Ultralearning – Page 1

ULTRALEARNING
Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the
Competition, and Accelerate Your Career
SCOTT H. YOUNG

SCOTT YOUNG is a writer and business owner. In 2012, he ran his own self-directed education project where in twelve months
and for less than $2,000, he was able to learn how to code sufficiently well that he could pass the same final exams that MIT
computer science graduates are required to pass at the end of their four-year degree programs. To achieve this, Scott Young
used open-source computer science lectures available online along with his own self-organized learning activities and
exercises. His TEDx talk about his learning approach has been viewed more than half a million times. To further refine his
learning methodology, Scott Young then went on to learn four languages in twelve months. Scott Young is a graduate of the
University of Manitoba and Montpellier Business School.
The website for this book is at: www.scotthyoung.com.

ISBN 978-1-77544-984-3

SUMMARIES.COM is a lifetime learning company specializing in business smarts. We provide concise information and tools for
salespeople, business owners and managers and entrepreneurs to get ahead. Read less, do more. www.summaries.com
 Ultralearning – Page 1

MAIN IDEA
NINE PRINCIPLES OF 1 METALEARNING DRAW A MAP FIRST
Is it really possible to get an MIT-level education
without attending MIT? Or to learn a new language 2 FOCUS SHARPEN YOUR KNIFE
to the point of becoming fluent and conversant in
just three months? Or to develop your own video
3 DIRECTNESS GO STRAIGHT AHEAD
game from scratch and make it a commercial ULTRA 4 DRILL ATTACK YOUR WEAKEST POINT
success without being a professional game
developer working for a big studio? 5 RETRIEVAL TEST TO LEARN
The answer to these and similar questions is an
unqualified "Yes". In fact, there is an entire culture
LEARNING 6 FEEDBACK DON'T DODGE THE PUNCHES
of people who have achieved these and other 7 RETENTION DON'T FILL A LEAKY BUCKET
compelling goals on t he basis of their
self-education projects. T hese are the 8 INTUITION DIG DEEP FIRST, THEN BUILD UP
ultralearners.
9 EXPERIMENT EXPLORE OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE
"Ultralearning" is a strategy for acquiring skills and
knowledge in a self-directed and intense manner.
You make a decision about what you want to learn Principle #1 – Metalearning – Draw a map first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2
and then undertake concentrated learning activities Start any ultralearning project by learning what is the most effective way to learn the
which push you to your limits and compress your subject or acquire the skill you're after. Figure out how to learn efficiently.
learning into the shortest feasible time.
Principle #2 – Focus – Sharpen your knife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3
Carve out chunks of time where you can concentrate and focus on what you're trying to
learn consistently well.
Principle #3 – Directness – Go straight ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 3 - 4
ULTRA LEARNING Learn by doing the things you're trying to become good at. Don't trade hands-on
experience for other more convenient alternatives.
Principle #4 – Drill – Attack your weakest point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4
Break complex skills into their component parts and then be ruthless about improving
Ultralearning can be used to accelerate the career your weakest points. Master the component parts and then reassemble them.
you already have, to transition to the career you Principle #5 – Retrieval – Test to learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5
always wanted to have, or to rescue your career by Use the testing process to learn more as you go along. Always test yourself before you
adding new hard skills that are more valuable. feel confident, and push yourself to recall information, not just review it.
Ultralearning is the very best way to deal with a
Principle #6 – Feedback – Don't dodge the punches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 5 - 6
changing world.
Put aside your ego and look for the harshest feedback you can find. Extract the signal
There are nine principles that are involved in
from the noise, and pay attention to what that feedback highlights you need to learn.
running successful ultralearning projects. Master
them and you can learn anything you set your mind Principle #7 – Retention – Don't fill a leaky bucket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6
to. This is the ultimate competitive advantage of the Be aware and understand what you're consistently forgetting, and do something about it.
future, because no matter what happens, you'll be Learn to remember things not just for now but forever.
able to learn and adapt. Principle #8 – Intuition – Dig deep first, then build up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7
The world belongs to the ultralearners. Join their Play and explore to develop your intuition, and work to understand what you learn. Don't
ranks by mastering the art of learning hard things resort to memorization tricks but get to know your subject deeply.
quickly. It will serve you well.
Principle #9 – Experiment – Explore outside your comfort zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 7 - 8
Don't lose sight of the fact you can't become a true master of your subject by following the
paths trodden by others. Explore possibilities others have not imagined.
 Ultralearning – Page 2

