Teach Yourself Anything: The Sandbox Framework
What does it take to teach you a new skill? A set of teachers and professors? A well-established system with proven results? Well that’s what most people think. And that’s why “Schools” and “colleges” are still the first words that come to people’s mind when I ask them about learning.
I’m sure you’re aware of the latest tech products we have . The M3 lineup of MacBooks, the all powerful A17 chip in iPhone, and Snapdragon chips in Androids. I’m also sure that you’ve held multiple smartphones and computers throughout this decade. I have yet another assumption that I believe to be true — You have found the speed and performance of these smart devices increasing ten-fold year by year.
Technology, and the world is changing at such a great pace. We have blockchain, AI, Large Language Models, hybrid-work, and what not. These weren’t really there just a decade ago. While the world changes at such a pace, it’s more important now that ever that we learn at a fast pace as well. And our schools are just not living upto it. The model with which we are taught new skills, is outdated and inefficient.
But I’m not really here just to complain and rant on the way we are taught. (Although I can deliver a 2-hour presentation on that).
I’m here to talk about something that actually works. Something that changes with the world, adapts to each individual and their learning style, is timeless and effective.
There is a better, more efficient, and exciting way to learn new skills: The Sandbox method.
The Sandbox method
This framework comes from kids..kids playing in a sandbox.
It’s a safe-space for them. To play, learn, experiment, build, break, try new things. So here’s the expanded version of that same sandbox, but not just for playing in sand, but for learning all about stuff that interests you.
No more rote memorization. Instead, we’re crafting an intuitive grasp of skills.
Step 1: Build Your Playground
You need a spot to play. This is your sandbox, a place where you can tinker, try, and maybe even goof up a bit without the stakes being sky-high. It’s got to be:
- Cheap or Free: So, no excuses for not starting.
- Low-Pressure: Failures are cool, and experimentation is encouraged.
- Visible: Sharing is caring. Let the world see your journey.
Think coding on Github, blogging on WordPress/Medium, posting pics on Instagram, edited videos on YouTube — you get the drift. This is where you’ll play, stumble, and learn.
Step 2: Exploration
As you frolic in your sandbox, venture out to seek cool new ideas.
There’s a buffet of online resources — books, blogs, videos, courses — all yours for the taking. Start with clear and actionable one. The stuff you can instantly try out.
Books — absolutely love them as a learning resource. Great minds pouring what they have learnt into something you can grasp in just a few days — throw them my way!
Blog — Second to books; tons of written content online you can use to self-educate. and the easiest way to access blogs is a simple google search “How to learn X”
Online Courses (and MOOCs) — a bit hard to continue as people get motivation issues to finish them. But imagine learning from Harvard professors without paying Harvard money. Sounds awesome to me! Plus there’s also some great platforms dedicated for this: skillshare, coursera, udemy, etc
YouTube — I like to call it “YouTube School of [insert what you’re learning..Business/Art/Design/Coding/Etc]. Free resource to learn anything you want, in an interesting way.
Feed your brain with juicy bits and take notes.
Note-taking deserves a whole long-form blog. For starters, experiment what you like with different tools like pen&paper, Notion, Evernote, etc. Remember, your brain is great for generating ideas, not storing them. So take notes.
Step 3: Roll Up Those Sleeves and get Practicing
Let’s get real about practicing. We’re talking focused and purposeful practice.
Identify your limits, stretch them, and aim for mastery in what you’re doing.
Get feedback — the good, the meh, the awesome — it’s all fuel for progress. It helps you wildly in improving your performance. It’s so important that it’d be unfair to write it only as a line. So here’s the next section:
Step 4: High Five for Feedback
Your journey’s not solo.
Coaches, mentors, online buddies — they’re the secret sauce to supercharge your growth.
Get their feedback and you’ll learn faster, improve smarter, and dodge bad habits.
This is also a great one to build friends (which honestly has become so hard these days). Find someone one a similar learning journey as you, and get together as each other’s feedback buddies.
Get feedback from people on the same level as you, and from those on the higher levels. You’ll learn from both and improve your work, resulting in fast growth.
So, as the world reshapes itself with each passing day, let the Sandbox Method guide you through rapid change. Embrace the spirit of exploration, practice, and collaboration it offers. Step into your learning playground and forge your path to success, one sandbox at a time ;)
