How I Changed the Way I Learn with Ultralearning
I've always wanted to be an expert. Someone who is not only knowledgeable about a topic but also puts that knowledge to good use.
It was obvious that learning would be a core element of becoming an expert, but my experience with learning was what I had done at school and university: go to class, complete homework, study for exams, and receive a grade at the end to tell me if I had learned enough to pass.
I realized that I did not know how to learn outside of a structured classroom with assignments, exams, and a final grade at the end of a semester.
So I started my search on learning how to learn, and that's when I was introduced to Scott Young's book on Ultralearning.
What is Ultralearning?
Ultralearning is composed of nine principles that serve as guidelines for intense, self-directed learning.
Scott Young defines these principles as:
- Metalearning: Draw a map first
Deciding why, what, and how you will learn. - Focus: Sharpen your Knife
Improving your ability to sustain deep focus. - Directness: Go Straight Ahead
Learning by doing. - Drill: Attack Your Weakest Points
Focusing your time on what is holding you back. - Retrieval: Test to Learn
Continuously testing what you are learning. - Feedback: Don't Dodge the Punches
Using the right feedback to accelerate your learning. - Retention: Don't Fill a Leaky Bucket
Preventing the loss of the new knowledge you are gaining. - Intuition: Dig Deep Before Building Up
Deepening your knowledge by not giving up on difficult parts of learning. - Experimentation: Explore Outside Your Comfort Zone
Trying new and different approaches to find what works best for you.
Here’s a great summary of the principles by Luthfur Chowdhury.
My First Ultralearning Project: Touch Typing
“In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.”
― Benjamin Brewster
After reading Ultralearning, I felt I had the tools to learn how to do anything. However, what I didn’t realize was that I had the tools in front of me but no practice using them.
Ultralearning, like any other skill, needs to be developed through practice. "Sharpening your knife" is sound advice, but you still need to know how to sharpen a knife to do that.
How I Learned to Touch Type
I decided to start small with something I could get started on right away. I had recently purchased a new ergonomic keyboard that came in two completely separate halves.
My goal:
Learn how to touch type (typing through muscle memory) at a comfortable speed on my new keyboard.
I found an extremely helpful site for this: keybr.com
How keybr.com Helped Me
- Allowed me to practice typing directly with feedback on my mistakes.
- Tracked my time spent typing and provided detailed graphs on speed and error rates.
- Automatically focused on areas where I needed the most improvement.
Key Lessons from My Typing Journey
The two most impactful aspects of this project were time and effort.
- Consistent Practice:
Practicing for 20 minutes most days of the week truly helped me improve. - Finding the Right Time:
Using the principle of experimentation, I discovered that practicing around existing daily activities—like before or after dinner—helped me stay consistent. - Setting Specific Goals:
I created a rule to never end a practice session with mistakes in the last paragraph I typed. This "100% accuracy rule" added an extra layer of focus to each session.
Your Turn: Start Learning with Ultralearning
Following the ultralearning principles made my learning journey smoother and faster. While each principle had a different impact, directness and drilling contributed the most to my success for this project.
Challenge Yourself!
Pick a skill you’ve always wanted to learn and start today.Start small.Stay consistent.Apply the ultralearning principles.
You might surprise yourself with how much progress you can make in a short amount of time!
Let's Chat 💬
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
How have you approached learning a new skill?
I'd love to hear your tips and challenges in the comments.