3. HOW? – Once you know the lay of the land a bit

better, you can then start figuring out how you will
ULTRA LEARNING 1 METALEARNING WHY? WHAT? HOW? learn what's required. The first approach here is
usually to benchmark how schools or universities
teach that topic. Look at the curriculum schools use.
DRAW A MAP FIRST You can also get detail about the textbooks these
courses use. That will signal where you can find
state-of-the-art information and resources for
Start any ultralearning project by learning what is the 1. WHY? – What is your personal motivation for learning.
most effective way to learn the subject or acquire the wanting to learn this subject? You might have an
Of course once you have a curriculum as your
skill you're after. Figure out how to learn efficiently. external goal in mind (Get a job in that field) or you
starting point, you can then modify it to personal
might be intrinsically motivated and learning about a
preferences. You can decide which topics you want
subject because it appeals to you. Clarifying why you
The term "metalearning" is of Greek origin and it refers to emphasize and specialize in, and which topics you
want to learn is extremely helpful. A good way to do
to the idea of learning about learning. Before you launch will put less emphasis on. If you don't know enough
your research on this is to talk to an expert in that
into your ultralearning project, sit down and analyze to make those judgement calls, you should stick to
field to get a sense of whether your proposed
what will be the most effective way to learn about the the established benchmark for now. For example, if
learning project will help achieve your intended goal.
subject at hand. you're learning French with the idea of going to Paris
Get their advice and suggestions on how to make
for two weeks, then you would focus more on
"Being able to see how a subject works, what kinds of your learning plan robust and useful.
pronunciation of everyday terms than on being able
skills and information must be mastered, and what 2. WHAT? – Once you clarify why you're learning, you to spell correctly. That kind of thing.
methods are available to do so more effectively is at the next should identify how knowledge in that topic or
heart of success of all ultralearning projects. It makes sense to plan on investing around 10 percent of
field is structured. This can be simply done by taking
Metalearning thus forms the map, showing you how to your anticipated total learning time into this pre-start
a piece of paper and making three columns with the
get to your destination without getting lost." research into the why–what–how of what you're
headings "Concepts", "Facts" and "Procedures".
– Scott Young planning to do. You should also schedule regular
You then research what you will need to learn and
periods where you evaluate how things are going as you
write them in the appropriate column. You can add
Taking the time to do some metalearning and planning move through your project. Doing that will help you
more detail as you go along so don't try and get this
out your best approach to your learning project will have identify when you're reaching a point where the Law of
perfect immediately. Concepts are the ideas you'll
both short-term and long-term benefits: Diminishing Returns is coming into effect.
need to understand. Facts will need to be
1. Short-term metalearning will stop you going off on memorized. Procedures will be actions which will "Each project you do will improve your general
tangents which are dead-ends. You make sure you need to be practiced. metalearning. Every project has the opportunity to teach
choose topics for study wisely and look for other Once you better understand the concepts, facts, and you new learning methods, new ways to gather
tweaks or add-ons which might give you an procedures involved in mastering your new subject, resources, better time management, and improved
advantage over those who go through the you can start drawing up a learning map. This will skills for managing your motivation. Success in one
conventional schooling path in that topic. give you a sense of where your bottlenecks are likely project will give you confidence to execute your next one
2. Over the long-term, the more ultralearning projects to be. You can then start making preparations. For w ith boldness and w ithout self-doubt and
you do, the better you will get at them. You will example, if you study medicine, it will soon become procrastination. Ultimately, this effect far outweighs the
develop learning skills and competencies which will clear this will require lots of memorization of parts of effect of doing a specific project. Unfortunately, it’s also
be helpful no matter what you study. You'll also gain the human anatomy. Therefore, you might decide to something that can’t be boiled down to a tactic or tool.
experience in how to schedule your time effectively, invest in software which will give you Long-term metalearning is just something you acquire
stay motivated, and deal with the normal problems spaced-repetition exercises to assist in your with experience. Each project you complete will give you
which crop up. In short, you'll be more confident memorization. By drawing a realistic learning map, new tools to tackle the next, starting a virtuous cycle.
about your ability to learn. you can then start making sound decisions about the Many ultralearners told me a similar story: that they
The best way to draw up your metalearning map is tools you should use. were proud of their accomplishments in individual
usually to break your map down into answers to three projects but that the real benefit had been that they now
specific questions: understood the process of learning hard things."
– Scott Young
 Ultralearning – Page 3

