Whether you are a student or a working professional, learning is an inseparable aspect of your life.
Continuous learning gives you the feeling of accomplishment. You will feel more confident and be readier to take on challenges.
In this article, you will learn a few proven ways to accelerate your learning and progress.
- Know The Why
Always start with “why.” Find a reason that deeply means to you.
For example, if you want to learn sports, what are your end goals? Is it to become a professional player, improve health, or carve the perfect six-pack?
Only by knowing what drives you will you be able to get the most out of the learning process. Your passion, motivation, and purpose will keep you engaged.
- Test and Track your Progress
To track your learning progress, always measure and test it. Assessments are an opportunity to discover your strengths and weaknesses. That way, you understand where you stand as opposed to your desired goals.
Flashcards and quizzes are a great way to memorize and recall key definitions and terms. Apart from making the learning process more engaging, they also allow you to access your history of answers so you can measure your learning journey.
Video is another effective learning tool. For example, use your smartphone camera to record whatever you are trying to practice. Review the recordings to assess your progress.
Test and track your learning progress continually. Perform it daily, weekly, and monthly. Once you start taking notes of your progress, you will identify the gaps in the process and overcome them faster.
Most importantly, do not rely on your memory. Use Excel sheets or mobile apps to make a learning journal and keep track of your progress.
- Focus on your Preferences
Choose the learning model you are passionate about. The goal is that, when you can choose between two equally effective activities, pick the one you find more compelling.
For example, say you want to improve your guitar skills by learning to play new riffs. Here you can either come up with your riff or learn and practice popular guitar riffs. Both tactics are effective and have a shared goal. The question is which one suits you.
By adapting the learning process to your specific needs, passions, and requirements, you will be more excited and engaged.
- Improve your Productivity Skills
Productivity skills are essential for accelerating your learning and progress. By managing your time and learning how to prioritize tasks, you will acquire information more successfully, save time, and prevent burnout.
Here are a few simple ways to improve your productivity skills:
- Avoid multitasking: While it may be tempting to handle multiple tasks at once, especially if they seem easy, this tactic often does not work. Focus on one task at a time and you will end up retaining information faster.
- Take breaks: Learning for hours without resting does not mean you will get more done. You will only feel exhausted, frustrated, and burnt out. Taking regular breaks improves your concentration, morale, and engagement. No matter if it is a 15-minute coffee break or a light exercise, this tactic will help you learn anything faster and better.
- Set realistic goals. Setting too high goals can be stressful and overwhelming. Therefore, break them up into smaller tasks. That way, you will feel more in control and increase your productivity. For example, instead of writing down “learn Italian” as your goal, break that into achievable and specific objectives, such as learning the basic vocabulary or grammar.
- Implement Knowledge Faster
One of the most common problems students face is the time gap between learning theory and applying it in real-life situations. Your goal is to reduce it.
The smaller the time gap, the faster you will implement the theoretical knowledge and make progress.
When learning something new, always ask yourself what new you have learned and how you can transfer that knowledge from theory to practice. Apart from books, use advanced learning technologies, such as VR, AR, quizzes, videos, etc.
No matter if you are a healthcare professional or a construction worker, these tools prepare you for the real-life implementation of your knowledge.
Over to You
These are just some of the numerous ways to improve your learning and progress.
Focus on the tactics that suit you the best.
Start by determining your goals and determining what motivates you to learn. To avoid getting overwhelmed, improve your productivity skills and focus on learning methods that align with your preferences.
I hope this helps!