How to Better Remember What You Learn

Lately, something’s been messing with my head.

I’ve spent the last few years trying to consume as much knowledge as I can—books, podcasts, YouTube videos, highlight reels of people doing impressive stuff, even reading textbooks. It felt like I was growing. Learning. Leveling up.

But then I stumbled on a video by Justin Sung, and it flipped a switch in my brain.

He introduced this simple framework for learning and reading:

The Consumption Period
The Digestion Period

And I realized… I’ve been stuck in consumption mode for way too long.

The Consumption Trap

Let’s be honest—most of us are consuming more than ever.

We scroll through Instagram reels. We binge YouTube videos. We highlight half a book and feel like we’re learning.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Just because I’ve read or watched something doesn’t mean I remember it.
And even if I do remember it, that doesn’t mean it actually made my life better.

That hit me hard.

I was stuck in a passive loop of taking in information but never doing anything with it. And what Justin pointed out is that if we don’t digest what we consume, we lose it. It’s like eating a full meal and then spitting it out before your body can absorb any nutrients.

Honestly, this is how I felt about a lot of my college classes. If I had to retake the final exams today, I’d probably flunk most of them. Because back then, I studied just enough to pass… and then immediately moved on.

I was checking the boxes—but not really learning.

What Is “Digestion”?

So what does digestion actually mean when it comes to learning?

For me, it’s been about slowing down after I take something in. Instead of immediately hitting play on the next podcast, I pause and ask:

What does this actually mean for me?
Where have I seen this in my own life?
How could I use this idea today?

This was a big shift.

I used to think the goal was to remember more. But Justin said something I’ve been repeating to myself ever since. This was the main thought:

“What goes into your brain is much less important than what stays in your brain.”

That changed how I approach learning.

Think about it: if you read 12 books a year but only retain 10% of what you learned, you’re really only keeping 1.2 books’ worth of knowledge. Now imagine you slow down, read just 10 books, but retain 20%—suddenly you’ve retained 2 full books. That’s more learning with less reading.

The key isn’t consuming more. It’s keeping more of what you consume.

Learning to Apply

One of the most effective ways I’ve found to digest information is by talking about it.

When I watched Justin’s video, I immediately started thinking of how I could teach the concept to someone else. I chatted about it with my family. I brainstormed how to apply it in my own routines.

Even just saying it out loud helped me organize the idea in my head. It forced me to put it into words—not just vague thoughts floating around.

Now, when I read something interesting, I try to teach it out loud, even if it’s just to myself. It helps solidify the idea. Thoughts become clearer when they’re spoken or written.

Build Analogies and Make Connections

Justin also talked about creating analogies—and this has been a game-changer for me.

Our brains are wired to remember things better when we connect them to what we already know. That connection acts like glue.

Think of your brain like a spiderweb. Every new idea is a strand—but if it doesn’t get anchored to the web, it just drifts off and disappears.

So now I ask myself:

What does this remind me of?
Where else have I seen something like this?
Can I compare this to something in my own life?

Even if the analogy is rough, the process of creating it makes the learning stronger.

Breaking the Passive Loop

There’s something dangerous about how easy it is to stay in passive mode today.

It’s like junk food for the brain. Scroll. Tap. Watch. Repeat.
It feels good in the moment—but you can’t remember half of it the next day.

I’m not saying stop watching content altogether (I mean, here you are reading this blog post). But the difference, at least for me, is what I choose to do after.

Am I reflecting on it?
Applying it?
Sharing it with someone?

That’s where digestion happens.

My New Approach to Learning

I’m still figuring it out, but here’s what I’ve been trying lately:

Pause after learning something new.
Give myself a few minutes to reflect before I move on.
Try to explain it to someone else.
If I can’t explain it clearly, I probably don’t fully understand it.
Connect it to my life.
Ask: Where does this fit into what I already know?
Create analogies.
Even if they’re rough—working through them helps the ideas stick.
Use it.
Even in a tiny way. Journal about it. Try a new habit. Start a conversation.

The surprising thing is this: when I digest better, I notice what I’ve learned more often. It starts popping up in conversations, in books, in shows I’m watching. It becomes part of my world instead of something I just scrolled past.

Final Thoughts

So if you’ve been feeling like you’re learning a lot but not getting much out of it…
Maybe the solution isn’t to learn more.
Maybe it’s to digest better.

Huge thanks to Justin Sung for helping me think differently about how I learn.

And thanks to you for being here while I worked through this.
If this post sparked something for you, I’d love to hear it.

What’s one idea you’ve learned recently that you actually used?
Drop it in the comments—let’s help each other digest a little better.

See the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/bCSAovp-5LY

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