n Look at your personal environment in advance

and get rid of the most obvious distractions like
ULTRA LEARNING 2 FOCUS music, TV going in the background, etc. Get ULTRA LEARNING 3 DIRECTNESS
serious about learning.
SHARPEN YOUR KNIFE n Choose a learning tool which always sparks your
GO STRAIGHT AHEAD
focus, and put that first on your list of tasks to do
today. Be smart about sequencing. Start with an
attention grabber.
Carve out chunks of time where you can concentrate Learn by doing the things you're trying to become good
and focus on what you're trying to learn consistently n Acknowledge when you have negative emotions at. Don't trade hands-on experience for other more
well. bubbling away in your life, and make a conscious convenient alternatives.
decision to put that to one side for now and start
learning. Bring your focus back to your learning
In practice, there are generally only three reasons why project and hopefully you'll find the negative The best way to learn pretty much anything is to plunge
people have trouble focusing on their ultralearning feelings will evaporate. in and try doing it. Be direct. Learn in a situation which is
projects: closely tied to how you want to use what you learn in the
3. Variety – you're failing to create the right kind of
future. Most schools don't do this but you can and should
focus. Some learning tasks require intense focus –
because it will enhance your learning.
DELAY OR DISTRACTIONS VARIETY like an athlete who is trying to throw darts. More
AVOIDANCE complex tasks (such as writing an essay or solving a "Many of us are building the wrong portfolio of skills for
tricky problem) require a more extended and relaxed the kinds of career and personal achievements we want
type of focus. You should experiment and find out to create. We want to speak a language but try to learn
what preparation activities put you into the type of mostly by playing on fun apps, rather than conversing
focus you need and then make that happen. with actual people. We want to work on collaborative,
1. Procrastination – you struggle to start focusing at the professional programs but mostly code scripts in
"With practice you can improve your ability to focus. My
time you have scheduled this for. You know you isolation. We want to become great speakers, so we buy
advice is this: recognize where you are, and start small.
should be spending time on your ultralearning a book on communication, rather than practice
If you’re the kind of person who can’t sit still for a minute,
project but other tasks keep cropping up which soak presenting. In all these cases the problem is the same:
try sitting still for half a minute. Half a minute soon
up your time and attention. Fortunately, recognizing directly learning the thing we want feels too
becomes one minute, then two. Over time, the
when you're doing this is the first step to avoiding it. uncomfortable, boring, or frustrating, so we settle for
frustrations you feel learning a particular subject may
Whenever you recognize that you are avoiding what some book, lecture, or app, hoping it will eventually
become transmuted into genuine interest. The impulse
you should be doing, you can and should: make us better at the real thing."
to engage in distractions will weaken each time you
– Scott Young
n Make a promise that you'll work for 5-10 minutes resist it. With patience and persistence, your few
on your project and then if you still feel the same minutes may become large enough to accomplish great Schools typically use indirect learning. You study facts,
way, you can do something else. You'll often find things." and look at skills from a distance at school. A
you end up doing much more. – Scott Young self-directed ultralearning project can be the opposite.
n Promise yourself that you can take a five-minute Instead of learning things in the abstract, you make
"Ultralearning isn’t a cookie-cutter method. Every
break once you've gone twenty-five minutes on direct connections to the settings in which you
project is unique, and so are the methods needed to
your project. eventually want to apply new skills and competencies.
master it. The uniqueness of ultralearning projects is
Admittedly this is hard, but the end result of doing this
n Make it a rule that you can only quit once you one of the elements that ties them all together. If
can be quite impressive.
achieve some milestone – like memorizing ultralearning could be bottled or standardized, it would
something important. simply be an intense form of structured education. What So how do you do this? Some ideas:
2. Distractions – where your phone rings or someone makes ultralearning interesting is also what makes it n Organize your learning project around the goal of
comes to the door just when you're settling in to work hard to boil down into step-by-step formulas." producing something. If you want to learn computer
on your learning project. To address distractions, – Scott Young coding, for example, create your own computer
plan ahead. Some ideas: game. That will be much more fun and will make your
learning relevant.
 Ultralearning – Page 4

