How to Learn Anything Fast

What if you could learn a new skill in just 20 hours instead of the old adage of 10,000 hours? That is what author Josh Kaufman promises in his book “The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything…Fast!”.

I recently watched Kaufman describe (and demonstrate) his research-based approach to learning on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtJy69cEOtQ). Kaufman breaks learning a new skill down into five easy steps:

  1. Define what it will look like when you have learned the skill.
  2. Do some quick research to identify the sub-skills you need to master.
  3. Focus on the sub-skills that are most important first.
  4. Remove barriers to practicing.
  5. Commit to 20 hours before you start (just 40 minutes a day for a month).

Then if you want to improve your skills, recommit another 20 hours and start the process over.

With so much to do, this deconstructed approach to learning makes anything seem possible.