Kwik Learning

The Art Will Be Well Worth the Work!

justin — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:54:56 +0000

This week my wife and I watched a great film “The Pixar Story”, a documentary covering the first years of Pixar Animation Studios.

You may know Pixar as the studio responsible for such creative hits such as “Toy Story 1-3″, “Finding Nemo”, “A Bug’s Life”, “The Incredibles” and “Up”.

After watching their story, two words come to mind… Creativity and Persistence (two vital keys to learning.)

In that spirit, below is a letter I thought you would enjoy. Pixar animator Austin Madison recently wrote this open letter to aspiring artists and creative professionals as part of an Animators Letters Project.

As he so elegantly puts it, “the art will be well worth the work”.

Titled “Persist”, the two-page letter is reproduced in full below. Let me know what you think!

Healthy Brain with Dr. Daniel Amen

justin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:42:15 +0000

If you are not yet familiar with him, I want to introduce you to one of the top brain experts in the nation, Dr. Daniel Amen!

He’s the mega author of 27 brain books, including the NYT best-sellers “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life” and “Magnificent Mind At Any Age.”

After a recent lunch, I filmed this ‘kwik’ video for you, watch him share some great tips for changing your brain & life!

Nelson Mandela's B-Day (67 Ways to Change Our World)!

justin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 07:01:45 +0000

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ~ Nelson Mandela

Today, July 18th, is Nelson Mandela’s 93rd birthday.

It’s a day that the United Nations recognize as “Mandela Day.”

In celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life and legacy, the aim of Mandela Day is to encourage all of us to take action – big or small – to change the world for the better. By taking part in Mandela Day, individuals and communities can become part of a global movement for good.

As a global symbol of peace, Nelson Mandela gave 67 years of his life to champion the rights of humanity.

People from around the world are encouraged to dedicated 67 minutes to serving their community and helping to build a global movement for good.

Mandela has called on younger generations to take up the fight for a fairer, more peaceful world. “It is time for the next generations to continue our struggle against social injustice and for the rights of humanity,” he says. “It is in your hands.”

CLICK TO SEE MANDELA FOUNDATION’S 67 WAYS TO CHANGE OUR WORLD

Remember daily small differences…add up to big differences.

Like a butterfly flapping its wings or a rock thrown into a still pond, our actions create ripples in our environment.

What’s one thing you enjoy doing (or can do today) to create new ripples?

“It always seems impossible until its done.” ~ Nelson Mandela

10 Tips for Kwik Student Success

justin — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:42:55 +0000

“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” ~ Albert Einstein

To Students or Parents of (High School/College/Post):

In this post you will discover 10 ‘Kwik Tips’ for better grades in less time. But first, a few questions…

Are you frustrated with how much time it takes to memorize or cram?
Do you feel you have to work harder and study longer than others?
Are you overloaded with information you need to read and learn?

If you answered ‘Yes’, then I can relate.

People ask how I started on the path of teaching Kwik Learning’s speed-reading, memory and study strategies.

My inspiration was my desperation.

Here’s the ‘kwik’ of it:

Years ago when I entered college, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume, difficulty and demands of what I had to read, remember and study. To say that I was ill prepared for the workload, would be an understatement. The growing amount of class work became akin to taking a sip of water from a fire hose and drowning.

It got so bad during midterms, I was practically living in the library, and one day, after weeks of little sleeping and eating, I collapsed from exhaustion and woke up two days later in the infirmary. Sitting in my hospital bed, on the brink of a nervous breakdown, I knew I couldn’t continue down this insane path. Doing more of what was barely working, studying longer, memorizing, cramming, stressing, pushing harder was not the answer.

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” I remember thinking ‘this is crazy, there must be a better way.’

I realized school was a great place to learn “what” to learn, but not “HOW” to learn. That you can take courses in trigonometry, oceanography, and 18th century European history, but there were no classes called “memory,” “study,” “listening,” or “speed-reading.”

Maybe 100, 50, or even 25 years ago, that was ok. But in today’s fast paced competitive information age, the shear amount of data is growing at staggering rates. It is clear that mind power is fast replacing muscle power.

We live in an age of jet planes and space craft, yet our vehicle of choice is the horse and buggy.

So I’ve dedicated my life to discover and share the most practical and productive strategies to ‘upgrade our brain’, so you can achieve the results and rewards you desire and deserve.

Since that time, I’ve taught Kwik Reading, Kwik Recall and Kwik Thinking at companies all over the country.

Our premiere training for students, KWIK STUDENT, has been taught to students from Harvard to NYU.

Here are 10 Kwik Tips for Your Academic Success:

