Eligibility criterion
May be some of you think you are quite stupid. That you are not smart enough to learn. That you don’t have a good enough IQ. I really don’t care about that. I just want you to answer one question, “Did you learn your mother tongue without attending any classes or coaching or dummies guide? You just learnt it by listening to your family/caretakers. Was that the case?” If your answer is yes, Congratulations! Your brain is good enough to learn stuff. It can pick up patterns and consolidate the information to develop a skill (even without you knowing it). Pretty neat, isn’t it?
Let’s start learning how to learn!
Tip No 1- Gather information
Immerse your mind with information and let it figure out a pattern
For your brain to really get clear about what it needs to learn, you need to provide it with a lot of information – through different sources. As I said, your brain is capable of picking up a pattern. So, if you are trying to learn about a certain concept, procure information about it from 4- 5 different sources. You can read a blog, go to a website, watch multiple Youtube videos etc. After the fifth source, you’ll see that you are beginning to get the hang of it. You are realizing what the concept is about and what needs attention and (more importantly) what needs to be ignored. Say for example, you want to learn a language. I suggest you immerse yourself with that language for about a month. Watch movies, and TV series (both with subtitles) and read articles that you find interesting in THAT LANGUAGE ONLY. If possible, talk to other in that language even if you fumble. This is an important phase in your learning curve. When you are a rookie, you have to endure the embarrassment of making mistakes. In about a month or two, you’ll see the words/phrases coming at the tip of your tongue. Believe me, when that happens, you will start grinning like an idiot (even if for a moment).
It is important to mention here that a lot of skills require physical movement like playing a musical instrument, driving a car, working out to get in shape etc. In such cases, you have to gather information on the basics and strategies to learn. Please cross check these strategies (preferably) with an expert or do it yourself by more research. Internet has a lot of information-that is its advantage-that is its curse. So find out what works for you. This is important because you don’t want to learn wrong motor skills. Else, you will have to start all over again. You can look up the internet with words like “what not to do” or “what to avoid while learning XYZ”. Whatever you do, try to learn the science behind it so that you can take an informed decision. If someone says, working out in the morning is best because you are tired in the evening, he may just be a morning person who is not all that active in the evening. You could be a different person who can (or wants to) spend time at the gym only in the evening. That’s fine! A lot of people work out in the evening and are quite fit. Try to figure out what works for you. After you have finalized your strategy and practiced it long enough, you will develop what is called as a “Muscle memory” which means you can do that activity without even paying full attention. Your hands/fingers/feet have learnt what to do and they start doing it even if you are thinking about nonsense stuff like, Why is Taimur so famous already? No I don’t think about him but I do think our brains are super-efficient to be able to handle such complex tasks
Tip No-2 Pomodoro technique
Set small goals -> Work hard on them -> Repeat
Pomodoro technique was formulated by Francesco Cirillo who used to work for 20-25 minutes and then took a small break and then again got back to work for 20-25 minutes. The idea here is to not work ceaselessly as our mind is not accustomed to focus for a very long time. So, what exactly are you supposed to do? Follow Mr Cirillo of course. Do not think about completing the task at one go. Set defined targets for yourself. (Like, I will learn how to start a conversation in a certain language; I will learn to play the chords of a few lines of a song; I will learn how to prepare gravy for chicken; I will learn basics of quantum computing and so on)
It is important to note here that your goal should be well defined and if possible, quantified. This is important because you should have clarity in your mind as to what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. Secondly, please do yourself a favour and do away with all distractions for your allotted 20-25 minutes. Switch off your data (in fact, keep your phone on silent mode), go away from chatter/shut off the TV and work your ass off. I further suggest you to make your breaks productive even if they are only 5-10 minutes long. Drink water or do some light exercise, reflect on what you just learnt. This helps you keep the momentum. Go back to whatsapp, facebook and television only once when you intend to take a longer break or you are done for the day. Please note that you don’t necessarily have to take a break. If you are in the zone and taking a break will affect your momentum, so go on. After all, the goal is to learn and not follow Dr Cirillo! If you follow Pomodoro’s technique with discipline, you can be quite sure you’d take giant strides ahead.
Tip No-3 Feynman’s technique
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” -Einstein
I am naming Fenyman and quoting Einstein and you may find that annoying. But both of them stress on the same factor – i.e. explaining/teaching what you have learnt to someone else makes your grip on the skill stronger.
The great Dr Feynman suggests you to pick a topic, learn it well but forbids you to fooling yourself into thinking that you are the master of it. Go explain it to someone (this could even be your grandmother-she won’t judge you anyway). While explaining, you will find out that you really don’t know what you think you know. That someone may make fun of you if you fumble and it may hurt your ego; if that inspires you to get better, well and good. However, may I suggest you not to take this personally? It is very natural and happens to most of us. Learning requires shedding your ego and accepting that one lacks knowledge (As I have already mentioned in my 1st tip). So once you have found out where you got stuck, get back to the task and re-learn. This time, you will get better, much better. Apply this technique just a couple of times and you’ll see your skill rise exponentially.
