20-hr-learning.md
THE FIRST 20 HOURS -- HOW TO LEARN ANYTHING SUMMARY
Lots of TEDx Talks promise to change your life. This one actually will.
One of your core productivity principles should be to learn to do things to a good-enough level—but not to perfection.
According to Josh Kaufman’s
with a bit of strategy, you can learn just about any skill to a sufficient level with twenty hours of focused effort
It can be achieved with just 4 simple steps:
- DECONSTRUCT (Choose a lovable project)
- LEARN (Make a checklist and jump in over your head)
- REMOVE (Eliminate barriers)
- PRACTICE (Practice by the clock and create feedback loop)
Ten principles of rapid skill acquisition:
- Choose a lovable project.
- Focus your energy on one skill at a time.
- Define your target performance level.
- Deconstruct the skill into subskills.
- Obtain critical tools.
- Eliminate barriers to practice.
- Make dedicated time for practice.
- Create fast feedback loops.
- Practice by the clock in short bursts.
- Emphasize quantity and speed.
Scaffolds are structures that ensure you approach the skill the same way every time. The optimal learning cycle appears to be approximately ninety minutes of focused concentration. Any more, and your mind and body will naturally need a break.
