Have you ever found yourself stuck in a concept that you’re not able to learn, despite how many times you rewatch that YouTube video or read that page again? If yes, then this is for you.

Do you know why teachers have achieved almost perfectionism in what they teach? Because they teach.

Let me explain. The Active Recall method is a method of teaching others or pretending to teach others what you’ve learned yourself.

I always do this while reading books. I read a chapter and then explain it to my mom even though sometimes she has no clue about what I am regurgitating.

Or, I’ll explain to her a concept in a skill that I learned for the day.

By doing this, you’re more careful and more aware when you’re teaching it to someone as you’ll have to first break it down to make it explainable and then explain it. Your own understanding of the subject strengthens.

You might connect a dot in that process and come up with something new.

It’s not obligatory that you have to explain it to a human being, it can be a wall, a mirror, a soft toy, and whatnot.

The next time you sit to study or learn something new, set an intention to teach it to someone else when you’re done.

If you’re in school or college, even better! Find 2-3 people and explain to them the complicated concept you weren’t able to understand yourself. Even though you won’t be able to teach it proficiently at first but will have a profound effect when practiced consistently.

Actionable Steps

Try it yourself and see the magic of this method.

You might not be able to explain it perfectly in the initial tries but don’t stop there. Get past that point and there won’t be a single concept that you can’t learn.

Always have an intention of teaching it to someone else when you’re learning it yourself.