<![CDATA[GROWING TOWARD ACADEMIC AND LIFE COACHING - Blog]]>Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:22:57 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Tame the learning curve by learning how to capture, organize, and process information efficiently]]>Tue, 05 Oct 2021 23:14:38 GMThttp://www.growingtoward.com/blog/tame-the-learning-curve-by-learning-how-to-capture-organize-and-process-information-efficiently
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By capturing information, I’m not just talking about note-taking strategies or citation management tools, though these are important. You need a system for capturing to-dos and ideas as well. If you are a kinesthetic/visual learner like me, it’s worth having a notebook or planner with you at all times to jot down and capture thoughts. Software like Evernote, One Note, or Notability are amazing tools as well. Google Photo’s lens feature can help capture and digitize quotes, key passages in text, and even digitize your own writing. A lot of stress, distraction, and overwhelm comes from trying to capture information in your short-term memory. Learning to off-load information from your brain to digital tools will free up mental space to focus on who and what’s important.

Capturing the information is just the first step. If you lose the piece of paper or never go back to look at it, that piece of information is useless. You have to design a system for organizing AND processing information. By processing information, I mean reviewing, using, and connecting the information. This process filters the information that’s important, transfers it to your long-term memory, and integrates it with what you already know. Processing is the most important step, yet it’s the step that’s almost never explicitly taught. 

ToolsResources 
  • Develop a method of capturing information that is always available to you. You can use any of the examples above, but the best strategy or tool will be unique to you. The most important thing is that you actually use it.
  • Good note-taking strategies will not only help you capture important information, but will make information more useful and help long-term memory transfer. Learn about strategies like 3-column notes, focus notes, or Cornell notes. 
  • Develop a strategy and routine to review and process information. The Growing Toward Planner can help (free). You can also learn about spaced-repetition tools like iDoRecall or Anki.
  • Differentiate between to-dos, events, ideas, and information to study. These types of information may require different tools, strategies, and habits. Suggested tools include Todoist, Evernote, Notability (great for iPad and Apple Pencil)
  • Read: Limitless, How to Be a Straight A student, Free to Focus, Master Your Workday Now
]]><![CDATA[Foundational Academic Skill - know who and how you want to be at the next level]]>Sun, 26 Sep 2021 23:16:15 GMThttp://www.growingtoward.com/blog/foundational-academic-skill-know-who-and-how-you-want-to-be-at-the-next-level
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Here’s the bottom line - change is hard for humans. Levelling up and taking on something new is exciting, but it’s also scary. Too many people let that fear keep them from taking the next big step. Sometimes even if we take the step, we play small because we are afraid to fail. Sometimes our old routines and habits don’t serve us and we fail to adopt new routines and habits that work better. When things get tough or are harder than we expect, we lose motivation and start to burn out. Usually we either blame ourselves, other people, or even the school or position we moved into.

A big part of the solution to lack of motivation AND lack of focus is to get very clear on who and what is important to you. Who do you want to be? How do you want to be? Who is important in your life? What is important in your life? How does this new challenge fit with who and what is important to you? The deeper you can connect your new challenge to your core identity, values, and tribe, the more focus, resilience, and motivation you can bring to the challenge ahead.

Start each day with some version of these three questions, “Who do I want to be? What relationships are important? What is important today?” A similar exercise can be done for the quarter and the year. Then think to yourself, “What ACTIONS can I take to move toward who and what’s MOST important?” These become actionable items in a schedule or to-do list. You can also spot check yourself throughout the day by simply asking, “Am I moving toward what I identified as really important today?”
An important part of Growing Toward training is teaching you how to use the Noticing Tool (also known as the ACT Matrix) each day, then tweaking and designing your routines and habits until they fit in seamlessly with your life.

Tools/Resources
Book in for a Growing Toward free introductory assessment
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