When I learn something new, I try to find relations to existing ideas or topics in my head and to map them together. It helps me to reduce the cognitive load as

When I learn something new, I try to find relations to existing ideas or topics in my head and to map them together. It helps me to reduce the cognitive load as well as see, for example, if I solve something similar I could just reuse "it" Also, I inmediately try to find a way to make it useful for me. This is not always the case because I tend to read more rather than "do" more but it helps me create even more relations in my brain. Also, from time to time I revisit the topic and do the same steps as before because in the meantime I could have learned something that might be useful for the first thing. Also, if is really important or something really nice for me I try to simplify it and teach it (Feynman technique style). Taking notes and mind-maps have not worked for me, I feel that once is written in notes (digital) or in xmind I tend to really forget about it.