n Look for immersive learning opportunities – along the DIrect-Then-Drill works well but there are three major
lines of go live in the country where the language you problems which tend to crop up when you do this:
want to learn is the native tongue. Immerse yourself ULTRA LEARNING 4 DRILL 1. It's not always easy to figure out when and what to
in the environment in which your targeted skill is drill. Identifying which aspect of the skill will generate
practiced. the greatest improvements to your overall abilities
ATTACK YOUR WEAKEST POINT
n Join communities of people who are actively for the least amount of effort is not always obvious.
engaged in learning projects of their own. Borrow All you can do is experiment. Form a hypothesis
some of their drive and motivation. about what's holding you back, attack it with some
Break complex skills into their component parts and
Look for simulators that you can use. Pilots and drills, and then get some quick feedback about
n then be ruthless about improving your weakest points.
surgeons don't learn their craft by physically piloting whether you're right.
Master the component parts and then reassemble them.
planes or performing operations. They start with 2. Designing a drill to improve what you're weak at can
simulators first – and you can do the same. Take full be hard. You don't know what you don't know. You
advantage of any experience simulators you can Ben Franklin was one of the writers of the Declaration of may not be able to recognize your specific deficits, or
access in your field. Independence. He edited Thomas Jefferson's words to see the drills which will address those weaknesses.
become: "We hold these truths to be self-evident". It
n Look for overkill environments – where you will be 3. Doing drills is hard and uncomfortable at the best of
would be easy, therefore, to assume his skills for writing
critiqued bluntly and mercilessly. For example, if you times. Focusing on what you're obviously bad at
and persuasion were natural-born gifts but nothing
want to learn public speaking, you can go to takes guts and determination.
could be further from the truth.
Toastmasters, where everyone is trying to overcome With these points in mind, some workable ideas for
their fears. An overkill approach, by contrast, would As a young man, Benjamin Franklin's father pointed out
organizing and structuring these drills are:
be to go speak at high schools or middle schools Ben's writing skills were below par. Franklin was
alarmed by this and set out to practice to improve his n Do some time slicing where you isolate one action in
where the feedback you will get will be much more
writing skills. He would take a magazine and rewrite the a sequence and practice just that and get it perfect
brutal. Students will tell you if your jokes are funny or
arguments in various articles from memory. Franklin before integrating it back into context. You can do this
not in a very direct manner. Putting yourself into an
would then meticulously compare his version with the with a specific skill or a cognitive component.
overkill environment will accelerate your learning – if
your ego survives. original, in order to discover his faults and address them. n Try and copy the parts of the skill you don't want to
He did that for years until a few of his articles were drill so you can focus. For example, if you're learning
Go straight to the source whenever and wherever you
published under a pseudonym. how to draw, start with a line drawing someone else
learn. Take the plunge and give it a go. That's always the
That painstakingly careful analysis and deliberate has done rather than with a photo. That allows you to
best way to learn anything.
practice Ben Franklin undertook is a great template for draw on their framing of the scene and decisions
"Learning directly is one of the hallmarks of many of the the fourth ultralearning principle: drill. To learn a new about what details to include and what to leave out.
successful ultralearning projects I’ve encountered, skill, you've got to do some drills that force you to use You can practice improving your rendering skills.
particularly because of how different it can be from the that skill and then get corrective feedback. Ultralearners n Use a magnifying glass approach and deliberately
style of education most of us are used to. Whenever you commonly employ what can be t ermed t he spend more time on one component of the skill than
learn anything new, it’s a good habit to ask yourself "Direct-Then-Drill" strategy: you normally would. For example, to improve your
where and how the knowledge will manifest itself. If you writing, spend ten hours on the headline and first
can answer that, you can then ask whether you’re doing paragraph. Get really good at specific components
anything to tie what you’re learning to that context. " Direct Then Drill one by one.
– Scott Young
n Look at what the prerequisites are for the skill you
"He who can go to the fountain does not go to the water Apply t he Figure out Develop want to learn, and invest the time to learn those
jar." level of skill the specific drills which foundational steps. Progressively go back and fill in
– Leonardo da Vinci you have at components help you get the gaps in your skills.
present in a of that skill better in Again, drills are hard to do, which is why they are easy to
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders
real world whic h ar e those areas avoid. To be an ultralearner, you have to do drills. Attack
of giants."
setting. limiting your and then your weakest point with those drills to make the most
– Isaac Newton
results. apply. progress.
 Ultralearning – Page 5

