Increase Your Learning Speed
Though it is a stretch to use the word "speed" when it comes to developing new skill and knowledge, there are methods that can help you improve your ability to get information stored in your brain more readily (and faster) and recall the information more easily when needed.

For our example, we will look at methods for remembering another persons name more easily.

One element to start with is being aware of your learning preference. Some of you have the ability to recall much of what you hear. If that is true of you, I envy you. Many individuals struggle in school (which was and is still heavily lecture oriented) for many years until we realized that is not a preferred mechanism for learning (for those individuals) - as it is for those who are auditory learners.

For example, I learn best by doing it on my own first. I have a greater analytic ability than average. As such, I can often times figure things out myself faster and better than listening to someone else tell me. I am also more physical than most. I remember more of things I do (than what I say).

As I hope you are aware, the three general (very general, mind you) categories for learning styles are:

• Kinetic
• Visual
• Auditory

This blog is not to help you know more about these categories (there is ample published information on this), but to give you simple examples of how to learn and remember others names faster and better.

If you are a kinetic learner, one suggestion is to use motions to recall a person's name. Let's take my last name (a hard one to remember) - Gepfert. You could use the words "get" "hurt" to remember "Gepfert". You could use the motion of me stabbing you (i.e. you "get" "hurt" by me). You could remember my first name (Robert) by picturing me stabbing you with a "rubber" knife. Some of you are now thinking, "how will I remember to translate rubber to Robert and get hurt to Gepfert". Your brain is smart enough to make the translation. Trust yourself. Then try it. It should work better than your current method.

If you are a visual learner, then picture the above scene in your mind (versus making the gesture - for the kinetic learner).

If you are primarily auditory in your ability to learn, it is likely that you are already better than most at remembering names. You "hear" them. Repeating them, so you hear them again, should work for you.

In practice, combining use of visuals, gestures, and words (i.e. say them out loud) together helps get information into your brain faster and increase retention and recall.

Try it for one week and maybe you'll form new habits that will decrease the amount of time it takes you to learn.