Tip No-4 Deliberate practice
Brain is a terrible master and a wonderful servant
There is a scientific reason why children tend to learn stuff more easily than adults. It’s not like you grow-up and then you turn stupid. It has something to do with how your brain doesn’t allow you to learn anything which it deems unnecessary. By the time you grow-up, your brain has wired itself to perform certain tasks that allow you to survive. When you try to learn something new, your brain be like, “Dude, really?” and this is the point where most adults lose the game to the children. As Dr Ken Robinson points out, Children have a voracious appetite for learning. Their brain works accordingly. It keeps re-wiring as much as they want (it’s called neuroplasticity by the way) which helps them in learning faster and deeper. For example, as I said in the beginning, a child can learn the languages spoken around them without any coaching or tutorial. While for an adult, it is more difficult to learn a new language even with plenty of sources at their disposal. This is because an adult brain actively hinders any learning that is not necessary for survival.
So, what needs to be done? The answer is deliberate practice. Take charge of your life and don’t let the brain decide these things! When you have decided to learn something, stick to it. Practice, Practice and Practice some more! Believe me, the brain eventually gives in. You’ll realize how wonderful servant your brain is! I’ve been there and I loved it.
Tip No-5 Eat well – your brain needs nourishment
You’re what you eat
Like you need to nourish your body through various nutrients to make it healthier and stronger, you also need to do the same for your brain. Oh, did I mention? You MUST work-out, do some exercise, move your body around for your brain to function well. It makes you happy, healthy and smart. Coming back to the topic, you need to nourish your brain. This ensures your well-fed brain serves you well. I suggest you to eat vegetables (especially green leafy ones), nuts (walnuts), fruits (blue-berries are popular in this case), fish and whole grains. Avoid processed food and sugar as far you can. I also read somewhere that dark chocolate and wine (just a glass) helps in nourishing your brain too (You’re welcome!) Invest your time and money in these sources and your gray matter will provide you with handsome returns on your investment.
So that was it! My 5 tips on how to learn any skill!
Be happy, Keep learning!
May be some of you think you are quite stupid. That you are not smart enough to learn. That you don’t have a good enough IQ. I really don’t care about that. I just want you to answer one question, “Did you learn your mother tongue without attending any classes or coaching or dummies guide? You just learnt it by listening to your family/caretakers. Was that the case?” If your answer is yes, Congratulations! Your brain is good enough to learn stuff. It can pick up patterns and consolidate the information to develop a skill (even without you knowing it). Pretty neat, isn’t it?
Let’s start learning how to learn!
Tip No 1- Gather information
Immerse your mind with information and let it figure out a pattern
For your brain to really get clear about what it needs to learn, you need to provide it with a lot of information – through different sources. As I said, your brain is capable of picking up a pattern. So, if you are trying to learn about a certain concept, procure information about it from 4- 5 different sources. You can read a blog, go to a website, watch multiple Youtube videos etc. After the fifth source, you’ll see that you are beginning to get the hang of it. You are realizing what the concept is about and what needs attention and (more importantly) what needs to be ignored. Say for example, you want to learn a language. I suggest you immerse yourself with that language for about a month. Watch movies, and TV series (both with subtitles) and read articles that you find interesting in THAT LANGUAGE ONLY. If possible, talk to other in that language even if you fumble. This is an important phase in your learning curve. When you are a rookie, you have to endure the embarrassment of making mistakes. In about a month or two, you’ll see the words/phrases coming at the tip of your tongue. Believe me, when that happens, you will start grinning like an idiot (even if for a moment).
