how to learn anything

Hello everyone. Two years ago, my life changed completely. My wife Kelsey and I were blessed with the arrival of our daughter Lela. Becoming a parent is an incredible journey. Overnight, your entire world shifts, and your priorities change drastically. It can be overwhelming at times, trying to process everything that comes with parenthood. For instance, learning how to dress your child – that was a new experience for me! I once thought an outfit was a good idea, but even Lela disagreed with that (laughter). There's so much to learn and adapt to all at once.

To add to the adventure, both Kelsey and I work from home as entrepreneurs. Kelsey develops online courses for yoga teachers, while I focus on writing. Balancing work with caring for an infant makes life incredibly busy. A few weeks into this new chapter, around week eight when sleep deprivation hit hard, I had a realization that every parent can relate to: I might never have free time again (laughter). Of course, that's not entirely true, but it certainly felt that way in the moment.

This concern weighed on me because one of my greatest joys is learning new things – delving into something new, experimenting, and gradually mastering it through trial and error. With the demands of parenting, I feared I wouldn't have the time to pursue this anymore. Being a bit of a geek, I turned to research, spending time in libraries and bookstores to understand how we learn and how we can learn efficiently.

One popular idea I encountered was the "10,000-hour rule" – the notion that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery in any field. It seemed daunting, especially considering my limited time. However, deeper exploration revealed a different reality. The 10,000-hour rule originated from studies of experts in competitive fields like sports and music, where extensive practice is essential to reach the pinnacle of performance. But for personal skill acquisition, the story is different.

Research in cognitive psychology paints a different picture – a learning curve that shows rapid improvement early on, with diminishing returns over time. In fact, for many skills, significant progress can be made in just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice. That's achievable – about 45 minutes a day for a month.

The key lies in strategic practice: breaking down the skill, focusing on essential elements first, and using feedback to correct and improve. Removing distractions and committing at least 20 hours to practice helps overcome the initial frustration and accelerates learning.

To put this theory to the test, I decided to learn something new: playing the ukulele. With just 20 hours of practice, I found myself playing a medley of songs, showcasing how effective this approach can be.

Ultimately, learning something new isn't about time quantity but quality of practice. Whether it's learning a language, cooking, or even juggling flaming chainsaws, the emotional barrier of feeling incompetent at the start is the real challenge. But with focused effort, you can break through that barrier and discover the joy of mastering a new skill in just 20 hours.

Thank you.