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The best way to learn something is to first understand how the process of learning works.Eric Scott's story nailed it. There are key fundamentals behind his story that explains why the group who practised the most was the one that learned how to make the best pot. If you haven't read it yet, go check it. But don't forget to come back and read the rest of this answer. :)Most of us spend some good time trying to learn new things, but actually how many of us have ever stopped to think about the key principles behind the learning process?I was one of those who never thought about it. Not that my way of learning was bad. I just didn't know all the factors involved, so I couldn't get the most out of it.One day I stumbled upon a course called "Learn how to Learn" [1] and decided to give it a try.I am really glad I did it.Since then, I've been reading quite a few materials on the topic and trying to put it into practice as much as I can.So let me share with you my key learnings on learning how to learn:Let your diffuse mode step inIf you want to learn something more effectively, you need to alternate between focused and diffuse mode. These are the 2 different modes your brain uses when you are learning, and you can't use both at the same time.The focused approach relates to intense concentration on a specific problem or concept, while the diffuse mode allows you to think more broadly and have the big-picture perspective [2].The Diffuse mode is very helpful in learning, especially when you are learning something completely new. That's because it allows your brain to jump from one idea to another, without being stuck in your old knowledge.But how can you let your diffuse mode step in?One good way of doing it is just to leave what you are doing and go for a walk. When you stop focusing intently on the problem and go for a walk, you let your diffuse mode step in and work behind the scenes for you.Have you ever had a problem that you couldn't find a solution and then suddenly after a good night of sleep you woke up with a brilliant idea? That's because sleeping is another moment when your brain naturally falls into the diffuse mode.According to legend, Thomas Edison knew the importance of the diffuse mode. When faced with a problem, Edison would sit and relax in his chair, holding ball bearings in his hand. He would then relax away letting his mind run free until fall as sleep. Once he felt as sleep, the ball bearings would drop and make him wake up with the noise. He would then get back to his work and take advantage from the ideas he got while in diffuse mode. [3]Structure your learning before you get startedFrequently, when there's something new that we want to learn, we tend to rush into it without properly structuring how we are going to approach the subject.If you spend some time planning and identifying the key parts of your learning before you get started, it will surely make things much easier for you.So, the first thing you should do is to clearly understand the big picture:- What are the most important elements?- How do they connect with each other?- Which ones should come first?- How your learning roadmap looks like?Building chunks is a vital part of this process. Chunking refers to organizing pieces of information together, and it makes information easier to process and remember [4].So let's say that you are learning how to create instructional videos with Power Point, so you can promote your business online. In this example, you could have the following chunks:- Content- Design of Presentation- Record & Editing- Voice-over- MarketingNow that you have your chunks, let's choose one of them and break it down. I'll take the "Design of Presentation" for this example. The pieces of information or elements from this chunk could possibly be:- Typography- PPT Background- Formatting- ImagesGot it?The next step should be to connect the dots. Like I said in the beginning, how each point is linked to the others? Is it possible to work on the voice-over before having the content? Do I need to record the Power Point slides while narrating the story or I can do it separately?Once you start to see how each element plays with others, it will become obvious to you how the roadmap looks like.Now you see why it's essential to see the big picture before getting started?Another important aspect of structuring your learning is related to how you approach these elements. As you will see in my next point, spaced repetition is critical to form strong chunks. That's why it's a good idea to plan ahead the time that you allocate to your studies, and recall what you have learned.Spaced Repetition vs Over-learningOne of the best ways to build solid chunks is to use spaced repetition. Spaced repetition means that you consistently practice what you are learning over a period of time, spacing out the repetitions to improve retention.What some people do instead is over-learning. In other words, they spend hours and hours studying a new material and then have the misleading idea that they dominate the subject. The problem is that a few days later these people won't be able to recall what they have studied that day.Well, this is the classic case of the student who studies a little every day and the one who leaves everything to the last days. Who do you think gets a better grade in the end?Like Hermann Ebbinghaus demonstrated in the forgetting curve [5], there is an exponential loss of memory in our brain, unless information is reinforced.Here is a graph to show you how to implement spaced repetition against the forgetting curve:How spaced repetition improves recall [6]But please, don't fool yourself. If you use spaced repetition just to reread the material again, this will not really work for you. The best thing to do is to actively recall what you have learned and test yourself. This will not only help you to build more solid