It is important to mention here that a lot of skills require physical movement like playing a musical instrument, driving a car, working out to get in shape etc. In such cases, you have to gather information on the basics and strategies to learn. Please cross check these strategies (preferably) with an expert or do it yourself by more research. Internet has a lot of information-that is its advantage-that is its curse. So find out what works for you. This is important because you don’t want to learn wrong motor skills. Else, you will have to start all over again. You can look up the internet with words like “what not to do” or “what to avoid while learning XYZ”. Whatever you do, try to learn the science behind it so that you can take an informed decision. If someone says, working out in the morning is best because you are tired in the evening, he may just be a morning person who is not all that active in the evening. You could be a different person who can (or wants to) spend time at the gym only in the evening. That’s fine! A lot of people work out in the evening and are quite fit. Try to figure out what works for you. After you have finalized your strategy and practiced it long enough, you will develop what is called as a “Muscle memory” which means you can do that activity without even paying full attention. Your hands/fingers/feet have learnt what to do and they start doing it even if you are thinking about nonsense stuff like, Why is Taimur so famous already? No I don’t think about him but I do think our brains are super-efficient to be able to handle such complex tasks
Tip No-2 Pomodoro technique
Set small goals -> Work hard on them -> Repeat
Pomodoro technique was formulated by Francesco Cirillo who used to work for 20-25 minutes and then took a small break and then again got back to work for 20-25 minutes. The idea here is to not work ceaselessly as our mind is not accustomed to focus for a very long time. So, what exactly are you supposed to do? Follow Mr Cirillo of course. Do not think about completing the task at one go. Set defined targets for yourself. (Like, I will learn how to start a conversation in a certain language; I will learn to play the chords of a few lines of a song; I will learn how to prepare gravy for chicken; I will learn basics of quantum computing and so on)
It is important to note here that your goal should be well defined and if possible, quantified. This is important because you should have clarity in your mind as to what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. Secondly, please do yourself a favour and do away with all distractions for your allotted 20-25 minutes. Switch off your data (in fact, keep your phone on silent mode), go away from chatter/shut off the TV and work your ass off. I further suggest you to make your breaks productive even if they are only 5-10 minutes long. Drink water or do some light exercise, reflect on what you just learnt. This helps you keep the momentum. Go back to whatsapp, facebook and television only once when you intend to take a longer break or you are done for the day. Please note that you don’t necessarily have to take a break. If you are in the zone and taking a break will affect your momentum, so go on. After all, the goal is to learn and not follow Dr Cirillo! If you follow Pomodoro’s technique with discipline, you can be quite sure you’d take giant strides ahead.
Tip No-3 Feynman’s technique
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” -Einstein
I am naming Fenyman and quoting Einstein and you may find that annoying. But both of them stress on the same factor – i.e. explaining/teaching what you have learnt to someone else makes your grip on the skill stronger.
The great Dr Feynman suggests you to pick a topic, learn it well but forbids you to fooling yourself into thinking that you are the master of it. Go explain it to someone (this could even be your grandmother-she won’t judge you anyway). While explaining, you will find out that you really don’t know what you think you know. That someone may make fun of you if you fumble and it may hurt your ego; if that inspires you to get better, well and good. However, may I suggest you not to take this personally? It is very natural and happens to most of us. Learning requires shedding your ego and accepting that one lacks knowledge (As I have already mentioned in my 1st tip). So once you have found out where you got stuck, get back to the task and re-learn. This time, you will get better, much better. Apply this technique just a couple of times and you’ll see your skill rise exponentially.
Tip No-4 Deliberate practice
Brain is a terrible master and a wonderful servant
There is a scientific reason why children tend to learn stuff more easily than adults. It’s not like you grow-up and then you turn stupid. It has something to do with how your brain doesn’t allow you to learn anything which it deems unnecessary. By the time you grow-up, your brain has wired itself to perform certain tasks that allow you to survive. When you try to learn something new, your brain be like, “Dude, really?” and this is the point where most adults lose the game to the children. As Dr Ken Robinson points out, Children have a voracious appetite for learning. Their brain works accordingly. It keeps re-wiring as much as they want (it’s called neuroplasticity by the way) which helps them in learning faster and deeper. For example, as I said in the beginning, a child can learn the languages spoken around them without any coaching or tutorial. While for an adult, it is more difficult to learn a new language even with plenty of sources at their disposal. This is because an adult brain actively hinders any learning that is not necessary for survival.
So, what needs to be done? The answer is deliberate practice. Take charge of your life and don’t let the brain decide these things! When you have decided to learn something, stick to it. Practice, Practice and Practice some more! Believe me, the brain eventually gives in. You’ll realize how wonderful servant your brain is! I’ve been there and I loved it.
Tip No-5 Eat well – your brain needs nourishment
You’re what you eat
Like you need to nourish your body through various nutrients to make it healthier and stronger, you also need to do the same for your brain. Oh, did I mention? You MUST work-out, do some exercise, move your body around for your brain to function well. It makes you happy, healthy and smart. Coming back to the topic, you need to nourish your brain. This ensures your well-fed brain serves you well. I suggest you to eat vegetables (especially green leafy ones), nuts (walnuts), fruits (blue-berries are popular in this case), fish and whole grains. Avoid processed food and sugar as far you can. I also read somewhere that dark chocolate and wine (just a glass) helps in nourishing your brain too (You’re welcome!) Invest your time and money in these sources and your gray matter will provide you with handsome returns on your investment.
So that was it! My 5 tips on how to learn any skill!
Be happy, Keep learning!
Good article and helped a lot. What should one do when unable to control thoughts, wishful thinking, childishness and dumb brain.
ReplyDeleteDear Sir, meditation is suggested to be a very powerful technique to bring the mind in control. Experts opine that even a 5-10 min of meditation session starts showing results in 30 days or so. There are other ways like listening to music. Hope that helps! :-)
DeleteThank you. It's mam.Came here through your YouTube page.
DeleteMy sincere apologies madam! It was difficult for me to know :-)
Delete