"The research is clear: if you need to recall something

later, you’re best off practicing retrieving it. However,
ULTRA LEARNING 5 RETRIEVAL this neglects an important question: What kinds of ULTRA LEARNING 6 FEEDBACK
things should you invest the time in to remember in the
TEST TO LEARN first place? Retrieval may take less time than review to
get the same learning impact, but not learning DON'T DODGE THE PUNCHES
something at all is faster still. This is an important
practical question. Nobody has time to master
Use the testing process to learn more as you go along. everything. There will always be some things you Put aside your ego and look for the harshest feedback
Always test yourself before you feel confident and push choose to master and others you satisfy yourself with you can find. Extract the signal from the noise and pay
yourself to recall information, not just review it. knowing you can look up if you need to." attention to what that feedback highlights you need to
– Scott Young learn.
Numerous studies have shown quite decisively the best Retrieval works, but it isn't always easy to run. Some
study strategy is to regularly test yourself. Trying to methods you can use to develop retrieval exercises for Nothing beats immediate feedback for fine-tuning and
retrieve information without looking at the text almost any subject would include: improving your ultralearning project. Feedback on your
outperforms all other approaches. performance is an essential component to reaching
1. Flash cards – either in paper format or electronic. expert levels of performance. You have to know how
Why is self-testing so good? Great for testing elements which must be you're doing at present if you aspire to improve in the
memorized. future.
2. Free recall – take a piece of paper and write down Feedback comes in three varieties:
YOU GET YOU GET YOU everything you can remember after sitting through a
SPECIFIC HONEST MEASURE lecture or reading a chapter in a book.
FEEDBACK PROGRESS
3. Questions – rephrase what you're studying as OUTCOME INFO CORRECTIVE
questions which must be answered later on. FEEDBACK FEEDBACK FEEDBACK
4. Create challenges – that you have to solve later on
by yourself. Great for practicing skills.
n It forces you to get specific. There's no way to fudge 5. Closed-book learning – force yourself to draw a
your test scores. concept map of what you're learning without being
n Outcome feedback is where you're told how well
n Self-testing gives you candid feedback. It highlights able to access your text book.
you're doing (pass/fail, A, B or C) but there is no detail
what you know and what you don't know. Anytime you force yourself to recall information without about what you're doing better or worse. This
n Self-testing is an artifact of the way success is consulting the source, you get a true measure of what feedback is easy to get but offers no clues on how
measured. It's aligned with how actual testing gets you've learned. Retrieval practice – whatever form it and where to improve.
carried out in lots and lots of disciplines. takes – is an essential part of every ultralearning project.
n Informational feedback tells you what you're doing
The paradox is even though testing and recalling of facts It also helps if you have obsessive intensity about
wrong but doesn't really tell you how to fix it. The
and concepts from memory is so much better for learning as well.
reaction of an audience to a joke is informational
learning, you will still probably prefer other alternatives "In nearly every biography of great geniuses and feedback.
like drawing concepts maps, or simply reviewing the contemporary ultralearners I have encountered, some n Corrective feedback is the best kind of feedback to
material over and over until you're sure you can recall it. form of retrieval practice is mentioned. Benjamin get. Here you're told not only what you're doing wrong
Closing the books and testing what you can recall is an Franklin practiced his writing by reconstructing essays but also how to fix it. This is the type of feedback a
essential component in becoming an ultralearner. In from memory. Retrieval is not a sufficient tool to create good coach, a trusted mentor, or an effective teacher
fact, if you're really motivated, it makes sense to take the genius, but it may be a necessary one." will give.
final exam before the class even begins. If you do this, – Scott Young
Corrective feedback is great because it is both
you'll get a good perspective on what's important to
informative and usable. The only problem is corrective
know. Doing this kind of advance or forward-testing can
feedback is directly correlated to the expertise of the
also be highly motivational.
person giving it. If you get corrective feedback from
 Ultralearning – Page 6

