You'll Forget 90% of What You Read - And That's Perfect

When I studied literature, I immersed myself in hundreds of books - novels, biographies, memoirs, diaries. I wrote essays, underlined sentences that struck me, and debated quotes with classmates.

At the time, I thought I was just doing schoolwork.

Looking back, I realize I was shaping my mind.

If you asked me today to recall most of it, I couldn’t. The details have faded. Names blur. Plots vanish. And yet, I am undeniably different for having read all of it.

Every essay I wrote, every discussion I had, every highlighted sentence - those moments quietly built the way I think and see the world.

Don’t Try to Remember Everything

If you read with the goal of remembering every fact, you’ve already lost.

We don’t read, or save notes, to hold every detail in our memory.

We do it to change ourselves in ways we don’t immediately notice. Ideas seep in. They shift our perspective. They quietly expand what we are capable of seeing, understanding, and imagining.

And just like in life, we don’t remember people or books for the exact words because they fade, but we remember how they made us feel, the way they challenged us, moved us, or opened a new way of seeing the world.

When Insights Stay With You

Over time, I realized that the way I captured and reflected on ideas: highlighting sentences, writing down thoughts, debating quotes, was what truly made all that reading matter.

And that’s exactly how I approach Collabwriting.

I save insights from webpages, PDFs, YouTube videos and transcripts, even Kindle highlights. I highlight, tag, and organize them into clusters and topics, and sometimes share or discuss them with others.

Weeks, months, or years later, I might not recall the exact quote, but the shift in perspective remains. Each insight quietly contributes to how I think and feel.

And hey, I’m not here to sell you anything. I’m not asking you to use Collabwriting. I just want to share what I’ve realized over years of reading, writing, and saving: it’s not about remembering details. It’s about being changed. 🪴

So when you capture something - today, tomorrow, whenever - don’t worry if you’ll remember it later. The act itself is enough. The change is happening quietly, beneath the surface.

Eventually, you’ll look up and realize: you are not the same person you were before.

And that is the gift.

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Until next time

Gordana
Community Manager @ Collabwriting