Learn faster by pairing focused sprints with FASTER and better questions

You open a dense article and your eyes glaze over by paragraph three. The phone buzzes. You scroll for a second, then a minute. When you return, you can’t remember what you just read. Honestly, we’ve all been there. The fix isn’t more hours, it’s better priming and shorter, sharper effort.

Start by priming your brain with questions. The Reticular Activating System, a tiny filter in your brainstem, pays attention to what you tell it matters. Write, “How can I use this, Why must I use this, When will I use this?” Suddenly, helpful sentences pop like highlighter. Your coffee cools while you underline twice, and you don’t even notice.

Next, shift to a 25‑minute sprint. One timer, one tab, one job. When the bell rings, stand up and take a five‑minute break. The short cycles create more beginnings and endings, which memory loves. A micro‑anecdote: a grad student I coached cut study time by a third by simply using three sprints and one teachback per chapter. Her review sessions felt light for the first time in years.

Finish by teaching for two minutes. You can send a voice memo to a friend or record yourself explaining the key point. Teaching reveals gaps and locks in learning because you move from consumption to creation. This whole flow sits inside a simple checklist called FASTER: Forget, Act, State, Teach, Enter, Review. String them together and you turn reading from a slog into a series of small, meaningful wins.

Before your next chapter, write those three questions to prime your attention, then set a 25‑minute timer and read with one tab open. When the timer ends, take five minutes to move, then come back and check FASTER—forget what you know, take active notes, sit tall to lift your state, plan to teach one line, put the next session on your calendar, and review the last page you read. Close by teaching the key idea in a two‑minute voice memo. You’ll feel sharper right away. Try it on your next article.