Learning new skills can be difficult without an efficient system. One of the beneficial outcomes of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions was that they helped foster the rise of the self-growth and productivity industry. Many names in self-help and habit-building, including Tony Robbins, Tim Ferris, and James Clear, have been circulating the internet over the past few years, offering actionable insights usually based on their personal experiences. Because these pieces of advice on skill acquisition have been tried and tested by those who share them, these practical strategies may be valuable to young and adult students from all walks of life.
Zooming in, many proponents of strategies on rapid skill acquisition—from religiously practicing a singular skill for a certain period to reaping the benefits of rest and relaxation—have attested to their positive results. Individuals may use these tips to prepare for personal, academic, or professional purposes, particularly considering that many employers today have shifted to skills-based hiring. Explore the following tactics to improve the ways by which you develop your skills:
1. Practice for a Minimum of 20 Hours
The most challenging part of skill acquisition is figuring out how much time you need to allocate. Having a reasonable timeframe to work with makes it easier to set tangible goalposts, allowing you to measure your progress more effectively.
Best-selling author Josh Kaufman listed four simple steps to rapid skill acquisition during his 2013 TEDx Talk, based on his 2013 book titled The First 20 Hours: Mastering the Toughest Part of Learning Anything:
- Break down the skill into subskills. Get clear on your goal, and then deconstruct the skill. This way, you get a good look at the subskills necessary to reach your goal, enabling you to focus on learning one component at a time. Then, you may consistently scale up your practice in small increments to get your momentum going.
- Absorb enough to correct yourself. Learn from five individual resources at most to know enough to call out and edit your mistakes when practicing.
- Remove distractions. Set yourself up for success by creating a space conducive to skill acquisition. Ensure that barriers, such as devices and noise, are removed between you and your objective for each period.
- Practice for at least 20 hours. Committing to a set amount of time during your first few practice sessions helps you overcome the doubts and frustration of learning a new skill. This can get you into a rhythm and make your studying and training smoother.
2. Take Advantage of Rest and Sleep
Sleep has been known to help with memory and retention. Pair this with a systematic study schedule, and it becomes a recipe that allows you to retain information longer and to practice 50% less than if you did not sleep in between study sessions at night and in the morning.
Students can also learn 21st-century skills better through sleep, thanks to consolidating memories during that period. Moreover, you can piece together your thoughts and memories while dreaming during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM is when your new memories are linked with your old memories, providing more substantial data storage and fresh viewpoints.
3. Utilize Digital Tools for Productivity and Habit-Building
Today, many digital platforms can help support skill acquisition. Online course distributors, such as Skillshare, Coursera, and Udemy, provide learners with thousands of video resources and activities produced by credible academic institutions and public figures across various topics ranging from business to music. Through these, students may learn at their own pace and may even receive professional certificates from select platforms authorized to issue them.
Global academic institutions have also provided online courses and programs to accommodate more students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, Harvard University has online courses through Harvard Online, Harvard Business School Online, and Harvard Extension School.
Other universities with online certificate programs include Stanford University, Yale University, and Princeton University. Many other private and public academic institutions offer distance education across a wide range of specializations, including early childhood education degree online accredited, business administration, and computer science.
Moreover, students may find use in productivity software applications, including Notion, Asana, and Evernote. These digital tools enable individuals to keep track of their progress for any task at hand. Utilizing these skill-development materials and management tools may help elevate your practice and eventual mastery.
Begin Your Journey Toward Acquiring New Skills
Once you have clarity on your goals and strategies for rapid skill acquisition, you must be patient and consistent in your practice. More importantly, you must continue even as you start seeing the fruits of your labor to master a specific skill.
On the other hand, do not feel disheartened if you do not see any of your expected outcomes, as you might not know what rewards are on the other side of that plateau. As James Clear put it, “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.” Thus, the results you have already achieved will bring in more payoffs eventually.