LIMITLESS BOOK - JIM KWIK

PART 1: FREE YOUR MIND - MINDSET

The learning model of being limitless

1. MINDSET
○ How I see myself, my capabilities, what I deserve, my possibilities.
○ Finding the WHAT:
■ My drives, my inspiration.
2. METHODS
○ It's the process of taking efficient action.
○ Finding the HOW:
■ The tools and process I need.
3. MOTIVATION
○ This is the Drive I have, my biggest Inspiration.
○ Finding the WHY:
■ What's my purpose?
■ The focus of my energy.

The 3 qualities I need:

● Inspiration: the energy I have to take action.

● Implementation: I have the methods and the attitude.
● Ideation: the plan I'm making.
● Integration: Where the HOW, WHY and WHAT intersect.

Biggest villians of learning

1. Digital Deluge: we have a lot of data to process nowadays.
○ Use techniques to attack info overload.
○ Shut off devices
○ Try to relax constantly
2. Digital Distraction: Devices give us a dopamine boost.
○ It makes me feel "secure"
○ The act of changing focus to distractions consume energy / depletes nutrients
of the brain.
○ Generates anxiety and less attention.
○ Key: avoid distractions like a habit including notifications.
3. Digital Dementia: when I forget something because of technology.
○ Don't rely too much on devices to remember stuff = makes me stupid
○ 6k adult study: most of then searched answers before thinking.
4. Digital Deduction: When I compare my thoughts against other people or stuff in
social media.
○ Use my devices with consciousness.
○ Schedule time to work without any digital device.

Who is the tool? The technology or me?

Understanding the Brain
These are very important functions of the brain:

● Central Nervous System: The control center f all incoming information.

○ Brain Stem: moderates basic functions to live as breathing.
○ Cerebellum: moderates movement and coordination.
○ Cerebral cortex: largest part of the brain --> decisition making.
■ Complex thinking. STM, sensory stimulation and thinking (logic and
creativity).
● Brain has 2 halves divided by a corpus callosum.
○ Pass message through both halves
● Neuroplasticity:
○ Everytime I learn something new, my brain makes new synaptic connections.
○ The brain then physically changes.
○ It's like an upgrade of hardware to reach new levels of thinking.
○ The key is to sustain those connections by remembering and training
memory.
○ I can shape my brain to suit my desire.
○ I need to align: motivation, mindset and methods.
● My second brain is the gut
○ Here are more than 100 million nerve cellsto gastro intestintal tract.
○ Nutrients fuel our brains
○ Brain invests 20% energy
● Be in control of my learning.
○ Do not let education interfere with my learning.
○ Applied knowledge is the best superpower.
○ Install new softwares to my brain: reading, memory, etc.

Learning Rules to Remember More

Learning passively = forgetting curve.

● Apply the Pomodoro - 10-40 minutes are the lapse of concentration.

● Primacy and Recency

FASTER Method to remember more:

1. Forget:
○ Forget what I know to open my mind like a learner.
○ Forget what is nor urgent.
○ Forget thoughts or problems.
1. Use a paper to write distractions.
2. Act
○ Take notes during learning.
○ Highlight keywords.
○ Be active.
3. State
○ Learning is state dependent.
○ Tie feeling with emotions.
○ Shift my mood to JOY, Fascination and curiosity.
○ How I feel from 1 to 10?
4. Teach:
○ If I have to intention to teach, I pay more attention.
○ Learning is social: search for buddies.
○ Create a study club.
5. Enter
 ○ Enter in my agenda my commitments to learning.
6. Review or Active Recall.
○ Recall by explaining what I learnt: before and after each session.

Ask the right Questions

● The RAS Reticular Activation System = the filter of our attention.

○ Focus on the right Q's.
○ It's higher with interest the retention.
● Develop Dominant Questions - My mindset changes
○ How can I use this?
○ Why must I use this?
○ When will I use this?
● The right Q's direct my focus to results.

PART 2: LIMITLESS MINDSET

UNDERSTANDING THE BELIEF SYSTEMS

Barriers to success:

● Internal voice
● Limiting beliefs
● External voices

Types of Genius

● Dynamo: creativity and ideas

● Blaze: Interaction, communication
● Tempo: Long term vision
● Steel: focus to details.

