Some Microskills of Learning

Pretty much every skill has a set of basic fundamentals you need to master if you want any chance of progress. Just as a sturdy house needs to be built on a solid foundation, you need to master the basics to become a master of your chosen skill.

This is checking your ego at the door when learning a new skill or practicing an old skill. You must put feelings of embarrassment or frustration aside when you make mistakes. Telling yourself "I shouldn't have gotten that wrong!" is your ego talking. This isn't helpful. The reality is you did get it wrong, and it's up to you to figure out why you got it wrong and how to get it right next time.

This is the willingness to go through the same concepts, drills, practice problems, or whatever else multiple times until you understand them.

You may have to read a specific passage over again, seek a resource that explains the concept from another angle, or ask a teacher or mentor for clarification (if you're lucky enough to have one).

This includes external distractions such as noises or people. It also includes internal distractions such as the temptation to read the news, browse social media, or seek other forms of entertainment during study time.

Generally, you want information that is specific to your learning needs.

At some point you need to put what you've learned into action. Too much learning without the appropriate action is a form of procrastination.

Knowing the balance between learning and putting what you've learned to use.

This is a normal feeling when you want to bring your skills to the next level. The moment you think of yourself as a master with nothing else to learn is the moment you stop getting better and risk your current skills degrading.

Practice, learning from mistakes, refining your execution, and repeating as you get better.

An effective break is something that should give your mind or body time to rest and decompress, but will also motivate you to get back to work asap. Ideally, what you do on your break should be less stimulating than what you were working on.

For example, getting up from your desk and taking a short walk is preferable to watching cat videos on YouTube. A two minute cat video can easily let you down a six hour rabbit hole while your energy drains and the day ends before you realize it.