11 principles to boost your learning practices

This one is for each one of you(including me) who is trying hard to grow and learn. Below are a few guiding principles to help you define an effortless learning process. It works even better if you go through the preceding articles in this series or at least this science-y stuff

1. Long term vs Short term memory
   • long term - created by repeated learning - like faces of your friends, flag of your country, driving skills, etc.
   • put fundamental concepts and principles in long term memory by practicing them at regular intervals
   • short term - things you memorize for a short term purpose - like a small list of tasks you have to do today .
   • goal - move important concepts from short term memory to long term using spaced repetition - repeat a concept after a few days or once a day
   • to memorize something you just learned, associate it with a long term memory.
   • Here's the science
2. Active vs passive learning
   • watching other people demonstrate things or reading a book - passive (easy and inefficient)
   • taking notes, practicing, problem solving, tests - active (difficult but stronger)
   • Some passive resources to explore further
3. Motivation
   • Extrinsic - money, fame, new job - getting recognized for your efforts
   • Intrinsic - autonomy(control), mastery, purpose - having an internal drive to do something
   • Long term learning motivation is always intrinsic.
4. Goals
   • Kaizen - continuous, small, incremental improvement
   • small steps compound over a long term
   • Set SMART goals
     • S - Specific
       • Get Healthy < Lose weight < Lose 10 Pounds
     • M - Measurable
       • Reliable way of measuring progress
     • A - Actionable
       • Clarity of actions required to achieve it
       • If actions are not clear, break down the main goal into actionable sub-goals
     • R - Relevant
       • Should add value when achieved
       • Prioritize Low Effort and High Value goals
       • Use 80/20 Pareto principle
     • T - Time-bound
       • Lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks
       • Define milestones and assign a date to it
   • Goal setting is an ongoing process of action, evaluation and revision.
   • A small video to summarize this.
5. Pays not to be busy all the time
   • Be surrounded by people you like to relax your brain.
   • Healthy/leisurely time is key to better functioning of the brain.
   • Learn with ease and do not rush through it
   • Read more
6. Chunking
   • learn in chunks - fundamental pieces of knowledge
   • combine chunks to fill the missing pieces and complete your learning
   • bottom up approach of learning
7. Solving problems
   • Sequential problems - focus mode
   • Intuition or creative solutions - diffuse mode
8. Deliberate practice
   • you can have temporary frustration when you think you are not growing in a area
   • Deliberate practice needs:
     1. Specific goals - define the edge of your limits - where do you want to get to
     2. Intense focus - work towards it in focused sessions
     3. Immediate feedback - once you reach your goal get feedback from mentors or peers about where you are and what could be better
     4. Feel frequent discomfort - when you are not where you need to be
   • Start with a discomfort zone and try to bridge the gap. Once you reach a comfort zone, get feedbacks for improvement and define the next step.
   • The better you get at something, the more enjoyable it becomes.
   • Feedback and discomfort will keep you motivated to get even better.
   • Turns your potential into your reality
   • Some help from Japan
9. Spaced repetition and habits
   • learn in small sessions
   • repeat periodically to make your concepts stronger
   • forming habits allows you to learn effortlessly
   • saves you a lot of mental energy required to
     • decide what to do when
     • focus on how to do it. E.g. How much focus do you need to brush your teeth?
   • Form habits which help you learn so that you do not have to answer the same questions everyday
     • Where to sit while I learn?
     • What time should I start?
     • How much time should I give it?
     • Where should I take notes?
10. Be Adventurous
    • Try new and exciting things regularly to keep your mind active
    • Do not get into a monotonous mode. It kills your creativity
11. Have an endpoint to your work and occasionally get bored
    • When you're doing something with focus, have an idea of when you are going to stop and take a break.
    • Also applies to when to stop working each day.
    • Learn to get bored instead of looking at your phone - gives your brain a pause - gives you self reflection time

Happy Learning!!

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