Learning is a huge part of life and a critically important component of professional success; however, the process is often arduous and time-consuming. Smart business leaders are looking for ways to speed up the learning process and maximize the time spent absorbing new information and skills. One way to do this is by working on your note-taking skills. Simply put, the better your notes, the faster you’ll learn. With accurate notes, you’ll be able to recall concepts in more detail and gain a deeper understanding of what was discussed. One tip: Use a pen and paper. Research has shown those who type up their lecture notes don’t retain as much information as those who take notes the old-fashioned way. Another way to maximize your learning potential is to engage in distributed practice. This means spacing out multiple short practice or study sessions on a topic over a period of time rather than engaging in one long cram session. This encourages meaningful learning and a deeper understanding of the topic. It’s also important to connect what you’re learning with something you already know. You can’t learn a new concept without first knowing the fundamental principles of that concept. Think of a tree: The trunk and branches need to grow before the leaves sprout—or they’ll have nothing to hold on to.