A step-by-step methodology to help you learn new skills.
It seems that 24 hours is very little. But in fact, during this time you can significantly improve your skills or learn something fundamentally new. This is convincingly proved by the author of the book “The first 20 hours. How to learn quickly… anything” Josh Kaufman, who has mastered the Ruby programming language, Chinese chess and the ukulele game for a year, and many bloggers who post videos with the results of 24-hour Challenge on YouTube.
You do not have to study 24 hours a day without a break, you can stretch 24 hours a week, two or at least a month. Long-lasting jamming will also be an interesting, though difficult experience: limited time and excitement may well spur you to do even more than you planned.
6 steps to get better in 24 hours.
1) Define the target skill level
Decide exactly what you want to learn, what results you want to achieve in the long run and in the near future. For example: confidently ride a bike, play guitar songs of your favorite band, knitting hats.
- Disassemble the skill into elements
Analyze which steps a skill consists of and where to start. For example, if you want to learn how to knit with a hook, the first steps are air loops, columns without a cape, columns with one cape and reading simple diagrams. These skills are enough to tie a hat, scarf, toy, socks or blanket without complicated patterns. - Prepare everything you need for your classes.
Materials, training videos, books, workplace. You do not need to download all the lessons you find or buy expensive consumables. Start with the minimum necessary to make you feel comfortable, but not hit your wallet hard. - Remove the obstacles.
Create a comfortable environment for yourself. Find a window in your schedule and make sure you’re not distracted by anything during class. - Fix the results
Success in new ventures largely depends on how much progress is visible. So think about the best way to capture the first victories. For some “before” and “after” classes, you are already clearly visible. For example, if you’re drawing, it’s enough to just put two works – old and new – next to each other. And in other areas you need to come up with a different way to assess. Record on camera how you skate, pass a test that determines the level of foreign language skills, contact your teacher. - Study regularly, intensively, at short intervals.
George Kaufman recommends setting the timer for 20 minutes several times a day and dedicating that time to the skill you are learning. He believes that this format helps to maintain concentration and motivation, so you learn faster than with longer lessons.
In addition, at first he advises you to think more about speed and quantity rather than the quality of what you do. This way, you learn more, which means you sharpen your skills faster.
A few ideas and inspirational examples
Let’s be realistic: in 24 hours we will not become a master in any business, not learn a profession, not learn a foreign language. But you can stop being a complete dilettante and reach a sufficient level, which, if desired, can be raised in the future. Here are some classes that you can try.
- Draw portraits
Like blogger Max Hertan, for instance. The progress after 25 hours of classes is amazing.
- Playing a musical instrument
There are a lot of such videos on YouTube. Most people learn to play classical guitar or ukulele, but those who went to music school in piano class, know that for 24 hours (12 two-hour classes!) You can easily learn the basic principles of sheet music, poorly understand the technique and learn a couple of simple plays. It’s already not bad!
- Ice skating
And not just ride, but perform simple shaped elements. Here is a video that shows what ordinary people have achieved in five lessons, which is much less than 24 hours.
- Knit
In a day it is quite possible to sort out the main types of loops and poles (if you chose knitting with a hook) and create your first hat or scarf, as made by the artist and YouTube blogger Josiah Brooks.
- Talk about yourself in a foreign language
In 24 hours you will learn the alphabet, the basics of grammar and simple vocabulary, learn to speak your name, how old you are, where you live and what you do, you will be able to maintain a simple dialogue.