It is tough to remember things and that is why I write things down and I rephrase what I read and hear and I share stuff and keep a blog, a journal, n I review things and think about things later on to refresh my memory. Beyond that, when I read and listen, I'm contemplating what to focus on, to answer questions, to consider priorities on which things to focus on, to emphasize on, to ponder on, to share, to talk about.