Playbook: How to Learn

Made by Navid

In this playbook, you'll learn about some of the most validated methods to learn. Isn't it odd how we go through school and are told to learn things, but we're never taught how to actually learn? There is a method to learning. You will get smarter if you practice these methods.

After this, you will:

  • Be smarter
  • Have the ability to understand complex information
  • Get better grades

There are 2 areas I'll focus on:

  1. Mindset of learning
  2. Methods for learning

THE MINDSET OF LEARNING

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If you don't have the right mindset, you will never unlock your true potential to learn. All the tips and tricks you learn won't be as valuable. So don't get too excited and skip to the tricks - master this part first.

Here's the mindset you need to optimizing learning:

Mindset 1: Be excited about the topic.

If you're not excited, trick yourself into being excited. Figure out a way to be engaged with the content. Spend time before you start learning to get yourself to be genuinely interested in what you're about to learn.

Mindset 2: Understand why what you're learning is important.

There's a reason for everything you learn, figure out what that reason is. Don't be scared to ask why what you're learning matters. Especially in school, ask your teachers why this is important. It will give you a reason to learn it.

Mindset 3: Have realistic expectations on how long it will take you to learn it.

If you expect it will take you 5 days to learn everything about quantum mechanics, you will set yourself up for failure. After 5 days you'll feel you don't know anything, think you did something wrong, get discouraged, and stop.

Similarly, if you don't have an idea of how long something will take to learn, you don't have an idea of how much time you need to invest to understand the content.

Implication: before you start learning something, allocate enough time for yourself to learn about it. Give yourself a timeline and schedule time to learn it.

Mindset 4: Don't compare yourself to others.

There is only downside in comparing yourself to others.

If you're ahead of others, you'll slow down.

If you're behind, you'll get discouraged and feel like others are smarter.

Instead of comparing, set goals for yourself along a realistic timeline, then follow that.

Mindset 5: Make it real.

Research real-life applications for what you're learning about. Don't just stay in the bubble of a course or textbook. GOOGLE STUFF. See what's happening in the real world.

Mindset 6: Learn from the best.

You have access to the best content through the internet. Use that resource to find the best people and content to learn from. Don't settle for your textbook or teacher. Search for the best, then learn from them.

METHODS FOR LEARNING

There is a free course on Coursera called "Learning How To Learn". There's some good stuff in there, but some of it is a waste. So, I've made it easier for you so you can skip the useless stuff and focus on the good stuff.

Time required: You should be able to finish this in less than 90 minutes. Try watching on 1.5x speed. Take the tests to help you remember stuff. Don't buy the certificate. Take notes.

Here's the course: https://coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn

These are the videos you should watch (you can skip everything else):

Week 1:

  • Watch the videos in: "Procrastination, Memory, and Sleep"
    • Skip the Interview with Dr. Terrence Sejnowski.
  • Summary
  • Watch the optional interview on learning languages

Week 2:

  • Watch "Illusions of Competence"
  • Watch "What Motivates You"
  • Summary of Module 2

Week 3:

  • Watch everything in this module
  • Watch the optional talk with Nelson Dellis

Week 4:

  • Watch everything in this module
  • Watch the option video: "Optional: Part 1: How NOT to Take a Test, Interview with Dr. Richard Felder and Dr. Rebecca Brent"
  • Watch the option video: "Optional: Part 2: Learning Something New, Interview with Dr. Richard Felder and Dr. Rebecca Brent"

When you're done, take action. DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY. Try some of these strategies.

ULTRALEARNING

This is the concept of how to learn faster. In this book, the author outlines 9 principals to learn faster. There's a great blog and video from The Quintessential Mind that summarizes the book and principals.

Here's the article: https://thequintessentialmind.com/ultralearning/

When you read it, make sure you take notes and create action items for yourself. You should make connections between these principals the Focus process in TKS. For example → Principle 3. Directness: "The best way to learn directly is to immerse in projects relevant to the field from the beginning.”

After you finish reading the article, you can check out this video to internalize the concepts better:

Remember, these tips and tricks work, but without the mindset you'll never be able to get to your optimal learning state.

🔑 Practice the mindsets stuff above all else. Without understanding the mindsets to learning, you'll have a weak foundation and won't get the full benefits from the tactics.

Hope this was helpful,

Navid