Use "Interleaved Practice" To Retain More Knowledge

What Is “Interleaved Practice”?

“Interleaved Practice” is a powerful methodology that lets you learn things faster and easier.

It’s essentially when you mix or “interleave” different topics within a single learning session.

Instead of focusing intensely on one subject until it's mastered (known as blocked practice) you work on multiple areas of study at once.

Get this…interleaving can improve your ability to learn complex concepts by up to 25% compared to blocked practice.

But why is this? Why would learning multiple subjects at once help you learn each one more effectively?

How Does Interleaved Practice Work?

Interleaved practice might make learning feel tougher because it requires more mental effort.

But here’s the secret behind it…

It improves how well you remember information because each topic switch compels you to retrieve knowledge from memory, rather than relying on short-term memory cues that come with blocked practice.

This actually leads to better long term retention, stronger problem-solving abilities, and an improved capacity to apply learned knowledge in various situations.

When you interleave your studies, you're engaging your brain in a more dynamic and challenging form of learning.

It keeps your brain active, preventing mental fatigue and making your study sessions more engaging.

Harnessing Cognitive Flexibility for Strategic Advantage

By frequently switching between different tasks or subjects, you're training your brain to maintain a high level of cognitive flexibility.

This ability to adapt quickly to new information or unexpected situations is crucial, not just in entrepreneurship, but across any learning endeavor where agility is key.

For instance, medical students who interleaved their study of different types of medical cases outperformed those who studied the same types of cases in a block pattern when diagnosing new cases.

At the same time, athletes who mix different types of physical training like strength, endurance, and technique tend to perform better overall than those who focus on improving one area at a time.

In the entrepreneurial world, leaders like Indra Nooyi exemplify the interleaving approach by managing multiple companies in diverse industries, applying learnings from one context to enhance another.

In my own ventures, especially through High Ticket Trainer, interleaving tasks related to content creation, strategic planning, and audience engagement has not only improved productivity but also decision making speed and quality.

So whether you're learning a new language or how to scale a YouTube channel, interleaving can help you handle multiple demands effectively.

Practical Steps to Implement Interleaving in Your Learning Strategy

Plan your study sessions to spend time on each subject before revisiting them in a different order, deepening your understanding each time.

It’s important to persist with a topic even when it becomes challenging, rather than switching to avoid difficulty, to ensure you make substantial progress before moving on, this will trigger than long term memory response.

1. Identify the Skills or Subjects: Start by identifying the skills or subjects you want to learn or improve.

This could range from professional skills like coding and project management to personal interests like cooking and photography.

The key is to choose varied subjects that engage different types of thinking and problem solving.

2. Create a Diverse Learning Schedule: Structure your learning sessions so that they include time spent on each skill or subject.

Instead of dedicating entire days to one area, intersperse short, focused sessions on different topics throughout the day or week.

For example…you might practice coding for one hour, switch to a half hour of financial analysis, and then spend another hour on project management.

3. Use Task Switching to Enhance Retention: Task switching is a core component of interleaving.

It involves moving from one activity to another in a way that challenges your brain to remain flexible and engaged.

This can be particularly effective when learning complex subjects as it forces the brain to continually re-focus and apply knowledge in new contexts.

4. Implement Spaced Repetition: Spaced repetition involves revisiting learned information at increasing intervals to reinforce memory retention.

When combined with interleaving, spaced repetition can significantly enhance your learning efficiency.

The BMM Takeaway

Keep in mind, interleaved practice may not work for everyone.

If you find yourself really struggling with one concept or area of study, it may require some careful attention.

However, if that hasn’t been working at all, then interleaved practice might become the key that unlocks that subject for you.

Try different ways of studying and practicing until you find the most effective method for you.