chunks but also to find your weak points.Shift your focus from the product to the processProcrastination...You know this famous word, right?In fact, procrastination is your number one enemy when trying to learn something new. Like we said above, in order tu build solid chunks you need to practice using spaced repetition. But what if when it arrives the time to study you just don't feel like doing it?Most of the time, a good reason for our lack of motivation is determined by the way we approach learning.We usually put our focus on the product, instead of on the process. Let's use Scott's story as an example:The first group put their focus on the end product: You have to come out with the perfect pot.Now think about it. How stressful is the idea that you have never done something like that before and then suddenly you need to achieve almost perfection?That's what we usually do when we start learning something new. We focus on mastering the subject instead of on small improvements every day.Can you imagine how the "product group" was afraid to get started with their pot? How much thinking did they put before even getting their hands dirty? And how much frustration they would feel when something wasn't exactly how they expected?In the other hand, the other group just had to make sure that they were creating pots. As soon as they created a pot, they accomplished something. When you accomplish something, you feel rewarded and motivated to keep going. The process ultimately led this group to create the best pot.Work hard on developing the skill - Deliberate Practice"Deliberate Practice does not involve a mere execution or repetition of already attained skills, but repeated attempts to reach beyond one's current level which is associated with frequent failures.' - K. Anders Ericsson [7]In a few words, deliberate practice is what leads you to continual improvement.James clear once posted a quite interesting story from Kobe Briant [8], the basketball player, which can brilliantly exemplify this idea:From Robert, trainer for Team USA:I was invited to Las Vegas to help Team USA with their conditioning before they headed off to London. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade in the past, but this would be my first interaction with Kobe.The night before the first scrimmage, I had just watched “Casablanca” for the first time and it was about 3:30 AM.A few minutes later, I was in bed, slowly fading away, when I heard my cell ring. It was Kobe. I nervously picked up.“Hey, uhh, Rob, I hope I’m not disturbing anything right?”“Uhh, no. What’s up Kob?”“Just wondering if you could help me out with some conditioning work, that’s all.”I checked my clock. 4:15 AM.“Yeah sure, I’ll see you in the facility in a bit.”It took me about twenty minutes to get my gear and get out of the hotel. When I arrived and opened the room to the main practice floor, I saw Kobe. Alone. He was drenched in sweat as if he had just taken a swim. It wasn’t even 5:00 AM.We did some conditioning work for the next hour and fifteen minutes. Then, we entered the weight room, where he would do a multitude of strength training exercises for the next 45 minutes. After that, we parted ways. He went back to the practice floor to shoot. I went back to the hotel and crashed. Wow.I was expected to be at the floor again at about 11:00 AM.I woke up feeling sleepy, drowsy, and pretty much every side effect of sleep deprivation. (Thanks, Kobe.) I had a bagel and headed to the practice facility.This next part I remember very vividly. All of the Team USA players were there. LeBron was talking to Carmelo and Coach Krzyzewski was trying to explain something to Kevin Durant. On the right side of the practice facility Kobe was by himself shooting jumpers.I went over to him, patted him on the back and said, “Good work this morning.”“Huh?”“Like, the conditioning. Good work.”“Oh. Yeah, thanks Rob. I really appreciate it.”“So when did you finish?”“Finish what?”“Getting your shots up. What time did you leave the facility?”“Oh, just now. I wanted 800 makes. So yeah, just now.”You see where Kobe was putting his focus on? He wanted 800 makes. Not 1 hour or 2 practising shoots. He was committed to continuously improve his shoot. Not to spend a certain amount of time shooting. This difference in approach can make a huge difference in your learning curve.Are you going to study Physics for 1 hour or are you going to solve 10 problems?James Clear also mentioned two other important points about deliberate practice in another article: [9]1 - Each practice session should be focused on one individual skill. In Kobe's story it was on improving his shooting.2 - Usually, each skill built upon the one before it. If you ever played basketball, you learned that the movement of your legs are crucial for a good shoot. Kobe Briant certainly worked hard on this skill before getting into the 800 makes.Einstellung and Illusions of CompetenceWell, the same way it's important to know what helps on your learning, it's also important to be aware of what works against it.Einstellung is a classic problem. The Einstellung effect is the negative effect of previous experience when solving new problems [10].Can you recall a situation where you kept trying the same thing over and over again, even though it wasn't working at all? Einstellung sometimes works as a roadblock, where you can't see the problem from a different perspective.The best way to fight this problem is to basically avoid it for some time. Work on something else or just get out for a walk. Keep focusing on the problem will hardly help you to come up with a solution.There are also 2 illusions of competence that I would like to address before concluding this topic: Highlighting the text and rereading it.Highlighting and rereading are not effective methods for learning and retaining material [11]. Like any other passive technique, it doesn't help to strength the neural pathways