Reframe Limiting beliefs

1. Name the beliefs

○ Do not negate my beliefs
○ Identify the origin. When? Since?
○ Reframe my self talk.
2. Get to the facts
○ Examinate the facts behind the limit.
○ Is it real? Or is it fake?
3. Create a new belief.
○ Identify the belief
○ Reframe with the opposite with positive thinking.
■ Negativity reframes me. Don't approach this.
○ Surround myself with positive stuff
■ More attention
■ More resilience
■ More personal resources
■ More well being

Summary:
 ● Find my inspiration.
● Reframe my inner voice to positivity
● Identify my limit beliefs

7 LIES OF LEARNING

1. Intelligence is Fixed: IQ
○ Growth Mindset vs Fixed: effort vs failure.
○ IQ is just measured by logic and math tests.
○ IQ tests dont include emotions or creativity.
○ How I am smart is more important.
2. We use 10% of our brains
○ All the brain have regions with different functions
○ All the time is active in different tasks.
○ The key is to learn how to use it effectively.
3. Mistakes are failures
○ Mistakes are progress.
4. Knowledge is power
○ Knowledge is potential power.
○ The real power comes: Knowledge * Action = Power
5. Learning new things is very difficult
○ It is not easy in the beginning.
○ Patience
6. Criticism matters
○ Let go the fear of criticism
7. Genius is born
○ Genius is made with practice and effort

Reframing these are key to build a better MINDSET

PART 3: LIMITLESS MOTIVATION

FINDING MY PURPOSE

● Start with WHY

○ Why I do it?
○ Why must i use this?
○ SMART GOALS:
■ Specific
■ Measurable
■ Actionable
■ Realistic
■ Time Based - Deadlines
○ Be Healthdy, Enduring, Alluring (energetic) + Relevant + Truth
● Finding my purpose
○ I must find joy in learning.
○ Love my task
○ Effort + Patience = Passion
○ Help others
● Find my biggest values:
○ Mines: discipline, growth, contribution, learning, care
● My Reasons
 ○ These are my drives, my pushing
● Find my pains
○ I won't be able to do ____ if i don't _____
● Reframe my identity with my self talk
○ Write I AM statements

FIND MY ENERGY:
My brain needs energy to be productive.

1. Good Diet
○ Vitamin, minerals, antioxidants
■ Avocado, bluberries,broccoli, dark choco, eggs, green leafy veg,
salmon omega 3, turmeric, walnuts, water.
○ NO: refined sugar, trans
○ Energy, quaity, health
2. Brain nutrients
○ Organic foods.
3. Exercise
○ Aerobic ex = bigger hippocampus
4. Killing AUto Neg Thoughts
○ Limit the destructive self talk
5. A Clean Environment
○ No distractions
○ No clutter
○ More focus
6. Positive peer group
○ Spend time with good relationships
7. Brain Protection
8. New Learning = more connections
9. Stress management
○ Avoid cortisol
10. Good Sleep
○ Cleaning process at night.
○ Do exercise with patience
○ meditate
■ Breathe, Release, Count, Bring back mind

SIMPLE STEPS TO TAKE ACTION

● Be flexible
● Take micro steps = break down activity
● Make the habit
○ Cue, craving, reward, response = 66 days average
● Start habits
○ Add pleasure or pain
○ Add anticipation
○ Social Acceptance
● Add cues:
○ See emotions to trigger
○ Identify easy tools to take action
○ Add an immediate cue

Brain Routine
 ● Remember dreams
○ DREAM: Decide, record, eyes closed, affirm, manage sleep, share.
● Make bed
● Drink water
● Brush opposite
● Exercise
● Cold Shower
● Meditate
● Nutrients
● Plan the day
● Create habit loops

FINDING MY FLOW:

The ability to lose notion of time and space.

