The Basics of Learning Skills Like a Pro

15 bite-sized principles to aid you on your learning journey

I’ve written about learning skills many times in the past. You can also find tons of resources on the topic. So why am I writing about this again?

Simple: there is too much noise out there. It’s hard to find an article that summarizes everything in a comprehensive and short format. This is what I’ll try to do here.

Here are some of the top principles for learning skills like a pro:

1. Digest information from many sources

For most skills, there is no best way to learn any skill. When searching how to learn a skill, read multiple articles, watch a few videos, read books, etc. Once done, note the common strategies for learning it. Also, vary the search terms you use. Use AnswerThePublic.com to help you find the right keywords.

2. Build a map and iterate on it

When I dig for information on a skill, I try to list the concepts, facts, and procedures. Concepts and facts are things you should know and procedures are things you should practice. I like to make a tree/map with all concepts, facts, and procedures and rearrange everything as I learn more about the skill. I like to use Emberly or MindMeister for that.

3. Break everything down

When you set out to learn a skill, you’re probably aiming too high. Don’t learn to play the guitar, learn to play 4 chords, for example. Don’t learn to play basketball, learn a small number of dribbling techniques, for example. Try to find a way to break a skill down so you can learn the sub-skill in under 15 hours of study and practice.

4. Practice more than you study