How To Learn

One of the foundational pieces of being set apart is the commitment to learning.

We are and should be forever committed to learning.

“Once you stop learning, you start dying.” - Albert Einstein

 “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young” - Henry Ford

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it from you” - B.B. King

Learning is a source of life according to Einstein, it is the key to your youth according to Ford, and the only thing that no one can take from you according to King.

So how do we learn?

Martin Broadwell set out to understand how people learn in the late 1960s.

His research focuses around the process it takes to go from a beginner to a master in a given skill set. (see picture below)

1. Unconscious Incompetence

   We have all been here before. If we are dedicated to being a life long learner hopefully we are here often because this is where learning starts.

   This is where we make mistakes but we are unaware (unconscious) of the mistakes. It is a frustrating place but as pride becomes before the fall, humility comes before growth.

2. Conscious Incompetence

   As we continue to practice, we start noticing the mistakes we are making. The wires in our brain start connecting and we move into the Conscious Incompetence. To be blunt, we realize how bad we are at the desired skill.

   Notice that you need humility in the first step and now you need honesty in the this step. You have to be able to assess your self properly and address your shortcomings in order to move into the third.

3. Conscious Competence  

   This is the light bulb moment. You are starting to show serious signs of competency. Mistakes are few but you are still required to put in a lot of effort. You are having to consciously think about what you are doing. But atlas results are being seen.

4. Unconscious Competence

   This is where the fun really begins. Through your hard work and continuous practice over time, you have reach Unconscious Competence. This is when it becomes second nature. You are no longer fighting this skill, you are now dancing with it. It is smooth and effortless.

   Until you start over at bottom for the next skill you want to develop.

This framework is simple yet effective. Whether you are currently developing a skill or looking to start practicing a new one, you can use this framework to track your journey.

Be a life long learner. Never stop developing. Go Out & Make a Difference