The one skill you need to teach yourself anything

Summary

In this video, the speaker explores how self-awareness and contextual awareness are key to teaching yourself any skill. Drawing from personal experience in learning various skills such as music and sports, he explains that self-awareness helps identify strengths and weaknesses, while contextual awareness helps place your learning within a broader framework. The speaker suggests using structured courses, like those on Skillshare, to outsource contextual awareness and speed up the learning process. By recording progress and reflecting on it, learners can fine-tune their approach. The video offers valuable insights into self-teaching and emphasizes the importance of finding a balanced learning path.

Takeaways

• 😀 Self-teaching is hard, but understanding what makes great teachers effective can help us replicate their methods and learn skills faster.
• 😀 A great teacher's ability to assess and adjust teaching methods based on a student's strengths and weaknesses is crucial to progress.
• 😀 Self-awareness and contextual awareness are essential for effective self-teaching—self-awareness helps assess one's abilities, while contextual awareness helps understand where one fits in the broader learning landscape.
• 😀 Having a mentor can help you outsource self-awareness and contextual awareness, but ultimately, these must be developed personally.
• 😀 Taking structured classes can help outsource the contextual awareness aspect of self-teaching, providing a clear learning path.
• 😀 Skillshare is a great platform for learning, offering structured classes and sequential learning paths that can guide learners effectively.
• 😀 Record yourself while practicing to gain better self-awareness—reviewing the recording helps you see mistakes and improvements that you may not notice in the moment.
• 😀 Developing self-awareness involves understanding when tasks are too easy or too hard and adjusting accordingly to stay in a productive zone of difficulty.
• 😀 Building a frame of reference by comparing your progress with others at a similar skill level helps to assess your growth and areas for improvement.
• 😀 It is important not to compare yourself to the best in the field—frame your reference around those at a similar skill level to avoid unhealthy comparisons.
• 😀 The process of teaching yourself takes time, self-reflection, and consistent practice. