How to Retain More Information from Audiobooks

Use your location to make memories more sticky

Photo by Distingué CiDDiQi on Unsplash

I’ve listened to many audiobooks over the years. Some were great, some were mediocre. Some of them I remember more than others. But I think my ability to remember the content is strongly tied to where I was and what I was doing when I listened to them.

Listen While Moving

Let me try to explain myself. Most of my audiobook listening takes place while I’m wearing earbuds and moving. That’s usually while I’m on runs by myself. Maybe on a bike ride or car ride as well. Sure, there are times when I’m plowing through an audiobook while standing in the kitchen making dinner, but a majority of my listening comes while I’m moving.

Why does this matter? Well, it’s becoming clear to me that my most memorable audiobooks are closely tied to the landmarks or routes I was running when I was listening to them. Could it be that my brain was more ready and willing to absorb this knowledge because I was exercising? Are the visual cues of passing landmarks just another anchor point for memories to attach themselves to?

My Experiences

Let me give you a super-specific example. I explicitly remember listening to former NBA Coach Phil Jackson’s excellent audiobook “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success” while running around Buenos Aires during a trip to Argentina. Is this memory so engrained because the book was that good? Did it stick with me because I was on a trip? Or was it the combination of being in a new place while physically exerting myself (vacation runs tend to go much longer than planned since you aren’t familiar with the routes) and the captivating narration of a voice I heard during NBA broadcasts for years?

There are less profound examples of this over the years as well. Sometimes I’ll pass a certain park or tree on a run where a memory of an audiobook or podcast will pop into my head. It amazes me that my brain is able to recall these snippets of audio learning that have become tied to the visual surroundings of my runs.

The Audiobook Memory Palace

While it still feels a little like magic, I think this isn’t happening by accident. No, this…