someone who doesn't know what they're doing, it can 2. Embed what you learn into procedures – so as you
send you off on tangents. follow your regular routines you're refreshing what
To get better feedback for your ultralearning project, ULTRA LEARNING 7 RETENTION you've learned. Touch typists start out memorizing
there are several tactics worth trying: the positions of keys on a keyboard but then get to
the stage where they can type without looking down.
n Always look for ways to filter out the background DON'T FILL A LEAKY BUCKET Eventually they start thinking in words rather than
noise – by being selective about the feedback you
individual letters. If you can procedurize core skills,
pay attention to, and discount random events. Look
then you can pay more attention to what you want to
for feedback which is detailed enough that you can Be aware and understand what you're consistently learn rather than obsessing over the mechanics.
draw good, systematic conclusions. forgetting and do something about it. Learn to remember
3. Do some overlearning – where you do additional
n Try and hit the sweet spot in terms of difficulty – things not just for now but forever.
practice even when you can do something perfectly.
because good feedback needs to be unpredictable.
Overlearning key facts will enhance your ability to
Don't get feedback on tasks which you're always
Feedback about your learning is great, but it's only recall them in the future. Repeat what you want to
going to succeed at because that won't help.
useful if you apply the lessons it is teaching you. You learn and retain again and again. Try immersion in
Similarly, feedback on long shots you were never
have to keep working at retaining what you're learning some micro-project that will use the core knowledge
going to win will be too random to be useful. Avoid
as you go along. and skills you want to remember. Go one level higher
situations where you always feel great or feel bad
Remembering facts is hard mental work. It's generally on the skills ladder.
about your performance.
hard to remember things for three reasons: 4. Try using mnemonics – translate what you want to
n Look for metafeedback – which is feedback about the
remember into vivid images or maps. Many memory
viability of the learning strategy you are applying.
experts use this method to produce prodigious
Analyze your learning rate and run some DECAY OVERWRITE FORGET THE displays of remembering long sequences . This can,
experiments to see if you're missing out on the MEMORIES CUES however, be a brittle memory tool because there is a
benefits another approach might provide.
lot of time invested up-front to develop detailed
n Seek out high-intensity, rapid feedback – even if this mental images. It can also take some time for ideas
makes you nervous. Immediate feedback situations to be recalled this way.
like getting on stage can supercharge your learning
The key point is to acquire and then retain knowledge,
and motivate you. n Facts and details decay relatively quickly. Over time, you have to combat the somewhat inevitable human
we can quickly forget the finer details. tendency to forget things. Figure out what specific blend
"Receiving feedback isn’t always easy. If you process it
as a message about your ego rather than your skills, it’s n In the human mind, many memories overlap. of spaced learning, procedurization, overlearning, and
easy to let a punch become a knockout. Though Therefore, it's easy for facts to become jumbled. mnemonics will counteract your long- and short-term
carefully controlling the feedback environment so it is You'll also find that having previously acquired rates of forgetting, and this can make a huge difference.
maximally encouraging may be a tantalizing option, real information can make acquiring new knowledge
harder at times. "Ultralearners, with their ruthless focus on efficiency and
life rarely affords such an opportunity. Instead, it’s better
effectiveness, may have landed on some universal
to get in and take the punches early so that they don’t put n We can lose the cues to our memories relatively principles in the art of learning. Beyond principles and
you down for the count. Though short-term feedback quickly as well. If we forget the cues, their linked tactics is a broader ultralearning ethos. It’s one of taking
can be stressful, once you get into the habit of receiving memories can be lost as well. responsibility for your own learning: deciding what you
it, it becomes easier to process without overreacting Overall, forgetting things is the default setting for our want to learn, how you want to learn it, and crafting your
emotionally. Ultralearners use this to their advantage, minds. Ultralearners understand this so they devise own plan to learn what you need to. You’re the one in
exposing themselves to massive amounts of feedback tactics for coping with this. There are at least four charge, and you’re the one who’s ultimately responsible
so that the noise can be stripped away from the signal." mechanisms which ultralearners use to stop forgetting for the results you generate. Learning well isn’t just
– Scott Young what they learn as they go along: about following a set of prescriptions. You need to try
1. Space your learning rather than trying to cram – and things out for yourself, think hard about the nature of the
have a system where you methodically revisit what learning challenges you face, and test solutions to
you have learned and refresh it in your mind. Allow overcome them."
enough time to absorb what you're learning. – Scott Young
 Ultralearning – Page 7

