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The Science-Based Prompt to Design a Learning Plan You’ll Stick With
How cognitive science can help you learn smarter, not harder.
“I quit.”
The words surprised me. The person in front of me wasn’t the type to give up easily — she’d built a tech company from the ground up, grinding through all the challenges of startup life.
The rain still poured, trapping us inside the gym.
Like all good conversations on this island I’m currently working from, ours started with Burning Man, dancing, and community-building. Then DJing came up.
“I’m playing a set for a sober outdoor day dance tomorrow,” I said.
“If the weather allows,” we both added at the same time, laughing.
Her face lit up. “I actually gave DJing a real shot last year.”
Twelve hours of deep practice. Three lessons. Four hours each. Then he quit.
Not because she wasn’t talented. Not because she lacked motivation.
But because she focused on the wrong things.
“Why?” I asked.
She sighed. “I wanted to create a vibe. Read a crowd. Make people move. But instead, I was drowning in track organization, and software settings. It felt…
