𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒏 's Key Ideas from The First 20 Hours
by Josh Kaufman

• The First few hours of leaning something new are always the hardest; this is where most people give up. This said, if you break your 20 hours down into an hour of practice per day, you will rapidly improve.
• You will find it much easier to continue building your skills after you've completed the first 20 hours. Once you get through the first 20 hours, you'll have significant practice will be easier. To make the most of these initial 20 hours, adopt the ten principles of rapid skill acquisition.

10 Clear principles to improve the efficiency of your skill acquisition:

1. Choose a lovable project
2. Focus your energy on one skill at a time
3. Define your target performance level
4. Deconstruct the skill into sub skills
5. Obtain critical tools
6. Eliminate barriers to practice
7. Make dedicated time for practice
8. Create fast feedback loops
9. Practice by the clock in short bursts
10. Emphasize quantity and speed.

• There are probably many skills you'd like to acquire. But the first step of rapid skill acquisition is choosing to focus on one. Start by making a list of all the skills you're interested in, and pick the one most exciting to you right now. This excitement will help you stay motivated through your practice
• Use your time wisely when trying to learn something new, since you may only have about an hour a day to dedicate to it. Trying to learn multiple concepts at once would mean slow progress, which is not motivating at all.

• Practice in 20 minute bursts so that you can focus all your energy on your chosen learning task. These bursts should involve deliberate and consistent practices. 
• The faster and more often you practice the quicker you'll acquire the skill.

1. Research the skill and related topics
2. Jump in over your head
3. Identify mental models & mental hooks
4. Imagine the opposite of what you want
5. Talk to practitioners to set expectations
6. Eliminate distractions in your environment
7. Use spaced repetition & reinforcement for memortization
8. Create scaffolds & checklists
9. Make & test predictions
10. Honor your biology.

• Deciding how proficient you want to become at your chosen skill is the third principle in rapid skill acquisition. This is called your "Target Performance Level". It's important because if you can envision the end goal, it'll be easier to get there. Decide what level of skill is "good enough" for you. For example, if you're learning to play an instrument, consider whether you want to play a few songs by heart or jump into a jam session.

• As well as choosing your skill level, you also have to use smaller steps. Break your chosen skills down into bite-sized pieces that you can tackle one by one. You don't attempt to down an entire meal in one bite, and you shouldn't try to learn a skill in one swing.
• By dividing the work ahead of you, progress will be easier, and the steps you need to take to succeed will be clearer.
• As well as defining the specific skill level you want to pursue, you need to identify the tools you need to succeed at your skill level. The tools are the fundamental building blocks of your skills. 

• When learning a skill, there will always be barriers that interfere with your learning process. So, consider any emotional roadblocks that may stand in your path, like fear or self-doubt. Remove any distractions, like a phone that might ring. Create a distraction less learning environment.

• In today's world, people are busier than ever. So, if you want to learn a new skill, you need to make time to practice. Identify other activities in your life that you aren't fond of, and work to cut those out. Fill that time with practicing your new skill. Your goal is to free up at least 90 minutes for practice each day by cutting low-value activities as much as possible. You could divide this time into three to five practice sessions.
• Can use Pomodoro technique

• Practice in brief bursts. Shorten your working periods so you can avoid working on difficult or tedious activities for extended periods. Such activities can be draining and often lead to inefficiency. 
• When you first start learning the hours of practice seen to drag on longer and longer. Because the task is difficult, it feels like you've spent longer practicing than you have.
• Avoid this feeling by using a 20-Minute timer. The timer will let you know how long you've been practicing. Since you'll know how long you've been working, you'll be more motivated during that period.

1. Decide exactly what you want to be able to do, and to what level
2. Deconstruct a skill into the smallest possible subskills 
3. Learn enough about each sub-skill to able to practice intelligently and self-correct during practice.
4. Remove physical, mental and emotional barriers that get in the way of practice.
5. Practice the most important sub-skills for at least 20 Hours.

• Focus on one skill at a time
• Get the right tools for the job
• Remove distractions from your environment and address the fears
• Prioritize quantity and speed over quality in the first 20 hours
• Cut low value activities from your day. Use free time to practice your skills for at least 90 minutes. This can be broken into shorter bursts
• Track your progress and give yourself feedback, or else find a coach.