One way to try and develop some intuition about what

you're studying rather than merely memorizing facts is to
ULTRA LEARNING 8 INTUITION do this: ULTRA LEARNING 9 EXPERIMENT
1. Take a blank piece of paper. At the top of it, write
DIG DEEP FIRST, THEN BUILD UP down the concept or the problem you're trying to EXPLORE OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE
understand.
2. Next write down how you would explain or convey
Play and explore to develop your intuition and work to that idea to someone who has never heard of it Don't lose sight of the fact you can't become a true
understand what you learn. Don't resort to memorization before. master of your subject by following the paths trodden by
tricks but get to know your subject deeply. 3. If you're solving a problem, write down your solution others. Explore possibilities others have not imagined.
and detail why that solution makes sense to you.
Intuition arises when you understand how things work. 4. If you look at your solution and realize it does not Vincent van Gough didn't start painting until he was
You go from memorizing various components to being provide a clear answer, go back to your text book twenty-six years old. The usual route to becoming a
able to see the big picture connections. Simply spending and study some more until you have this. painter was to attend art school, or to apprentice in a
a lot of time studying a subject isn't going to help you The whole learning benefit here is this forces you to studio to an established painter, but van Gough had a
develop intuition. To achieve that, there are four rules articulate your thinking. It forces you to be clear and prickly personality so those options were off the table.
you need to apply: specific about the idea you want to understand. This Therefore, he became a self-educated ultralearner.
1. Don't give up on hard problems too easily. exercise will also highlight where you have gaps in your He bought three big books which described how to paint
When you feel like you've struggled with a problem knowledge or understanding so you can circle back and and devoured them. He then studied other artists,
for too long, force yourself to spend another ten address those gaps. friends, and mentors with intensity. Van Gough
minutes trying to come up with a solution. As you Over a period of time, this kind of exercise will help you experimented with materials, methods, philosophies,
push further than others, you may find some creative develop more intuition about your subject. As you write and more. As he was not naturally talented, van Gough
ideas come to you. This is how intuition grows and out your ideas, your knowledge gaps will be glaringly eventually developed his own signature style which
can be sharpened. obvious. You can then go back and hit the books to add combined bold forms and bright colors. He also sought
2. Prove things to understand them. more detail in the future. out feedback which was uniformly negative about his
Don't just settle for reading someone else's results. art. Van Gough was known to produce a new painting
This general approach also works well for problems you
When you see something, review in your mind how every day as he experimented with different elements.
can't seem to solve at first. Going through something
you would prove that. Doing this will help you step-by-step forces you to go deep. You create a Even though he died at age thirty-seven, van Gough's
understand systems much better. framework for your thinking which can then be enhanced 11-year art c areer is now considered to be
3. Always start with a concrete example. and layered as you get more knowledge. extraordinary. He has become one of the most famous
Visualize principles or problems as a working painters of all time. On four separate occasions, van
To expand the effectiveness of these kinds of exercises,
example. Then you can visualize how ideas being Gough's paintings have broken records for the most
you can also imagine you've been commissioned to
proposed will impact on your mental model. Doing expensive paintings ever sold. His Portrait of Dr. Gachet
write an article for a magazine on that topic. Plan out
this forces you to pay attention. was sold for more than $82 million. Pretty impressive for
what illustrative examples you would use and how you
a self-educated painter.
4. Don't fool yourself. would go about explaining this idea to someone who
Never fall into the trap of assuming you know more does not have your background. The big lesson to take from van Gough for ultralearners
about a subject than the specialists in that field. You is that ultimately, you have to take what you learn and
"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the start experimenting to keep learning. You have to
don't. You have not uncovered something new and
mouth." experiment to keep moving forward. Specifically:
novel. Be prepared to ask the "dumb" questions
– Mike Tyson
everyone else is afraid to ask. n You've got to experiment with new learning methods,
"In many fields a year of focused work plus caring a lot materials, and resources. Find new ways to expand
"Do not ask whether a statement is true until you know your skills and competencies in your field.
would be enough."
what it means."
– Paul Graham, entrepreneur n You've got to experiment with different techniques in
– Errett Bishop, mathematician
your field. Find your strengths.
 Ultralearning – Page 8

