First of all, I would like to say that most of what I have written in this blog post is going to be based on a TED talk by Josh Kaufman, entitled, “The first twenty-hours, how to learn anything” (So if you want, you can view that TED talk for yourself and formulate your own opinions!). Learning a new skill is something we all strive to do, whether it is playing an instrument or acing Mathematics. For most of us, the process of learning is arduous and requires a lot of time.
Everyone knows what is required to learn a new skill: practice. But the thing is, people are confused HOW to practice and how MUCH to practice. In recent researches, it was shown that it takes 10000 hours of practice to become very competent in a skill (for e.g: playing chess). This piece of information was exaggerated multiple times, till it acquired a new form: “It takes 10000 hours to learn anything”! This is far from the truth. In fact, one can learn a new skill (by learning a new skill I mean become modestly good at the said skill) by doing JUST 20 hours of practice!
Wait a minute.. How can one become modestly good in such a small period of time. Well, it has to do with something to do with the learning curve. At first, small periods of time practicing a skill which, hitherto, one didn’t know results in a much faster increase of skill than when a person modestly competent at the skill practices for the same duration. In fact, the learning curve is s-shaped or at times, even logarithmic (a term I use because I am a math geek!).
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| An example of the learning curve |
There are five simple steps (there are actually four in the video, but I feel that a fifth point may be added) that you need to follow if you want to learn a new skill in the shortest amount of time:
- Deconstruction of the skill
- Learning to self-correct
- Removing practice barriers
- Practicing at least 20 hours
- Telling others about what you learnt, and possibly teaching them
Firstly, deconstruction of the skill basically means dividing the skills into parts. This will help you learn the skill faster, because you can prioritize the different aspects of the skill you want to acquire in a way that interests you the most. This part also involves getting all the required materials. For example, if you want to learn how to play an instrument, firstly you need to buy the instrument. Then, it will help you a lot if you know the different parts of the instrument and what each of them do. Then, you can move on to how to play the instrument and so on.
Secondly, you need to learn the art of self-correction. Many a times, I have seen students buying ginormous books on Physics and procrastinating. “I have got a big book. If I read it I am going to be an expert. So, I might as well relax now and read it later” is a common thought that arises in the minds of most people. This habit needs to be avoided and when mistakes are made while practicing a skill, you need to be able to detect those mistakes and correct them.
Thirdly, you need to remove all the barriers that might not allow you to accomplish your desire of learning a new skill within a short span of time. These barriers might include television, the internet, a lover etc. In fact, all of us have the intellectual ability required for learning a new skill. The greatest barrier is in fact the emotional state of a person.
Fourthly, and this is key, you need to practice the skill for at least 20 hours. You might do short stretches over a long time, or longer stretches over short periods of time, but in order to reap visible benefits, you need to labor for at least 20 hours. Personally, I recommend doing longer stretches over short periods of time, because the brain is able to re-call what you have practiced in a shorter span of time.
Lastly, it helps a lot if you teach someone aspects of the skill that you are trying to acquire, or just talking to them about it. Care should be taken to ensure that you are teaching the right things, but other than that, the benefits you can reap from teaching another person is extra-ordinary.
I would like to conclude by saying (since this a blog dedicated to Mathematics, Science and interesting happenings around us!) many people believe the Sciences and Mathematics are tough and cannot be learnt easily. However, this is not the case. Yes, I am pretty sure you cannot become an expert within 20 hours (moderately good though, you can!), but nonetheless, applying these methods of “Intelligent practice” can have a positive impact on your ability to grasp mathematical and scientific ideas and concepts. Give it a try! And please do share with me, either publicly or in private, how adopting intelligent practice helped you learn a skill quickly and efficiently. For those willing to persevere even further, greater amounts of intelligent practice will result in further benefits.
Link to the TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MgBikgcWnY
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