Rewriting notes by hand
Copying the same material out longhand, daily, until it sticks
Studying by writing the page out by hand, then doing it again the next day, and the next, instead of reading or highlighting. It is slow by design. People with attention or memory difficulties in particular describe it as the only method that makes information stay, and the physical act of writing seems to matter more than the notes themselves. A pen, paper and several hours a day are the whole system.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- David GogginsDoes it
Retired Navy SEAL · Can't Hurt Me
For his paramedic exams he writes every page out by hand, every day, until he can picture the page during the test. Four hours plus a day, including material he has already passed exams on.
Source: Huberman Lab: David Goggins: How to Build Immense Inner Strength“I have to go over the same page over, and over, and over, and over again … I go through and have to write everything down every single day.”
Huberman Lab: David Goggins: How to Build Immense Inner Strength (opens in a new tab) · 1 Jan 2024
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under focus or productivity.
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Daily reading
A fixed daily reading block, usually books rather than feeds
On record from 25 of 62 tracked people: 23 do it, 2 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
Early rising
A fixed, early wake time, often before anyone else is awake
On record from 11 of 62 tracked people: 10 do it, 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Daily writing
Write something every day, published or not
On record from 10 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 2 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
Phone-free first hour
No email, news or social media until you have done something of your own
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 2 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
Margin notes
Writing in the margins while reading, especially where you disagree with the author
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Thinking retreats
Blocks of time cleared of the schedule to sit with one hard problem
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 has discussed it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.