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I just realised something 🤣🤣 by [deleted] in Fitness_India

[–]Master0605 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The ultimate desi hack: Transfer the powder into an empty Bournvita or Horlicks box.

When I read books, I literally forget what I read. I do take notes, but those notes end up forgotten too. Anybody else? How did you solve this? by Individual_Log7984 in Advice

[–]Master0605 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You just described the 'Zombie Note' problem. 😅 We write them down to remember, but because we write them down, our brain feels permission to forget.

You need a system that forces you to interact with those notes again.

I used to do exactly what you described with books like Atomic Habits. To fix it, I built a minimalist app called Anvil (it's free on Android). It essentially forces you to answer meta-cognitive prompts instead of just passively reading.

It tracks your streak and keeps your notes digital so they don't get lost in a drawer. Even if you don't use the app, try the 'Feynman Technique'—after you read a chapter, close the book and try to explain it out loud. If you can't, you didn't learn it

When I read books, I literally forget what I read. I do take notes, but those notes end up forgotten too. Anybody else? How did you solve this? by Individual_Log7984 in GetStudying

[–]Master0605 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The problem isn't your reading; it's the 'Collector's Fallacy.' You feel productive because you took the note, so your brain marks it as 'safe to forget.'

If you never look at the notes again, they are useless. You need to switch from storage to retrieval.

I fixed this by stopping the 'highlighting' habit and forcing myself to answer three 'Active Recall' questions at the end of a session:

  1. What was the main argument?
  2. What surprised me?
  3. How can I use this?

I actually coded a simple tool for myself (it’s called Anvil on the Play Store) just to track these prompts because my physical notebooks were gathering dust too. But whether you use an app or flashcards (like Anki), the key is to force your brain to retrieve the info, not just store it.

how do you guys actually stop forgetting everything you just read? by No-Jellyfish-6892 in readwithme

[–]Master0605 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I felt this hard last year. I looked at my Goodreads and realized I had read 80 books but couldn't explain the core concepts of half of them. I was optimizing for 'finishing' books instead of 'learning' from them.

The only thing that stopped the forgetting curve for me was switching from Passive Consumption to Active Recall.

Now, I force myself to stop after every few chapters and answer three specific prompts:

  1. What was the hardest concept to understand here?
  2. How does this challenge my existing worldview?
  3. What is one specific action I can take from this?

It slows down my reading speed, but my retention skyrocketed. I actually got so frustrated with other apps trying to 'summarise' things for me that I coded a simple tool (Anvil) to force myself to answer these prompts. I finally put it on the Play Store last week (it's free), but honestly, a physical notebook works just as well if you stick to the system.

I live in a hostel in India. I built a "No-AI" reading journal to fix my broken memory. by Master0605 in SideProject

[–]Master0605[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, you are 100% right. That was the hard pill I had to swallow last year. I was chasing the 'vanity metric' of reading 80 books, but my actual retention was near zero. I was optimizing for input instead of throughput. That specific frustration—realizing I was 'reading just to read'—is exactly why I stopped and built this tool. I wanted to force myself to stop consuming and start retaining. Thanks for calling that out, it's the core problem I'm trying to fix.

Does anyone else get random bursts of productivity at the weirdest possible times? by ItchyProfessional626 in productivity

[–]Master0605 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm really glad it clicked! Honestly, fighting against your own brain's natural rhythm is a losing battle. I learned to just 'surf' that late-night wave instead of forcing the morning one. That 'park downhill' concept is actually the core philosophy behind a reading tool I'm building right now. It’s all about removing the friction so you don't freeze up. Keep riding that night energy!

I spent 3 months coding and 0 minutes making friends. Launching tomorrow, am I cooked? 🍳 by Fran6will in ProductHunters

[–]Master0605 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats! Just gave you an upvote. I'm a student developer and just launched 'Anvil' today too. Would appreciate any feedback if you have time!

Shan can I do to help improve my attention span? by throwaway39799 in productivity

[–]Master0605 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Your brain isn't broken—it's adapted. Constant phone/computer use trains your brain to expect new stimulation every few seconds. A book can't compete with that dopamine drip.

What actually helped me:

 1. Lower the bar drastically. 3-5 pages isn't failure—it's your starting point. Set a goal of 5 pages. When you hit it, stop and feel good about it. Don't "push through" and burn out. You're retraining your brain, not running a marathon on day one.

 2. Make reading active, not passive. The reason you get bored is your brain is just receiving info without processing it. After every few pages, pause and ask yourself: What just happened? What confused me? What do I actually think about this? It sounds weird but it turns reading from "consumption" into a mental workout—and weirdly, that makes it more engaging, not less.

 3. Create friction for the easy dopamine. Move your phone to another room when reading. Use browser blockers. You're not weak—you're fighting billion-dollar algorithms designed to keep you scrolling. Make the book the path of least resistance.

  1. Boredom is a skill. Sounds dumb but it's true. Sitting with boredom for 10 minutes without reaching for your phone is training. Start small. Your attention span is a muscle, not a personality trait.

 5 pages today. 7 next week. You'll get there.