State What You Want to Learn Before Opening a Course

Without a clear question, you will passively consume instead of actively searching. Before you press play or open a chapter, write one sentence: "After this session, I want to be able to..." This transforms you from a passive consumer into an active hunter looking for specific answers.

The difference is enormous. A person watching a lecture with a question in mind notices things a passive viewer completely misses. Clarity of intent is the simplest filter against information overload. You don't need to absorb everything — just what answers your question.