How to develop patience to learn a new skill?

When I was little, I saw in a bookstore a collection of 22 volumes on the story of a stallion.

I remember sitting on the carpet of this store and dreaming of being able to buy myself this edition. I ended up doing it.

But guess what? I have never read all the books.

So imagine today, where with just one click, you can access expert advice, dozens of training courses, hundreds of books. Information is more available than ever.

But is it effective for learning?

No, picking a method you find useful and working on it patiently for a few months works much better.

Choose your method, stick to it, and be patient. 3 ideas for learning more effectively.

1.Favor depth over width.

In each area, you will find an expert, a friend, an acquaintance who swears only by one method.

And very often, the concepts are completely different.

Add to that good marketing that sells you an improvement in your health, your finances, your loves and you end up jumping from material to material with minimal result.

“All roads lead to Rome.”

There isn’t one method that works for everyone. Assuming you’ve done a little research, each approach taken independently can perform. But fluttering from one system to another is a path of stagnation.

My experience with chess.

I discovered chess at 46 and I’m studying the game. There are so many materials out there that it’s hard to choose.

I’m a Chessable fan. It’s a platform that allows the power of “spaced repetition” applied to chess. The software offers you more repetition on your difficulties and less revision on what you master. I also use this technique for language learning.

But even having chosen the platform (Chessable), the number of courses available is impressive. And every time I start a new class, the repetitions pile up.

At first, I made the mistake of beginning several courses at once. I only started making progress when I picked a training and worked it hard. I was finishing the book twice in a row. And this experience coincides with a noticeable improvement (even if I am a complete beginner) in my game.

2. How to manage the fine line between boredom and efficiency?

I have a “streak” of almost 2000 days with Duolingo, a language learning site.

Of course, I have periods of boredom where the constant repetition of the same exercises annoys me.

If I like the system (which is the case with Duolingo), I try to innovate by keeping it. Go from the traditional learning tree to stories, work only on new themes or focus on revisions…

3.Moving from collecting to using.

Going back to my intro, it would have been much more efficient to start the first book on the stallion and buy the following ones as I go along. 😀

When you do your research on which tools to select for your learning, open a file, write down all the references, rank them in order of importance and start with the first one.

You’ll have plenty of time to move on to the next one, once you have mastered the material.

Plus, it’s better for your wallet.😀
Discover my Resource guide: The 11 books that have influenced my career the most. (Including my favorite of all categories)

Conclusion.

Everything pushes us to consume more, when clicking on your next purchase, remember that depth is much more effective than width. And that patience plays a crucial role in your progress.

Good learning.

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Spaced repetition. The habit of learning faster.
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I Recently Passed The 1000 Day Streak Mark In LingQ. My Method To Keep Going When It Gets Tough.