THE BEST WAYS TO LEARN
THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING HOW TO LEARN
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THE BEST WAY TO LEARN LIFE
To create a great life you must learn the best way to create a great life. (Duh!) It will not just happen on its own. No miracle will occur. No one will cause it for you.
It is up to you to learn Effective Learning, of course, and to drop the randomness and ineffectiveness we all will tend to engage in without sufficient forethought.
Be aware that the best way to learn well in the most efficient way is to spend the time to intelligently select the best, focused learning methods. The best method, by far, is to follow paths and programs designed by knowledgeable people. They are the straightest line to achieving the knowledge with which to get whatever we want in life. (And among those paths and programs the best is to use "learning intensives", where there is dedicated learning time in a shorter focused time period.)
I repeat: the best way to learn and develop is through following paths and programs!
fool's journey, which most of us have taken in many cases, but with mostly bad results.
And only a fool would keep doing what doesn't work...
Learn → Knowledge → How to → + Act → Desired Results
(correctly)
Skip to the act part + Luck or miracles = Wished For Results
LEARN HOW TO USE THE INFO, DON'T LEARN ALL THE INFO!
Learn something well OR figure out how to have it available quickly when needed. We don't need to memorize things, unless for an exam or something that has to be accessed instantly. And we can use consultants instead of having to learn everything for ourselves!
USE SPECIAL TOOLS, KEEP YOUR PERSPECTIVE
The wise learner decides what is to be learned and then goes over the material to gain perspective, to see what to learn and when and how much. The "how much" question is a key management question, for you'll find that it may be best to go over the topics lightly and to tie them together into a meaningful whole, and then to go back to further harvest the details. The following tool was of immense value to me - and I must remember to keep using it, instead of thoroughly reading each book.
SQ3R Reading/learning tool: Survey what you will read, scanning but eliminating. Question - note any questions for further learning. Read, the useful sections in detail, preferably highlighting the most important, scan or skip the less useful. Recall key ideas after each chapter or even after a paragraph, reciting it in your head. Review it be going back and noting what is highlighted.
TO LEARN, YOU MUST DO AT LEAST THESE:
Learning Model - This is what you have to do, there are no ways around this. A good part of it involves repeating, recreating, visualizing, etc. so that it goes into your brain to be accessible and usable in life.
Note-Taking Skills - A necessary skill if you want usable notes - but don't forget to review and complete so you are Authentically Learning.
PLAN WHAT TO LEARN
You might use these forms. You need to write out your plan, so you'll be more effective.
Goal Setting Worksheets - A set of 3, usable and workable
Summary One-Page Goal Setting - All on one page, for a good overview
RESOURCES FOR LEARNING TO LEARN
You will seek out the "teachers" to help you learn to learn, such as below.
You'll pick of some excellent learning instruction from some of the universities, though they keep dropping the links. Wikipedia however is picking up the slack. The relevant subjects are: Study Skills, Time Management, Note Taking, Personal Goal Setting, our good old friend Procrastination, Memory, etc. I've selected some I think most people should consider, though you might also be interested in the others
USE YOUR HEAD...
The Higher Order Thinking Skills Hierarchy
Creating - The ultimate coming together of all the skills
Evaluating - Comparing, contrasting, determining what has value
Analyzing - Looking and discriminating for higher level conclusions
Applying - Using knowledge to get actual results
Understanding - Tying things together to make sense
Remembering - Lower use of brain
Where have you stopped or not completely learned?
The more you develop these thinking skills, the more you will be able to create. And notice that these processes are "systems" (or ways of proceeding in steps) of thinking.
I recommend that you read the whole sequence, starting at Thinking - The Master Skill.
If you can apply your thinking skills to create something that is not just a simple result, but something higher and better, then you can create a vastly better life. Remembering and understanding are positive and useful, but the comparative booby prizes, as nothing has left the brain to make an impact. The next levels allow one to be able to create greater and greater impacts, more intelligently and more selectively.
Note that, as computer-replaceable or labor-based jobs disappear, your future earnings will be based on the use of your mind - and, as such, it will pay your immensely to become a thinking expert no matter what field you are in!!!!
Mind-Mapping - A Picture Of Ideas In Relatedness - Click on the pdf versions to get a clear view of each. Great examples.
The Process Of Thinking - Using the right brain effectively with regard to goals, and training this side, which is not taught in school. See also: The Levels Of Thinking - How Far Up You Go In The Thinking Levels Will Determine Your Very Life!
Authentic, Effective, Real Learning To Get What You Really Want In life - We stop short of a true effective payoff...
Methods Of Learning - Learn these - and learn to be an expert in learning as it will serve you magnificently for a lifetime!
Reference
Learning Contents/Links - This is set up with a "program", and order, for the learning of learning!
INVEST IN THE GATEWAY
Since learning is the gateway to having more knowledge, being more effective, and being wiser, it would make sense to invest your time in learning how to learn - deeper and faster, for more progress much, much sooner.
You can learn geometrically more and better, so why do it in an unskilled manner?
Read the comments below and implement them.
And remember, don't confuse activity (effort, time) with results. Be sure you are doing lasting, real, usable learning, such as discussed in Authentic Learning.
Note that there is a trade-off between refining your learning methods and using the methods that would accelerate (make quicker) your learning of something that is wanted and needed more immediately. As always, the refining pays off the best in the long run. So, it is a matter of both/and, not either/or - do both, as a priority.
Particularly note the discussion on "immersion learning" in the piece Methods Of Learning.
Please remember that learning precedes knowledge and knowledge proceeds knowing how to do something, which, of course, enables one to proceed to implementing by action to get the desired results in life or any area.
But you cannot realistically in life hope to jump right over all of what must precede and go directly to the results. That is the
In order of increasing effectiveness
Instructions: Do these, in this order, but consider doing an immersion into this for a four hour period to get a substantial start!! (Any item not already linked can be linked to via the search engine in the header of this page.)
Learn how best to learn (this page).
Develop your own learning program or use or modify an existing one, such as The Sure Path.
Use routines for studying, schedule it, regularize it. (See Effective Learning and its links.)
Use SQ3R methodology: "survey, question, go deeper where needed". (See The Best Ways To Learn.)
Copy as is (or revise as necessary) an already existing model. (Don't reinvent any wheels!)
Use a "program" (systematic path) to follow.
Use better expertise and proven programs.
Find and use a good teacher, coach.
Add superfocus, continuous action, such as in a retreat or workshop or "immersion" period, what I call "learning intensives" (from 4 hours, a day, two days, to a week or so).
In these, more personal attention/help will
increase the learning(!).
Always follow up after a learning process, to assure full understanding and full implementation!
(See reference to "Know Can Do" in Authentic, Effective Learning - Real Learning.)
