Notes for the course Learning to learn for reflecting on my learning methods and improvement.

Key takeaways in one sentence: This sections talks about the main principles of being an efficient learner.

Learning VS Winning the system

  • Winning the system sometimes makes you sacrifice long-term values to gain short-term benefits. For example, some students in uni always chose easier subjects to get good grades, and they were more likely to be reluctant to some very well-designed but difficult subjects that can truly be beneficial to them for learning purpose.
  • Long-term learning will always beat out only winning the system.
  • “The Lesson to unlearn” by Paul Graham is a good resource to explain this principle.

What is success?

  • Drive + persistence + efficient learning

The obstacle

  • Feeling “you suck” when learning new things and encountering obstacles
  • Shift the focus to “I’m doing something worthwhile and I will accomplish it”, “no one good at new things at first”

The Dip

  • No one can do everything well at the same time, because we have limited time and resources. As such, we need to pursue goals based on our existing skills and the skills we can develop.
  • The path that we pick has to be feasible, meaning we should be able to overcome the obstacles by pushing ourselves hard enough along the path. Otherwise, it would be better to turn around for the right path.
  • by Seth Godin

Compound learning

  • Like doing exercise, a better way to learn is to learn a topic everyday persistently and spend less time such as 1 or 2 hours, instead of spending 12 hours learning it a day and burning ourselves out.
  • “Improve by 1% a day, and in 70 days you’re twice as good.” - Alan Weiss, Ph. D.

Failures don’t count

  • You only need to succeed once and it will take you from there in the future no matter how many failures you made before.
  • Do not stop trying because of being afraid of failures. Success often comes after trying and failing many times

Choice vs Chore

  • Learning is choice, not a chore that you have to do everyday. When you choose to learn everyday for long-term benefits, you are more likely to keep doing it.

It’s all in the Frame (Frame is how you view things)

  • Beginner attitude: I’m not good enough. I’m not better than him or her at doing this thing.
  • Beginner mindset: I’m not good enough but I’m growing. I’m just not there yet and I’m willing to spend time everyday learning to achieve the goals.
  • Reframing is changing how you view things less negatively. A good example is to shift the focus from beginner attitude to beginner mindset in terms of learning new things. You can tell which view can motivate you and help you overcome obstacles.

Pareto Principle (80/20 rule)

  • 80% of the result or effect comes from 20% of the cost or input.
  • This principle is crucial to becoming an efficient learner. Is this the best use of my time? Adding things does not necessarily mean better. Focus on the core 20%.

Skill stacking - Robert Greene

  • Curiosity - child-like ambition
  • Value learning - choose the opportunities that allow you to learn the best
  • Skill stacking (the most important) - combining different skills in a unique way, it is not about being the greatest of one thing (usually very hard to be the 1st of one area), it is about combining many skills to a more valuable skill stack eg. a programmer combine programming skills + business skills + communication skills

Happiness factors

  • Happiness will affect whether or not you can enjoy learning and growing.
  • Monitor them throughout your learning career.
  • To find key happiness factors (5-7 and rate them 1 - 5).

Your productivity time

  • What is your productivity time matters? Structure your learning based on your learning time.

Self-learning paradigm

  • You need to have the drive and motivation within yourself for lifelong learning.