Imagine if you could learn anything. You’d know languages, history, politics, or whatever you find intriguing. It’d make getting hired a breeze. Not to mention, you’d be a more interesting person.
The things you learn to do will make you infinitely more valuable as an employee or entrepreneur.
Despite what you or anyone else thinks, you can learn anything. You don’t need to have a high IQ either. The only thing in your way is what you believe is possible.
Throughout my life, I’ve taught myself how to restore muscle cars, use the Linux OS, IT, programming, guitar, French, Spanish, and much more. I love learning new things. It enhances my perspective and my life. Many of these skills are profitable too.
Plus, when you get absorbed in a subject, it’s a great distraction from all the drama in the world that you can’t control.
Try the following hacks to learn things much faster:
1. Find out what’s most important to learn and start there
First, find out the most important things to learn in your subject of choice and focus on those. Learn the fundamentals; this will get you ahead much faster. Group these and learn one at a time.
2. Learn faster by practicing more
“One learns from books and example only that certain things can be done. Actual learning requires that you do those things.”
— Frank Herbert
Experts say that you should spend 1/3 of your time studying and 2/3 of the time actually practicing. For example, if you want to be a gymnast, you must practice most of the time. If you’re going to be a lion tamer, only read about it a third of the time and then actually tame lions the rest of the time. Hey, to each his own.
We learn by doing, not by sitting in classrooms.
3. Decide to learn this for the long haul
“It is not that I’m so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.”
— Albert Einstein
Merely choosing to learn this for the long-term can increase your results 400% more! It tells your brain that this is important, and it needs to pay attention. If it thinks you’re going to halfway try it out for a while and then quit, why would it put in much effort?
Enjoy the learning process and stick with it. Your blissful mental state will help you remember what you learn.
4. Encourage yourself to keep learning
“You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”
— Richard Branson
The chief obstacle to learning something is all in your mind. If you don’t think it’s going to work out, then chances are, it won’t. But don’t do that to yourself when you’re learning something new! You’ve got to encourage yourself and believe that you can do this!
“Anything worth doing well is worth doing poorly at first.”
— Ray Congdon
When anyone tries new things, they suck at first. So don’t let that be the reason you quit. You’re going to need to persist through this phase before it gets fun and, later on, profitable!
So, to learn something, you’ve got to support yourself throughout the process!
Be realistic with what you can accomplish and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t meet your goals. Have some self-compassion and be your own cheerleader.
5. Work in the same state you studied or practiced in
Psychologists believe that you’ll remember more if you’re in the same environment and state of mind when you first learned it. For instance, if you taught yourself something while sitting on a cliff, you’ll remember more if you’re tested on a cliff. Not recommended, but you get the point!
6. Use the Feynman Technique
“Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.”
— Richard Feynman
Instead of reading the same thing several times, read it once, and write a quick explanation of it. We also know this method as “The Feynman Technique.” The key here is, if a child reads your summary, they should be able to understand it.
7. Take advantage of negative feedback
“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”
— Robert Frost
If you only bask in the glory of the positive comments on your work, you’ll soon plateau and stop improving. Spend most of your time paying attention to the negative feedback, so you know what you need to work on. Please don’t feel bad about these critiques; use them to your advantage. This is valuable information for you to succeed!
8. Choose a role model
“There is divine beauty in learning…. To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps.”
― Elie Wiesel
Think of someone who’s already excelling at what you want to do. That person should be your role model. It can encourage you to see someone doing what you want to do. Watch how they do things. Although, you don’t have to copy their every move, consider it and get inspired by them.
9. Use a notebook
“Those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future.”
— Brain Tracy
Masters write down their goals, progress, what they need to fix, and what they need to do. This helps them realize where they’re at in the process and what they need to do next. It might seem too simplistic, but it really helps. So, instead of tracking your hours, measure your tasks. You’ll see everything you completed and get a quick boost of confidence as well!
10. Make it easier to practice
“One learns from books and example only that certain things can be done. Actual learning requires that you do those things.”
— Frank Herbert
Make practice as simple as possible, not harder than it already is. So, get rid of any distractions or barriers. For example, if you want to learn how to play guitar, it’ll be more difficult if it’s in its case, hidden in the closet. Therefore, place it right out in the open, so you can easily get to it and practice.
11. Take power naps
“Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”
— Oliver Wendell Holmes
You might think doing an “all-nighter” will help you learn more, but a sleepy brain is a messy brain. See, as we go through our day, our brains build up a residue that makes it not work as well. The only way to clean it up is to take a nap. We also store memories as we sleep, so it’ll help you remember what you’ve learned.
In short, by following these tips, you’ll learn anything much faster than by using the old studying methods. Get out of the classroom because practicing is where it’s at! Also, you’ll find that your skills improve much quicker by testing yourself. You’re going to be so proud of how impressive your mind has become!
Let me know in the comments what are you going to learn today?
Take the next step towards an improved life by entering your email below for new, encouraging posts every week!
A new language
That’s a great thing to learn! I’ve been learning Spanish on Duolingo.com you should try it out. It’s free and if you make it a habit, you’ll know a new language! I have a 352-day streak now because I do it right after midnight. I’m a night owl, so it works for me. Good luck!