⇑Memletics Manual » Process Chapter » eNquire » Review log

Create your review log

Your first activity is to create your review log, or logs. I suggest you have two. I call these the detailed review log and the summary review log.

In the detailed review log, you record the details of each lesson, session, presentation, game or other activity. In the summary review log, you collect key learning points, action points and assertions from your detailed reviews.

It doesn’t matter that much if you use a computer or if you hand write your reviews. I use a standard paper notebook (Legal/A4 format) because I can take it anywhere and I don’t have to worry about flat batteries! In the front part, I do the detailed reviews. I do the summary review lists in the back of the same notebook.

You can improve your overall confidence using this technique. You know you can detect issues, analyze them and take action to resolve them. This is a strong deterrent to “fear of failure” that many people suffer. In addition, your coach, instructor or even employer sees that you are flexible and can deal successfully with challenges and mistakes.

Here are four tips for review logs. I suggest you phrase your review comments in a positive way, you use an assertions list in your summary review log, and you consider memorizing that list. A review log is also useful after finishing your training or course. Let’s look at these points.

Use positive phrasing

Phrase the outcomes from your reviews in a positive way. This includes even the mistakes or problems you had. Use the same rules as for assertions. This helps you focus on the outcome you want, rather than the issue you had. For example, instead of writing:

·  Forgot to make an inbound radio call at Bendigo, or

·  Forget to keep eye contact with the audience

Write instead:

·  I make inbound radio calls on time at all locations (including Bendigo), or

·  I keep good eye contact with the audience.

Create an assertions list in your summary review logs

Collect key assertions from your detailed review logs, and create a summary assertions list for major areas of your training. Keep them in your summary review log.

I used assertions throughout my flight training, and I continue to use them to keep up my flying standard. My list of assertions reflected both specific issues I had in training, as well as issues that cause problems for other pilots. I reviewed this list often during training. At the end of training, that list was eighty items long. Below is an example of some of those training assertions:

Some of these are mistakes I made during training, while many are just potential errors I know can be easy to make. I want to reduce the likelihood of these outcomes happening. If I read about a mistake another pilot has made (for example from an accident report), I also add an assertion to this list. The list also includes assertions of behavior that simply contribute to a good flying standard.

Review your assertions regularly during your training, the more often the better. As you review each assertion, briefly pause and visualize yourself in a scenario that uses that assertion. It only needs a few seconds. Lastly, don’t be too concerned if your assertions are in random order, as this helps add variety to your reviews.

Make your assertions list even more powerful—peg it!

If you want to make the assertions review list even more powerful, try combining it with peg words (see side box). Notice how I’ve numbered each assertion in the example above. I memorized each assertion by associating it with a peg word. I didn’t know eighty peg words at the time, so this gave me a reason to learn them.

What’s the benefit of doing this? It means you can recite your assertions more often, adding to their effectiveness. I recited them while traveling to work, in the car on the way to the airfield, even while swimming laps in the pool. You don’t need anything with you.

Use during training as well as afterwards

Detailed and summary reviews are not just useful during training. You may also want to consider using a cut down version each time you do what you have learned after training. For example, consider every flight, cruise, presentation, or other performance as a learning experience, and take the time to complete a review after those activities. These reviews don’t have to be as comprehensive as a training review. Regularly reviewing your activities for potential areas of concern is a good habit to have.

After finishing my flight license, I’ve since expanded my assertions review list with points that have come up in following flights, and it is now over 200 items. Nowadays I have those assertions in SuperMemo, so I can review them effectively.