How to Master a Skill with Mini Habits

Goals are like a beacon and a timeline is the milestones you can check off when you begin your learning journey. Clear time bound goals also help you stay accountable. 

Tip: Think of your learning as a long term project with clear timelines and SMART goals.

Establish a fixed time in your schedule. Mini habits take just a few minutes so it isn’t difficult to carve them out from a busy schedule.

Tip: Preferably do your learning first thing in the morning. The brain has a reservoir of energy and you won’t fall to the tyranny of a busy day. 

Mini habits take up very little time so the risk of interruptions is also minimized. Still, set your boundaries. Remove distractions like mobile notifications and other demands on your time. 

Tip: Keep everything you need to learn with at hand. Reading a page is easier if you have the book next to you. 

Behavioral science and proponents like B.J Fogg say one of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top. This is called habit stacking.

Tip: Taking an online course? Make it the start page in your browser so it opens up when you launch your browser first thing in the morning.

Thanks to mobile phones, you can tap into microlearning videos and other tools to learn on the go. Every minute of downtime (for instance, while commuting) can be turned into an upskilling opportunity.

Motivation can flag with self-directed learning. Tiny rewards at periodic junctures can help improve focus. The best thing about these rewards is that you can set them up yourself

What we do not go back to we forget. The Forgetting Curve shows that you as a learner will forget an average of 90% percent of what you learn within the first month. 

So, it is critical to build a revision schedule into your learning habit. Spaced repetition helps to flatten out the forgetfulness curve.

Regular and deliberate practice helps you repair your weak points. Like our school tests, it fortifies what you are learning in your memory.

Tip: Teaching someone else is one of the best ways to practice your learning.