Jonathan Levi on Memory Hacks: How to Learn Faster and Remember More (Shortcast)

Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life

Erik Fisher

Business, Entrepreneurship, Self-improvement, Careers, Education

4.5 • 875 Ratings

🗓️ 30 June 2025

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this Shortcast edition, Jonathan Levi, author of The Only Skill That Matters, shares practical techniques to improve memory, focus, and reading speed by training your brain rather than relying on talent or willpower. Levi breaks down the myths about memory and introduces powerful tools like visual mnemonics, speed reading, and memory palaces that can transform how we learn and retain information.

In this Shortcast, we explore:

Memory Is a Trainable Skill: Jonathan debunks the idea of a “bad memory,” explaining that most memory issues are due to poor technique, not inability.
Visual Mnemonics: He introduces simple strategies for encoding new information using silly or striking mental imagery—making recall faster and easier.
Speed Reading That Actually Works: Jonathan outlines how scientifically supported speed reading (600–750 words per minute) is achievable with the right eye movement training and comprehension techniques.
The Memory Palace Technique: Borrowed from ancient Greece, this method helps store and organize large quantities of information with near-perfect recall.
Building Cognitive Infrastructure: Jonathan emphasizes the power of mental systems—like categorizing words in a new language—to enhance retention and recall over time.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is sponsored by Plaud, an AI wearable gadget that takes notes of meetings and calls.
0:06.3	With Plod, you don't have to take notes and make summaries anymore.
0:09.3	I don't know about you, but I'm tired of taking notes, and I'm happy to let AI do it for me.
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0:34.4	You talk, Plaud handles the rest.
0:36.5	Find peace of mind at work today. Ready to work smarter?
0:40.3	Type PL AUD into Google and get a discount with my code Beyond. That's PLAUD. Welcome to Beyond the
0:49.8	to do list, a podcast about productivity. I'm your host, Eric Fisher, and this is a special
0:54.9	shortcast edition brought to you in partnership with Blinkist, the app that delivers
0:59.6	key insights from top nonfiction books and podcasts in just 15 minutes. With Blinkist,
1:05.6	you can explore more episodes like this one covering topics like productivity, mindfulness,
1:12.7	leadership, personal growth.
1:18.4	And after listening to this episode, click the link in the show notes or go to blinkist.com and start a free trial and then search for Beyond the To Do List to find the over 70 plus episodes
1:24.6	of Beyond the To Do List that are in there as shortcasts. You're going to love them
1:29.0	just like this episode.
1:35.0	Are you getting the most out of your brain? Though it's described as the most important organ
1:40.0	in your body, we can be guilty of not exploiting its full power, blunted by tiredness and a lack of
	...

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