You know how you feel when it’s crunch time and you need to master a new topic quickly so here are 9 proven ways to learn anything faster.

Neuroscientists say these strategies give you the edge you need.

Learning is not new to you and even though you’ve done it all your life, it’s a skill you can continue to develop so you easily remember and use new information more effectively.

Just imagine all the skills you’ve learned before -how to drive a car, a new language, how to cook, sports and millions of other things.

The fact that you’ve already learned all these things says you have the ability to learn anything faster, and all that’s missing is a systemic series of steps so you know you’ll be successful every time you learn something new.

In part 1 of 9 Proven Ways to Learn Anything Faster, we’ll look at the first 2 steps of the 9 ways that will give you a solid learning edge.

Table of Contents:

1. Believe in Your Abilities

2. Use Power Poses to Change Your Brain Chemistry and Be in the Perfect State for Learning

3. Create New Learning to Something You Already Know

4. Make Visual Images to Solidify Recall

5. Chunk Your Learning Sessions

6. Space Out Your Practice

7. Turn the Unfamiliar into Something Familiar

8. Use Ebbinghaus’ Primacy and Recency Curve

9. Draw Picture Summaries of What You Learned

1. Believe in Your Abilities to Learn Anything Faster

Have you ever wondered how you develop a belief in your abilities?

Self-belief helps you face any fears you had in the past and those fears exist to help you take action.

Focus first on your past successes. It really helps to get out a journal or piece of paper and list at least 10 things you have learned successfully.

These things can be as simple as driving a car. Remember how you felt the first few times you took the car out?

It was bit scary right? But you were so focused on the benefits, you faced your fears and continued to practice until it became second nature to you.

Ask yourself about things you learned quickly and how they serve you today.

Visualize that moment and create the perfect state to learn anything faster. You need a a strong in your abilities.

If you learned something once, you can learn something new.

The key is using a specific system, in a particular order so you’ll have the knowledge and self-confidence in advance to know you will succeed.

When you want to learn anything faster, the first step is to develop a strong sense of yourself and belief in your abilities.

Do as Yoda says:

Image source MagicalQuotePinterest

As Yoda said, “Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.”

2. Use Power Poses to Change Your Brain Chemistry and Be in the Perfect State for Learning 

Did you know that movement can put your brain in a very specific state to learn anything faster? In fact, your body position can even make you more powerful.

Picture this: you see a person walking very slowly along the street, head down, hands in pockets, sad look on their face. Do you know how they feel?

Chances are you can take an educated guess that their body position is mirroring that they don’t feel all that terrific.

Now, do just the opposite and imagine a major league basketball player who just scored the winning hoop!

How does their body look?

Are they walking slowly, hands by their sides? No way – they are high fiving all their team members.

Their head is up, shoulders back, a big smile on their face and looking most likely very proud.

Make this type of look stick in your brain (and your body!). You’re going to use it to learn anything faster.

It’s how you want to look. Moving your body to a “success position” before you learn is one of the 9 proven ways to learn anything faster.

There was a wonderful study about placing your body in the “wonder woman” position.

Remember how she had her hands on her hips, feet apart, head up, shoulders back and ready to go?

Body language has a significant impact on your hormones and how you feel.

A study at the University of Oregon showed that leaders have higher testosterone levels and lower levels cortisol or the stress hormone.

You can also check out the seminal work of Amy Cuddy at Harvard University and her work on body language and hormones. You may want to listen to her TED talk also.

Depending on your power pose, it will determine how you approach your new learning task, how much testosterone you have and whether your stress levels are lowered.

Your power pose and the way you sit or stand, will have a significant impact on not only your self-confidence and belief in your self, but also whether your brain is in the perfect state to learn anything faster.

I can’t overstate how essential it is to find a power pose you’re comfortable with and use it continuously before and during the time you’re learning.

This simple body language power pose can help predict and ensure your success as well!

See Part 2 of 9 Proven Ways to Learn Anything Faster

Pat Wyman is the CEO of HowtoLearn.com, HowtoLearn.Teachable.com, best selling author and an internationally noted brain and learning coach known as America’s Most Trusted Learning Expert.

Pat’s superpower is helping people learn, read and remember everything faster. She has helped over half a million people in schools and corporations such as Microsoft, Intel and Google improve their lives with her learning strategies, learning styles inventory and courses, including Total Recall Learning™.

She is the best-selling author of more than 15 books, a university instructor, mom and golden retriever lover!

Contact Pat to find out more about the Brain Advantage 2.0 Learning and Career Assessment and customized coaching for professionals and students.

Related article: Part 2 of 9 Proven Ways to Learn Anything Faster