Study has the power to change your life. The keys are to pursue what interests you, read or listen a little every day, narrow down your filter over time and apply what you learn immediately. How you study is also important.
It’s really important that you pursue what interests you, especially in the beginning. If you try to force it, you’ll eventually give up, lose attention or associate study as something negative. Instead, think about what interests you, what excites you or a skill you’d like to learn. Then pick up something that is about that thing. As your interest grows, you’ll see and hear references to other materials or you’ll come across an idea you want to go deeper into. Any downtime could be used to do this.
I personally prefer audio content because I can be studying at all times when I’m alone – especially during the commute. Try to build in a little reading or listening time every day. This could be just twenty minutes per day but the main thing is consistency over time. A little growth every day works like compound interest. (Play with this calculator to get an idea.)
Realise that you’ll never be able to consume all content. Trying to will burn you out and you won’t make any real-world progress even if you feel you have. You’ll find that the more you know, the less you know so it’s important to narrow your filter. Prioritise what you’re studying and be ruthless about only studying within your area(s) of interest and development. Be clear on what is entertainment and what is study, especially with podcasts and YouTube. Only study what helps you progress to where you want to be in life.
Reading or listening to great ideas is not enough by itself. Don’t fall into the trap of feeling great because you feel like you learnt something and then not using it. It won’t be long before you forget what you learnt. Immediate action is where the real learning happens and this is reinforced if you take notes while studying, take action and take notes on your reflections of what worked and what didn’t. One step further is to consolidate all of this into a written or spoken explanation of what you learnt as if you’re teaching someone else.
There are many ways of studying: reading books, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, watching YouTube videos etc. so it’s important you choose the methods that best work for you. A word of caution: consider the motive and background of the creator/author and think critically. Are they doing it purely out of service? Do they have a religious or political agenda? Are they doing it for the clicks/views and/or money? Do they actually have experience in what they’re talking about? I’m not saying to avoid those things, but keep the context in mind and take from it what’s useful. Also, remember to ask yourself why you’re consuming the content.
My general guide is that if the same theme keeps coming up from a variety of creators or authors (especially if it’s from ancient texts such as the Stoics or the Bible etc.), I tend to pay more attention to it. The deeper you go, the more ideas you’ll discover and want to explore. It can be very effective to narrow down on a specific area of knowledge. Focus on what helps you to achieve the life you want.
While studying, taking notes of any important ideas or practical things you can use in your life, or any common themes coming through multiple content is advisable. Then, as we discussed before, put it into action, reflect and consolidate. You may need to go back to your notes or repeat the process a few times on the same skill or idea until you feel competent in that area but the principle is the same. Repeat this process for each area you want to develop.
My personal process: I listen to audio content mostly because it allows me to study at all times when I’m alone – especially during the commute. I started with what interested me. As I developed my interests and realized where I wanted to go in life, I targeted my study to the areas that help me achieve that. If there’s a specific skill or knowledge I want to learn, such as dealing with anxiety in specific situations, improving my writing or developing confidence in public speaking, I utilize ‘swarm reading’. I find lots of material on that subject and immerse myself in studying it and then I incorporate the key threads I’ve learned into specific situations and my daily life. I reflect regularly on what’s working, what isn’t and how I feel and then I write about it to consolidate it and check my understanding. If needed I study more or restudy. This is a never-ending process that repeats for every area I want to develop. Study is very important but ultimately, it’s massive practice that will speed up your development.
What do you like to study? How do you study?
Compound Interest Calculator – U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
https://www.investor.gov/financial-tools-calculators/calculators/compound-interest-calculator
The Series (living a fulfilled life):
thejourneyx 