Have a ‘Can Do’ Attitude - it’s cliche, but your attitude determines your altitude, in school and in life. When school challenges come, remember that you can’t direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails.
Manage Your Time - we are all unique, with different talents and treasures, but not time. We all have 24 hrs in a day. What you do with that time makes all the difference.
Play Full Out - go to class, ask questions, and do the assignments. Get to know your teachers/professors by visiting the during office hours. There may be benefits from them knowing your name and face.
Take Notes & Review - it is suggested that taking notes can improve your retention of what you hear up to 50% or more. Don’t wait to review your notes the night before the exam. For stronger recall, use spaced repetition and review key information 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month later.
Get & Stay Organized - keeping organized will save you valuable time. “A place for everything, and everything in its place.”
Discover Your Preferred Learning Style - it’s not as much ‘how smart are you?’ but rather ‘how are you smart?’ Sometimes in class, if you are not ‘getting it’, it might not be the lesson, but how the lesson is being presented is different than how you process. It’s like trying to write with your opposite hand…you can do it, but it takes longer and the quality is not as great.
Take Care of Yourself - your ability to learn and think is influenced by the state of health of your body and brain. Do you have the physical and mental energy and focus needed to succeed academically? Rest, proper eating, and exercise go a very long way.
Setup Your Space - create a positive environment to study and you begin to associate these spots to greater learning and productivity. Rooms that are either too boring or too busy can distract from learning. Good lighting is key. Baroque music that plays at 60 beats per minute has been shown to help learning.
Start/Join a Study Group - who you spend time with is who you become. Gather with others who will raise your game and take class/learning seriously. Teaching others is one of the best ways to deepen your understanding of a subject. Remember that learning is collaborative and cooperative process, make the most of it.
Be a Kwik Learner & Study SMARTER, not just harder. There is no such thing as a good or bad student, but a trained student and an untrained student.

Special Invitation: On July 19th, for the first time ever, we will release our most complete and comprehensive academic success program, Kwik Student.

In this program you’re going to discover the most advanced technologies for memorizing more, reading faster, and studying with power. This material requires no special skills or previous experience. You’ll be using these strategies that you learn IMMEDIATELY and seeing better results almost instantly.

Are You Ready For a Proven Fast-Track Shortcut to Better Grades, with Personalized Training & Step-By-Step Techniques for Reading Faster, Memorizing More, Sharpening Focus, while Cutting Study Time?

In Maui with Mark Victor Hansen

justin — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:41:10 +0000

While writing and speaking in Maui, we ran into our friend Mark, creator of the best-selling “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. He stopped by for dinner and we made this ‘kwik’ video message that has some wonderful brain gems.

For more information on Mark’s latest book “The Richest Kids in America” check out http://therichestkidsinamerica.com/

If you have any comments on this video or questions for Mark, please post them below! We will record a Q&A with him and get your burning questions answered

Success Icon Shares 4 Tips for Kwiker Thinking

justin — Sun, 22 May 2011 06:47:56 +0000

Brian Tracy is one of the most published success authors in history. Here are a few Kwik Tips for faster & smarter thinking…

Upgrade your brain for faster learning, problem solving, decision making and more. For a special offer and immediate access to our Kwik Thinking Program, please click here.

Demo of 1st Full-Length Interactive iPad Book

justin — Mon, 16 May 2011 09:45:46 +0000

Here’s the first full-length interactive book for the iPad & iPhone – with clever, swipeable video and graphics and other features to play with. The book is “Our Choice,” Al Gore’s sequel to “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Do you think this is information overload or the future of reading?

The First Grader (Trailer) — Watch & Make a Difference

justin — Sat, 07 May 2011 07:48:16 +0000

Watch The First Grader trailer and make a difference!

This was posted on National Geographic’s Official YouTube Page. For every trailer viewing on YouTube, Capella University will donate $.50* to the following organizations to expand learning opportunities worldwide: Reading Is Fundamental, South Sudan Institute, and Kakenya Center for Excellence.

Watch as many times as you can, and share with friends and family — let’s get to 100,000 views together!
*Contribution maximum is $50,000.

For theater locations, visit facebook.com/TheFirstGrader.

Happy learning!

How I Sculpt My Day (Audio)

justin — Tue, 03 May 2011 18:06:56 +0000

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Aristotle

I was recently interviewed for a new program called Day Sculpting, where I share my approach for sculpting and creating a great day.

In it, I am asked these two questions.

- What is a daily ritual or habit that you engage in that helps you create a great day everyday?

- What did you have to go through for it to become a daily habit? Can you remember the point where the switch flipped inside of you?

Enjoy the call, and please comment & share YOUR answers to these two questions below.

From Warren Buffett Meeting – Speed Reading

justin — Sun, 01 May 2011 18:25:48 +0000

This weekend I am at Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Meeting. Buffett, the country’s wealthiest person, has pledged to leave about 99% of his wealth to worthy causes.

I’ve spent my entire adult life on a quest to discover the thinking/learning patterns and strategies of anyone who consistently creates extraordinary results. And my passion is sharing those discoveries with others.

The main highlight of the day is about five hours live question-and-answer segment, during which Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger take questions from a trio of financial journalists and from shareholders.

As most leaders, Buffett is a voracious reader.

“I do read (5 papers a day and numerous reports), unfortunately I’m not a fast reader, I’m not as fast as I used to be. I don’t know how effective various speed-reading classes may be, but if they are effective, I would really suggest it to anybody who can improve their reading.”

“There are effective techniques, obviously the thing to do is to learn them when you are young.”

He continued. “I wish I could read faster. It’s a huge advantage to read fast. There’s hardly anything more pleasurable then reading, and reading, and reading and reading. Charlie and I do a lot of it, and we continue to do a lot of it, but I don’t do it as fast as I would like to.”

I am excited that the subject of quicker learning is appearing more and more in the mainstream. With technology and the information explosion, the ability to learn and think faster, better and smarter is one of the most important skills to help you stay caught up, achieve more, while helping to maintain your sanity. The ability to outlearn, outthink and outact, is our real sustainable advantage.

There’s a real movement happening, towards a better, faster and more efficient mind. Thanks for being on the journey with us.

If you are not already part of our Kwik Learning community, we invite you to join participants from over three dozen countries in our online speed-reading & memory training. Check out our Spring Special Offer Here.