n You've got to experiment with different styles, and "Experimentation is the principle that ties all the others 4. Review your results – analyze your results once you
eventually come up with your own signature style. together. Not only does it make you try new things and finish. Identify what went well and where you
To run some worthwhile experiments around learning think hard about how to solve specific learning struggled so you can do better on your next
styles, some ideas are: challenges, it also encourages you to be ruthless in ultralearning project.
discarding methods that don’t work. Careful 5. Choose how you will maintain or go on to master
1. Copy what others are doing – and then go in your
experimentation not only brings out your best potential, what you've learned – have a plan for what you will
preferred direction. Find your voice. Copy first, then
it also eliminates bad habits and superstitions by putting do with the new skills you have gained. Specifically:
start creating your own stuff.
them to the test of real-world results."
2. Compare other methods side-by-side – to give you n Schedule how often and when you will practice in
– Scott Young
information quickly about what works best for your order to sustain your new skills and get better.
personal style. You might then come up with a hybrid Ultralearning projects are never easy but they can be n Clarify how you will integrate your new skill into
style which combines and integrates the best incredibly good fun if you're learning about something your personal or business life.
features of many different styles. you're passionate about. To choose and execute your
n Analyze what would be involved in diving deeper
first ultralearning project:
3. Introduce some new constraints – ideally which into the skill you have learned and consider that.
make doing things the traditional way impossible. 1. Do your research – identify the topic you want to Think about what it would take to master that skill
Force yourself to develop new capabilities by adding learn about, the scope and aim of your ultralearning and whether you want to go down that route.
some constraints. project, and the primary resources you will access.
n Look for opportunities to transfer a skill learned in
Benchmark how others have done before you, and
4. Come up with a new superpower – by making a your ultralearning project into a new domain. See
look at the drills and backup materials you might use.
hybrid combination of two skills which ordinarily if that opens up some interesting opportunities.
would not overlap. A great example of this was Scott 2. Schedule your time – figure out how much time
By the end of any ultralearning project, you've come a
Adams who combined his background as an you're going to commit. It's usually best to have a set
long way. You then want to kick on and make the most of
engineer with skills as a cartoonist to come up with time each week you allocate and reserve for your
all the effort you've invested.
the highly acclaimed Dilbert series. project. Try doing a pilot week to make sure your
estimates are correct and then calendar your entire "The goal of ultralearning is to expand the opportunities
5. Explore the extremes – and see if that throws up
ultralearning project. available to you, not narrow them. It is to create new
some interesting possibilities. There's no magic in
sticking to the middle and being average. Most 3. Execute your plan – taking care to ask yourself avenues for learning and to push yourself to pursue
painters worked in thin layers of glaze but Van questions periodically to stay on track. Some good them aggressively rather than timidly waiting by the
Gough used thick applications of bold colors. Pick questions to ask: sidelines. This is not going to be a method suitable for
some aspect of the skill you're trying to cultivate and • Metalearning - Have I prepared properly? everyone, but for those who feel inspired to use it, I hope
push it out to an extreme. You can always pull back • Focus – What is my dedicated focus time? it provides a start."
to something more moderate later on. • Directness – Am I learning the way I will use it? – Scott Young
• Drill – Am I working on my weak points?
Great learning is an ongoing act of constant
• Retrieval – How am I testing what I learn?
experimentation. You have to keep trying new things,
• Feedback – Am I gathering robust feedback?
get feedback, and adjust your course forwards all the
• Retention – How will I keep what I'm learning?
time. You'll never really know which approach to
learning works best for you until you try out a number of
• Intuition – Do I deeply understand the topics? ULTRA LEARNING
• Experimentation – How will I try new things?
alternatives. Be prepared to adjust your learning
program frequently, and never forget this is an individual
experience.

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