, scroll through the bookmark list and listen to each quote. I use the “Go to Bookmark” link because I feel this is more accurate. I write down as much as possible before falling behind the audio, then start over by clicking “Go to Bookmark” again. I repeat this process until I feel I have accurately captured the quote.

List Completed: Review Quotes

Once I have finished capturing all of the quotes, I spend some time contemplating each one. It never ceases to surprise me what comes up in my mind when I do this part of the process, what connections my subconscious has made during the repeated listening to and writing down the words of each quote.

Podcasts: Detailed Process

Oh, how I wish podcasts had a bookmarking feature! I had to figure out a different way of noting the section I wanted to revisit for a specific quote. Because I am driving, I need a mostly hands-free option when I listen to podcasts.

  1. Start a voice memo, which is an app featured in iPhones, but any recording app will do.
  2. Record myself saying the time stamp as I go through the episode, sometimes mentioning a little bit about what the host and/or guest are discussing.
  3. Once I am finished, I sit at my computer and listen to the voice memo, writing down the time stamps and any details I mentioned. Then I listen to each time stamp and write down the quotes.
  4. When I have completed capturing all of the quotes, just like with audiobooks, I revisit each one and contemplate why these words were important to me and what takeaways I could apply to my own life and self-education.

Videos: Detailed Process

Videos are the easiest to capture because I can do this while watching at home.

  1. When I hear a quote I’d like to remember or contemplate, I rewind the video to the start of the passage and write down the time stamp.
  2. Then listen through as many times as needed to write down the exact words.
  3. The time stamps are essential to note if I need to pull up that part of the video again for context or reference.
  4. When I have completed capturing all of the quotes, just like with audiobooks, I revisit each one and contemplate why these words were important to me and what takeaways I could apply to my own life and self-education.


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