In contrast, the best learning techniques force you to engage with the things you are learning. They provide feedback if you have gaps, haven't learned something or mislearned. Research indicates the best learning methods are testing, elaboration and self-explanation. They are best applied through a couple of learning strategies, like scheduling, distributing and mixing up your practice and study time. Research indicates the benefits of spacing your studies out over time and being sure to mix up different concepts instead of focusing on a single area.

In the last section, we looked at why you should learn to learn. In this short section, I want to share some of my favorite learning resources. The first and best resource I recommend for anyone on this topic is the course I mentioned in the intro: <a href="https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn">Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects </a>. It's free and available on Coursera. High-level you'll learn what goes on in our brains when we learn, what a learning chunk is and a few techniques that help you learn like pomodoros, metaphors, stories and deliberate practice. For me, I came to understand how important sleep and exercise are for learning, and I became much more aware of how I need to be healthy and well-rested if I want to learn and be creative.

Learning is about recall, so forcing yourself to recall (like with flashcards), elaborate or take tests prove effective since that's how our minds work. One example of elaboration that I like and use comes from Physicist Richard Feynman. The Feynman Learning Technique works like this: you take something you want to learn and study it until you are able to present and teach it. If you can't teach it, you haven't learned it. This method involves a degree of simplification. So you cycle through multiple learning stages to discover gaps in your knowledge when you try to teach it. Once you can teach it, you've mastered it.

Learning changes our brains. We have to literally incorporate new information into the network of connections in our brain. While part of the learning process does happen when we read a book, take notes and do a practice test, the actual building of connections takes place while we sleep. In fact, good health, sleep, nutrition and exercise are all just as important as the actual act of learning.

One of the most useful and interesting things I learned in the last year was not so much a specific subject or skill but a meta-skill. I learned how to learn. Learning is a critical skill for everyone.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

strategy

Strategy

education

Learning & Education

problemsolving

Problem Solving

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Science & Nature

Learning to Learn

There's no single hack for getting more work done in less time, but instead a host of habits, and work systems can produce the best return on your time. Getting more work done is about knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to get it done in the shortest possible time to maximise the little time you have everyday. It means means choosing tasks that strategically align with your work objectives.

Mwxim

Adopt the "one thing" approach. Make the hard choices and work on your most important priorities instead of responding to urgent tasks. Your time is limited. Doing everything is not an option. Set a very clear intention of how your day will go the next morning, particularly in the beginning, the night before. Visualising this intention and writing it down into your schedule can make it happen more automatically in the morning without wasting time.

Planning tomorrow today is a powerful habit that changes everyday. It's a system that can completely changes how you work: <ol><li>Before the day ends, identify and write down the best actions (to-do) you need to take tomorrow that will help you get closer to your work goals. </li><li>Every morning, focus on completing your action list from yesterday before midday. </li><li>Rinse, improve and repeat. Every day. Every week. Every month. Every year. </li> </ol>

You could double your efficiency with this simple process/habit. On any given day, assume that you can only accomplish one big thing, three medium things, and five small things, and narrow down your to-do list to those nine items. This means that your daily schedule will feature: 1. One very important task;

2. Three tasks of medium importance 3. Five little things Of course, this can be flexible, depending on important actions you need to take to advance your work goals. A daily priority list gives you a great roadmap to follow so that you don't feel overwhelmed and don't have to waste time thinking about what needs done. I use a combination of these methods to get through the day depending on how much work I have to get through.

There's no single hack for getting more work done in less time, but instead a host of habits, and work systems can produce the best return on your time. Getting more work done is about knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to get it done in the shortest possible time to maximise the little time you have everyday.

Learning to Learn

How to Get More Work Done in a Week Than Most People Do in a Month

Oliver Green-Lynch