associated with memory.You should instead focus on techniques that keep your working memory's abilities active. Note-taking and active recall are good examples.Practice in different contextsContext matters. Much more than we think.How many times you thought that you mastered something, but when you had to perform it in a different context your results were not the same?Think about tennis for instance. You can be a very skilled player. You have pace, balance, explosiveness, ball judgement and so on. You feel that you can be competitive against almost any other non-professional player.One day you have a bussiness trip to Russia , and one of your clients knowing about your interest in tennis decides to invite you for a game. When you arrive at the tennis court at 9am you check your phone and it's 3 degrees. You are used to play with 25, 30 degrees and you just can't stand this cold. You end up losing 6 x 0, 6 x 1. Your client was kind enough to let you score at least one point.This kind of situation happens all the time. You know when you are studying for a test and you feel that you know everything, but when it comes the moment to take it you end up not doing very well?That's usually because you didn't think about context when you were studying. You didn't put a timer like you have in your real test to limit the time you have to write your answers. You couldn't manage to put other 20 people around you so you could feel the pressure of everyone writing while you are still thinking how to answer your first question.The clues you have in an environment matters. The social pressure in different situations matters. The weather conditions matters. Context... matters.Master the subjectMastering the subject is obviously the last step in your learning journey.Checking if you have any holes in your understanding of the material is a good first step. Create a test checklist where you can go from each point and recall everything you learned. If there's something that is not 100% clear yet, then you probably still need to spend time on it.Sometimes we are blocked by our own perception or maybe our previous knowledge about the subject don't let us see other solutions - Einstellung. That's why you should also consider to review it with friends. They will not only be able to clearly point the parts where you are not at your best yet, but also show you different approaches that you couldn't think about by yourself.However, your real last step to master the subject is teaching it. If you can clearly explain something to someone else, then you can consider yourself a master in this subject.That's actually what I am trying to do with this answer. So, I hope that I managed to provide you a great and clear explanation about the the learning process.If you want more from meI am currently building an online coaching program to help people overcome procrastination and gain focus in their lives. If you are interested, please give me your feedback and you will be the first to know when the program is ready.Footnotes:[1] Learn how To Learn Course[2] - How Pinball Helps Explain Ways We Think and Learn[3] - Diffuse Mode - Thomas Edison's video:[4] Chunking mechanisms in human learning[5] - Forgetting Curve[6] - Picture originally posted on Wired article:Want to Remember Everything You'll Ever Learn? Surrender to This Algorithm[7] - Quote from K. Anders Ericsson in a 1993 Psychological Review article - Page on usc.edu[8] - Lessons on Success and Deliberate Practice from Mozart, Picasso, etc.[9] - How Experts Practice Better Than the Rest[10] - Einstellung effect[11] - Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology

Ah yes, this is so actual.People are getting more and more advanced in their skillset, solving complicated problems and growing professionally but the learning material is just not there yet. Honestly, I don't think this problem will ever be completely solved, because the amounts of different tech stacks and their combinations is unthinkable. It would take ages and ages to record or write down so many tutorials or books for every single problem one might face.As always,The two best techniques to learn advanced things in the programming field and get better stay the same:Read a lot of codeWrite a lot of code© DHHRead a lot of codeWhile there are lots of already mentioned traditional ways of self-teaching, I am not going to talk about them here, but rather mention a few new instruments that might help one get ahead on the learning curve. I've recently started using livecoding.tv, a site that lets you actually watch people code things in real time. How cool is that, right? It is like Twitch with people doing crazy things with all kinds of tech stacks.Some benefits I discovered along the wayInteresting stacks being used in different combinations, the ones you won't find tutorials for. Yet. Or ever.New technologies are used daily. Do you know a lot of places where you can find vids of people building things with Angular 2.0 or Rails 5 beta?You can ask questions to the streamer in real time.All streams are then saved as videos, so you can watch them later, which is nice.It is free, which is also nice.While I do not always like their current user interface and the search system, I must say they do product a ton of content daily.Write a lot of codeRecently a few companies have been promoting themselves heavily, among them are probably some you've heard about: HackerRank or TopCoder. The idea is to make programmers compete for cash and other prizes by, duh, writing lots of code for serious companies. This is a great opportunity for anyone who is willing to learn and raise his game to a new level, because it puts you against the very best coders out there. Isn't that amazing?So my point is that while there are traditional ways of growing professionally, there are always new things that could speed the process up. Make sure you research them and don't forget to have fun!