4 Stages:

1. Struggle
2. Relax
3. Flow
4. Consolidation - Habit

Strats to get to flow:

1. Eliminate distractions
2. Make Time 90 min cicle
3. Do something i love
4. Have clear goals
5. Add Challenges

Enemies of Flow:

1. Multitasking
2. Stress: Create a unique place to study.
3. Fear of failure
○ Perfection vs progress
4. Lack of conviction
○ Check my belief

PART 4: LIMITLESS METHODS

FOCUS TECHNIQUES

Ability to keep my awareness on: imagine it as a light

● Awareness to 1 thing
● Make time
● Use willpower to refocus my light of attention
● Concentrate back
Techniques

1. Light my awareness
2. No distractions
3. 1 task at a time
4. No apps
5. Declutter my study place

Data

● Anterior Cingulate Cortex is responible for focus --> College London

○ Test: multitask weak ACC vs focus strong ACC
● 82% Interrupted work happens in the same day
● 23 min to refocus again

Final Strategies

1. Breathe 4-7-8
2. Do something causing me stress - no procrastination
3. Program distractions

STUDY TECHNIQUES

Levels of Competence:

● CI: I'm aware that I don't know

● II: I don't know what I don't know
● CC: It takes effort to take action
● IC: It's an habit
● True Msatery: Perform as a master

7 Habits to Study Better:

1. Active Recall
1. Review and rate 1-10 my retention
2. Close book and test myself.
3. Rate and repeat.
2. Spaced Repetition
1. Review at spaced intervals
2. Review + Test + Take a break
3. Repeat cicle.
3. Use Smell
1. Rosemary, peppermint, lemon --> good smell bring back memories
2. Olfactory bulb is connected to amygdala and hippocampus
4. Manage My stress
5. Music
1. Stabilizes mental, physical and emotional rythms to more concentration
2. Helps me to relax and enter better brain waves
3. Baroque music for example.
6. Listen to my brain
1. HEAR:
1. Halt: Stop and be present.
2. Empathy: listen with care
 3. Anticipate: a future reward
4. Review: Reflect what I heard.
7. Take notes:
1. Add a goal
2. Search for relevancy (no transcribing)
3. Add shortcuts and abbreviations.
4. Do not copy verbatim
5. Handwritting
6. Method of Capture and Create in 2 columns
1. Capture notes
2. Create with questions and reflections.
3. TIP: Think, Identify ideas, Priorize

MEMORY TECHNIQUES

5 Reasons to boost memory

● Trains my attention.
● Do not rely on internet.
● It creates a repertory of info
● Think better in working memory
● I can learn more

MOM:

● Motivation: add a reason

● Observation: add attention
● Methods: add techniques.

Memory tecniques:

1. Visualization: creating images.

2. Associations: brain learns by associations and links to other thoughts.
3. Emotion: We love humor, action and emotions.
4. Location: loci method (SIMONIDES)

Challenges to remember:

● Practice with lists, recall backwards, create stories or places.

Remember Speeches:

● Identify important points.

● Pick a place LOCI and identify a route
● Create image for each point.
● Associate each image with the place
● Recall.

Remember names: BESUAVE

● Believe
● Exercise
● Say the name
● Use the name
 ● Ask about the name
● Visualize image for the name and with face.
● End conversation

Remember vocabulary

● Add substitute word.

Examples:

● Facile: face eel

● Merci: mare sea.
● tres bien: tray bean
● Nitrogen: knight

READING TECHNIQUES

Benefits:

● Mental excercise.
● Improve memory, focus, vocabulary, imagination, comprehention

Challenges of reading:

● Regression
● No skills
● Subvocalization
● "Faster don't comprehend well"
● "Hard to read fast"
● "Faster doesn't appreciate reading"

Techniques

1. Visual pacer to guide eyes.

2. Reading is like excercise.
○ 4-3-2-1-2 Excercise while getting faster.
3. Search for ideas for peripheral vision
4. Count until I shut down my thoughts.
5. Make it a habit

THINKING SKILLS

The 6 Thinking Hats- De Bono

1. White: issue identify

2. Yellow: Positive facts
3. Black: consequences.
4. Red: intuition + emotions
5. Green: new ideas
6. Blue: plan and agenda

The 8 Intelligences by Howard Gardner

 ● Spacial, Kines, Musical, Ling, Intra, Inter, Math, Nature

The Learning Styles

● VAK: Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic

Top Mental Models:

1. 40/70 Rule: make decisions while having from 40 to 70% of info.

2. Create not to do lists: de-clutter my mind
3. Study my mistakes
○ Why, avoid and adapt
4. Second order thinking.
○ And then what?
○ Check for the future.
5. Take Giant Leaps
○ Not micro steps
6. Think Exponentially
○ Think big in the future.
○ Not just to "improve"
○ Process
■ Find the problem.
■ Search a new approach
1. What if statements.
■ Research for info.
■ Try new scenarios.