Book: First 20 hours… How to learn anything… fast.

The First 20 Hours: Mastering the Toughest Part of Learning by Josh Kaufman

How to learn anything extremely fast?
Well, that book is precisely about that. Josh is a master learner and he chose few skills that he became quite good at within 20 hours.
I resolved to learn Colemak after reading this book. Took me longer than 20 hours (keyzen-colemak was quite helpful)

Amazon Link

My notes

  • Research the skill and related topics.
  • Jump in over your head.
  • Identify mental models and mental hooks.
  • Imagine the opposite of what you want.
  • Talk to practitioners to set expectations.
  • Eliminate distractions in your environment.
  • Use spaced repetition and reinforcement for memorization.
  • Create scaffolds and checklists.
  • Make and test predictions.
  • Honor your biology – absorb vast quantites of knowledge just prior to sleep
  • 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.

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