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How to Learn Something New?

The old saying goes that “man is a lifelong learner”. It is true, because throughout our lives we acquire new experiences and abilities that we later use in our daily lives. Whether we are learning new foreign languages ​​or riding a bicycle, it pays to do it in the most efficient way possible. This will allow us to reach proficiency in a given field much faster and minimize the chance of appearing lackluster and giving up. We hope that the insights from this article will improve your results when it comes to learning new things.

1. Set a goal and break it down into smaller steps

We should start every project we undertake by creating an action plan. In this case, we must establish a starting point, that is, what is our current level in the skill that we want to learn, and then set a goal that we want to work towards. It is important that our goal is real and fully achievable for us. Once we have a starting point and an end goal, we must add the steps that will allow us to reach it. Let’s translate the method we have described into a practical example. If we want to learn to swim even though at the present time our entry into the water ends in drowning, our action plan could be the following:

Start: Not knowing how to swim.

  • Step 1: View tutorials available on the Internet.
  • Step 2: Sign up for an indoor pool and practice 3 times a week.
  • Step 3: Use a swimming instructor and practice 2 times a week.
  • Step 4: Practice swimming in open water areas.
  • Step 5: Sign up for a swim group

The goal: Mastery of the art of swimming.

As you can see, carrying out such a plan is not a difficult or time-consuming activity and it definitely makes it easier for us to learn new skills.

2. Balance between the acquisition of knowledge and practice

One of the problems that we encounter all too often when learning a desired activity is the wrong ratio between the acquisition of new knowledge and practice. If we focus only on theoretical knowledge, it may turn out that, despite the large dose of theoretical knowledge we acquire, we are unable to translate the new information into practice. On the other hand, it may turn out that going through more tutorials gives us only an illusory sense of progress. Therefore, it is important that we constantly check whether the knowledge we acquire is really useful to us. Regarding the scope of practice, it should be the backbone of our activity, for even the best knowledge without enough time spent on practical exercises will only lead to frustration and wasted time. However, we must remember that if we carry out a certain activity for years, it does not necessarily mean that we are improving at what we do every year. It may turn out that we are constantly making the same mistakes to which, unfortunately, we have become accustomed. That is why it is important to constantly search for new information in the field in which we want to specialize and then use the new knowledge gained in practice.

3. Eliminate everything that might bother you

Our environment has a great impact on our functioning. If our goal is to learn a skill, anything that distracts us from learning causes our efficiency to drop drastically. Let’s try that in the time that we plan to dedicate to learning a skill, nobody bothers us. We must turn off unnecessary communicators and phones during this time. If we have cohabitants, let’s try to make it clear to them that bothering each other during learning moments is unacceptable. Let’s remember that if we focus on one thing and our work is not interrupted by factors unrelated to the activity we are doing, we will waste a lot of time refocusing on our objective.

4. Proper motivation

Sometimes we have a hard time getting down to doing a job or learning certain skills. Although our motivation is at a fairly high level at first, unfortunately for most of us it turns out to be just a straw fervor, and in the prospect of a long and monotonous learning period we abandon our commitments. How many times have we wanted to learn a new language but always give up after a few days. Therefore, we must constantly remind ourselves why we are doing our homework. Over time, we will be able to create a certain routine and additional motivation will no longer be necessary to force us to act. Remember that consistency is always the most important factor for success, whatever you do.

5. System of rewards and punishments

As human beings, we have been taught since our school days that our hard work and exemplary performance will pay off. On the contrary, our bad behavior or our laziness will result in punishments and a lack of results. However, as we get older, we find that we have fewer and fewer opportunities to apply this system to our lives. In fact, the only place where the reward and punishment system is used against us is in our workplace. For a good job, we get a salary and the opportunity for promotion, while poor performance can mean dismissal from our duties. Therefore, if we commit to learning a new skill, we should also set ourselves certain punishments and rewards. For example, if our goal is to have an athletic physique, the reward for completing this task can be a trip to a dream place or buy us a gift. However, in a situation where we do not achieve our goal, a punishment should await us. It is important that the punishment we impose is felt by us. We can bet with someone close to us that if we don’t get a great body for the holidays we will give them the corresponding amount of money. The sight of losing something we care about will be a suitable motivator for action.

6. Regularity and time

It is impossible to learn a new language satisfactorily in a week. In the same way, we will not build a perfect figure after a few visits to the gym. So we have to be patient and educate ourselves hard but regularly in the desired direction. Let’s remember that, although today we are not able to carry out an activity, with time it will become easier for us. For example, if we want to learn to stand up on our hands, the key aspect is the number of attempts made. Although at first we will be afraid of falling and our body will fly in all directions, over time we will begin to notice that it is increasingly easier to keep our body upright and the time in which we are able to stand on our hands is increasing. long. Over time, standing on hands will be almost as natural to us as simply walking. The same principle applies to any skill we want to learn. Let’s give ourselves time and don’t get discouraged too quickly.

In conclusion, learning a new skill doesn’t have to be an ordeal at all. We can treat it as fun and an investment in ourselves. Let’s remember that others value people who have a whole range of interesting skills. The most important factor is regularity and continuous development in the field we want to master.

If you have any questions, please ask below!