M2M Day 71: My approach to converting Rubik’s Cube algorithms to muscle memory

This post is part of Month to Master, a 12-month accelerated learning project. For January, my goal is to solve a Rubik’s Cube in under 20 seconds.

Yesterday, I determined that I need to learn 14 more Rubik’s Cube algorithms this month. Today, I learned one of the 14.

Here was my approach :

1. On the train ride to work, I practiced the movements of the algorithm over and over again. While doing so, I wasn’t trying to use the algorithm in context or solve the cube. Instead, I simply wanted to learn the feeling of executing the algorithm. I repeated the algorithm about 200 times until I felt I could execute it without consciously considering each of the individual moves.
2. On the train ride home, I executed the algorithm again, but this time, I watched what happened to the patterns on the cube. In particular, I was trying to learn how I could quickly identify the pattern and associated algorithm (based usually on only seeing two or three sides of the cube), so that I could execute the new alg in flow during a solve.
3. Once I got home, I solved the cube completely 40 times. During these solves, the new algorithm came up three times, giving me the chance to assess how smoothly (and correctly) I could execute it. The first time didn’t go so well, but the other two times flowed perfectly.

While this approach isn’t too profound, it got the job done.

I’ll talk more about learning new algs over the next couple days, but I’m keeping today’s post short, since I spent a good amount of time today writing another post (a non-M2M post about learning in general) that you may find interesting.

Read the next post. Read the previous post.

Max Deutsch is an obsessive learner, product builder, guinea pig for Month to Master, and founder at Openmind.

If you want to follow along with Max’s year-long accelerated learning project, make sure to follow this Medium account.