Thanks for the A2A. I have two characters in mind for this, and I think they're misunderstood in different ways.Daenerys is seen in an overwhelmingly positive light, and I really think her character is misunderstood in that she's seen as this great emancipator and an admirable Queen...when in reality I think that she's a rather naive little girl who is a barely competent leader. She sees the Iron Throne as her birthright, and since her marriage to Khal Drogo, has set her sights on conquering Westeros and "re"-claiming the kingdom. Sure, she was a Khaleesi and people seemed to admire her for it, but when it came down to power, she had none. The only power she could pretend to claim was that which Khal Drogo gave her, and even at that, members of the Khalesaar viewed it as an extension of the Khal rather than power she innately held. She shows little discretion in who she chooses to view as an advisor at any given point. She naively thought that her dragons would be some magical answer to her problems, and yet she does not respect them as the wild animals they are, and she never thought to try to train them. Instead, she has been forced to chain up two of her three dragons because they're unmanageable beasts, and the third escaped this captivity only because it flew away before she had the chance. She's gone and conquered two different cities and thought that the love of the newly-emancipated slaves would be enough to maintain stability in these cities. She couldn't fathom that decimating the social and economic structure of two different cities would lead to civil unrest and borderline anarchy, and never planned for what happened after declaring thousands of slaves to be free and calling for the murder of the entire ruling class. Moreover, she shows blatant disrespect and disregard for the customs and culture that exist within these cities. She's inept at best, and if she can hardly hold a single city, I can't fathom how she expects to hold all of Westeros. Freeing slaves is an admirable cause to be sure, but being admirable is not the same as being a good, competent ruler.Sansa Stark, on the other hand, seems to be seen in a rather negative light because they view her as a passive, naive child who ought to fight for herself. However, she was barely 13 when she came to King's Landing (in the show) and had been raised to be beautiful, not to be a politician. She was naive because nobody had ever expected anything else of her. Then her father was killed before her eyes, she was tortured mercilessly by Joffrey whom she had expected to marry, she was cast aside by the king and punished repeatedly for her family's crimes, she was forced to marry Tyrion, her mother and brother were savagely killed through an agreement with the Lannisters...and yet through it all, she remained alive. Considering the fate half her family met, this is no easy task. More than simply continuing to live, Sansa remained resilient. She quickly learned how to play her part, she began to learn how to manipulate others. She may not have had a great deal of formal education, but if you consider where she started in the first season, she's learned a great deal and come a long way since then. Under Petyr Baelish's tutelage, she even began to play the Game. She became an exceptional liar and started to learn how to manipulate the great manipulator himself: Lord Petyr Baelish. She discovered a great font of strength within herself, and even though she was convinced to marry Ramsay Bolton, whose sadism exceeds even Joffrey's, she did not allow herself to become destroyed by it. The Sansa of season 1 who was terrified to speak to Joffrey, much less against him, was succeeded by the Sansa of Season 5, who dared to put Ramsay in his place by reminding him just how fragile his position was as the bastard who had been naturalized by a bastard king. She asserted herself against Miranda, Ramsay's paramour. There have been a great many things that Sansa sort of allowed to happen to her, and I can understand why someone would mistake passivity for weakness. These are not synonymous, however. Sansa is a survivor. If she had taken the same attitude as Arya, speaking her mind whenever the idea struck her, she'd have been killed for it, or worse. Sometimes the best move isn't to fight. Instead, sometimes the best move is to play your part, doing what's necessary to stay alive, until the opportune moment arises to make your play.Over the last five seasons, Sansa has grown and matured and become a more wise adult, where Daenerys is making the same, stupid, naive mistakes she's always made, presuming to have the love of the people around her, and assuming that this will be enough to do anything.