Building a Kwiker Brain — Lessons from Jim Kwik (Brain Coach)
If you want to use your mind effectively, it might help if you understood how it works.
Because unlike the teeth of a shark, your greatest asset (your mind), has a vast range of potential it may or may not fulfill… all the way from…
1) tap into its genius — — — 2) literally convince itself to die.
Enters Jim Kwik
As a child, Jim Kwik was called “the boy with the broken brain”. Since then, he has been obsessed with researching and understanding his own mind. In this time, he has turned his suffering into profound wisdom.
I first came across Jim 2 years ago. I listened to a random keynote speech he gave on youtube.
I then got overly motivated and excited to learn about my mind… but like most things, I forgot about it.
Then recently, a friend recommended his book “Limitless”. After finishing his book, over the last 4 months, I have been implementing his message and his methods into my daily life.
Jim is now my favorite resource for all things related to learning.
This essay details the most important information I learned within his book / content, and my application of that information.
The Most Important Methods
1. Focus
Clean what’s in your view (when many things compete for your attention, it’s hard to focus).
If you want to take cleaning one a step further, I recommend the Audiobook by Marie Kondo, called “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up”.
Find a tool to practice concentration.
2. Study
Don’t Do What You Did In School.
Write notes as if they will be content.
3. Memory
Rote memory is mechanical and ineffective.
Chain linking builds a vivid and descriptive story. It is a much more effective than Rote.
4. Reading
Your eyes are attracted to motion and your sight and touch are connected.
5. Thinking
Create a not to do list.
Observe the consequences of your actions. In 5 days, 5 weeks, 5 years.
Limiting Beliefs
Jim has a 3 step process for interrupting limiting beliefs.
- Awareness: What are the “I am ___” statements that you repeatedly tell yourself? Who or what taught you these?
- Evidence: If your statement is “I am unworthy of love”. Find the evidence in the world to support that statement. Often you won’t find any.
- Create New Beliefs: Replace the old belief with a new one. When the old one comes up, have the courage to think and emote the new one into existence.
If you’re interested in this topic, I made a youtube video where I discuss it further.
Another Technique Jim uses is ABRA (Acknowledge, Breath, Release, and Align):
Memory Skills for Language and Vocabulary
Word Substitution Technique TIP
We remember what we see. So use images. Turn Into Picture (TIP).
Use a series of linked pictures.
If the first word is “Armstrong” — picture a strong arm. If the second word is “Dumpster” — picture someone’s strong arm picking up a Dumbbell. Not all words will be this easy to create images for. You’ll have to get creative.
Remember, this is a temporary technique to transfer short term memory to long term memory.
Think about it… children are the best learners. So, make your linked picture story adventurous, exciting, emotional, and creative.
Imagine you are 10 years old again and just have fun.
If you create something fun, you won’t forget it. Until it’s in long term memory… then the images will fade away and the words will stick.
Rote memory (repeated things over and over) takes time. It requires lots of sets and reps.
So instead, intensify the process by using imagination and visualization.
Vocabulary Specific
When doing vocabulary for a new language, use the word and involve the definition in the story.
Break things down into syllables if you’re having trouble remembering.
Choose the most frequently used words in the language and learn those first.
Tip for how to tell your story: AEIOU
A — action
E -exaggeration
I — illogical
O — outstanding
U — unusual
“What I hear I forget, what I see I remember, and what I do I understand.” — Chinese proverb
My Memory Challenge
Over the past 6 weeks, I’ve memorized 10 lengthy quotes.
I’ve also been speaking them in video format in a series of Instagram Stories that I am creating.
“Why the hell would you do that?” you might say.
It was recommended to me by my mentor Keegan Smith. Since, listening to his advice has served me well in the past, I decided to gave it a try.
It was pretty bizarre to realize that I could actually do this challenge with relative ease… as long as I put the reps in.
However, I hadn’t noticed any crazy benefits until a few days ago…
I was in my room. My belongings were scattered all over the floor and garbage bags laid alongside my bed. This was part of Marie Kondo’s method of tidying up (which worked impeccably well btw). As I listened to her audiobook and learned more about her method, I tried something different…
Instead of pausing the book and taking notes every 5–10 minutes (as I normally do), I let it run.
An hour later I decided to take a cold walk through my neighborhood.
I attempted to recall what I had just heard. I was amazed… without even giving the audiobook my complete undivided focus, I was able to recall the key points of the book, step by step.
I took notes for 25 minutes.
Maybe some of this had to do with my fingers taking on the “slow motion effect” of the cold weather here in Illinois.
But still… it blew my mind.
This was my first experience realizing that my memory is truly a muscle. I estimate that my memory muscle has grown from about a 4/10 to a 7/10 over the last 6 weeks.
I can’t imagine what would happen if I did this practice for an entire year.
Your Challenge
Would you consider taking up this challenge?
Here’s how it works:
1- Commit to memorize a certain # of quotes over a certain # of weeks.
My goal is 20 quotes over 12 weeks.
2- Collect a list of quotes by your favorite authors / influencers that mean something to you.
The more it means to you, the better.
3- Choose an interval of time to memorize each new quote.
I use 4 days for each new quote.
I recall once in the morning, once in the evening, and sometimes at random moments while doing the dishes, using the bathroom, standing in the shower, etc.
Jim Kwik’s chain linking and spaced repetition have been working very well for me.
Kwik Brain: A Fast & Fun Way To Recall Information (Episode 8)
When you break the quote down into 3 or 4 sections and go day by day, it becomes less daunting. Plus, the story telling makes memorizing enjoyable and simple.
If you feel your memory is fading, or even just stagnant at your current level… aside from not having the time, what would be the reason to not improve your memory?
I hope this article has helped you navigate the terrain of Jim Kwik’s online presence. If you apply what he teaches… you may find that navigating the depths of your own mind, isn’t as hard as it once seemed to be.
Yours in seeking the truth, being more productive, and enjoying life…
Max Freedom
