Book SummaryThe Master Guides: Learn Anything, by Shortform

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of The Master Guides: Learn Anything

Whether you’re in school, starting a new job, diving into a new hobby, or trying to keep up with an ever-changing workplace, the need to keep learning is a basic fact of life. However, you may have self-defeating attitudes that stop you from achieving everything you can—such as a belief that you’re not smart enough or that you have to be born with special aptitudes in order to master certain subjects or skills. Thankfully, there’s a wide array of research to the contrary. You can learn anything you want at any point in life. More than that, it’s now widely established that learning itself is...

The Master Guides: Learn Anything Summary Adopt a Learning Mindset

The first step to learning anything you want is to believe you can learn anything you want. Commonly referred to as a “growth mindset,” this idea is rooted in the concept of neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to change and adapt throughout our lives. In this section, we’ll discuss the characteristics of a growth mindset, the scientific basis behind it, and the practical steps and benefits of adopting one yourself.

In Mindset, psychologist Carol S. Dweck differentiates between a growth mindset and the more common fixed mindset, in which you believe your abilities are unchangeable and that you were born with a certain amount of intelligence. On the other hand, if you adopt a growth mindset, you view your innate abilities as a starting point on which you can build with hard work, persistence, and the right learning strategies. A growth mindset frees you from judging yourself so you can explore your full potential. You may even find you have a passion for learning and seek challenges that stretch your mind. In this case, “stretching your mind” is more than just an expression.

While it’s true that no two...

The Master Guides: Learn Anything Summary Optimize Your Focus

The next step in preparing yourself to learn is to set aside the time and create the right environment in which you can maximize your ability to focus. This involves prioritizing your activities, planning your schedule, eliminating distractions, and creating the proper atmosphere for yourself.

Take Charge of Your Schedule

Jade Bowler suggests you begin by writing down every obligation you have so that your study time, work, chores, and other commitments don’t crowd each other out. Next, you should prioritize your tasks and study plans based on 1) your level of understanding of the topic and 2) each task or plan’s deadline. Once you’ve prioritized your tasks, schedule a time to complete them. Bowler recommends scheduling your priorities and learning sessions week by week for up to a month in advance so that you can make the best use of your time, letting you study while maintaining free time for work, family, and other activities.

Similarly, in _[How to Become a Straight-A...

The Master Guides: Learn Anything Summary Use Your Learning Toolbox

Once you begin the learning process, it only makes sense to use every appropriate tool you have available. After all, learning isn’t a singular process but is composed of many facets that all work together. These include committing information to memory, drawing a deeper understanding from new knowledge, developing skills through trial and error, and repeatedly testing your comprehension.

You may not always feel enthusiastic about the learning process. In Learn Like a Pro, Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe recommend three types of goals that can strengthen your motivation and reduce the need to exert self-discipline. Long-term goals (like starting your own business) keep you focused on and excited about the future. Stepping-stone goals (like getting your MBA) are closer in time and help you reach your long-term goal. Process goals are short-term, actionable learning tasks (like studying for your MBA) that build to your stepping-stone goals.

Jack and Sara’s Goals

Jack’s long-term goal is to eventually...

The Master Guides: Learn Anything Summary Shortform Resources

For more on the science of learning, see the following guides:

• Mindset, Carol S. Dweck
• Limitless Mind, Jo Boaler
• Learning How to Learn, Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski

For strategies to improve your learning...

Shortform Exercise: Consider How to Sharpen Your Learning Skills

Experts in the field of education agree that learning requires a positive mindset, the ability to focus, and a combination of various learning strategies. Think about how to apply all of these to any current or upcoming learning project you may have.

What is your opinion about your own learning skills? Do you have any specific self-beliefs that may inhibit your ability to learn new ideas? (For example, you may think that you can’t learn a skill because you weren’t born with a specific talent.) How might you reframe those beliefs in a more productive light?