My partner says I'm the most efficient self-learner she has ever met and I should share my tricks with others to make our world a better place with more efficient self-learners.
Here are 7 steps, which help me to get the most of my time 🚀
1. Identify a goal
Before jumping into any topic it's important to formulate why you would like to study it. There might be all kind of reasons, the most typical:
A) it could help advance in your career
B) it's something everyone talks about and you would like to understand how it works
C) it's sounds fun
D) you just saw an interesting job position which requires to know this topic
F) feel more comfortable around your more experienced colleagues, who all seem to know this stuff already
2. Timeframe
It's crucial to estimate how much time you have for the topic you plan to study. If you're preparing for a job interview, you might have only a few days or a week. If you’re learning for fun, you can be more flexible. But even in this case, it's important to define when you would like to be done with it. Should it take 2-3 months or 1 year?
By working with many mentees I notice that as soon as a timeframe is set, chances of dropping are much lower.
3. Find material
Now, when you know why and how long you would like to study, it's time to find a resource. It might be a blog post, a book, courses, videos on YouTube, etc.
It should be the type of source that you enjoy consuming.
An important aspect to consider is how you'll integrate learning into your calendar. Can you afford a few hours in front of your PC or would you prefer to use committee time on the train?
Don't spend too much time searching for the perfect resource. Just get started and change the resource later if needed.
4. Remember: brain is lazy by nature
Learning triggers building new connections between neurons in your brain. This is a very energy-consuming process. Your mind tries to switch you to a process, which requires less energy. Like doing laundry or scrolling through your feed on a social network.
The trick here is to stay focused on the topic for a few more minutes or pages. Remind yourself about your goals and timeframe and promise to check your feed after you finish this chapter or section.
5. Apply your new knowledge in practice
In Data Science, almost everything you learn can be applied to a small project. This is a great way to crystallize the knowledge and add it to your portfolio.
6. Share that you learned
Discussion with other human beings is a great way to summarize and polish your understanding. The conversation might also bring you ideas you didn't have before or highlight the gap you didn't notice. Important: you don't need to find an expert on the subject to discuss it, any curious person could be a good listener.
You can also find another form of sharing, e.g., writing a blog post on Medium or a post on LinkedIn.
7. Readjust your goals and timeframe
Life is happening independently of your learning plans. Very often your assumption 3 months ago doesn't match the reality you're living in. This is ok. Acknowledge it and revisit the goal and the timeframe from time to time. It will help you stay on track or drop activity, which is not worth your time.
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