The Right Mindset for Learning
So you find something useful when you go looking.
Almost 1,127 dedicated study hours in, if asked how to make a study session productive, I’d reply with something about mindset and intentions rather than technology or environment*.
To be clear, the following points refer to sessions covering new material, not exam prep/revision.
What mindset seems most helpful?
I don’t think this is a difficult question at all, though I’m open to hearing others’ answers if they disagree.
Mine would be:
- curious, calm and open to possibilities
- low ego and unafraid of consequences from self or others
What’s an easy way to adopt this mindset?
Post-it reminders of useful thoughts, stuck to your desk, is a simple method that works.
For example:
- I just want to learn one new thing today
- I want to know why it matters/how it’s used
- I want to make deliberate mistakes (i.e. by attempting example questions before finishing the text) to learn better while unlearning fear of missteps
- I only need my mind & curiosity, not a perfect environment* or setup
- If one resource isn’t working well, there are countless others to find and try
(*) A quiet environment may be essential, however, which reminds me of how study time is a luxury and a privilege but that is a topic for another post.
The above isn’t an exhaustive list, and may vary for others, but my aim is only to note that poor-mindset study sessions can be an unfortunate waste of time. Mindset is, therefore, worth thinking quite deeply about, in my experience.
What are your thoughts? Let me know here, if you like, or on Twitter.
Wondering what other learners have learned about learning? I recently asked questioned two smart folks on just that topic: Alex Magill and Brendan Schlagel (their answers gave me a lot to think about).
