Spaced learning
A friend of mine asked me recently why I’d moved to writing a daily blog. My answer was ‘spaced learning’. This is something that I’ve tried to practice myself over the last 10 years and found it to be really effective.
Unfortunately it has nothing to do with the fantastic TV show, Spaced (more’s the pity) and you probably know it as ‘little and often’. It’s an approach that leverages the spacing effect, a phenomenon supported by research, which suggests that the brain encodes memories more effectively when small pieces of information are processed with rest periods - in the case of my blog, one full day - which leads to greater knowledge durability.
The key benefits of this approach are:
Improved memory and retention of information
Enhanced engagement - as a result of not demanding too much of your attention all at once
Consolidation of knowledge - constantly building on what you already know
Reduced overwhelm - all those 1000-word blogs and hourlong podcasts weigh heavily on you!
Flexibility - you get to choose which pieces of content require your attention
In the attention-poor society that we now live in, spaced learning is far more effective than cramming occasional marathon sessions. Start small. Dedicate just three-five minutes each morning to reading, reflecting, or learning something new. Your future self will thank you for building this sustainable habit.
