This is a strong article on learning and deliberate practice with many takeaways. Great book recommendation too: Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Some of my favorite reminders:
- The Law of Productivity: High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)
- Don’t make the mistake of confusing productivity with busyness. Doing lots of stuff in a visible manner does not mean you’re being productive.
- The rule of thumb is that it takes approximately 25 minutes of focus without distraction to reach a state of flow. If you’re checking your Twitter notifications every 20 minutes, which seems harmless, you prevent your brain from reaching that state and therefore prolong the time required to complete your task.
- Deliberate practice cannot exist alongside distraction.
- Too often, we assume we are getting better simply because we are gaining experience. In reality, we are merely reinforcing our current habits — not improving them.
- Our culture loves the story line of the prodigy and the notion that experts possess an inherent talent that separates them from everyone else. But in reality, to master a cognitively demanding task requires this specific form of practice.
https://azeria-labs.com/the-importance-of-deep-work-the-30-hour-method-for-learning-a-new-skill/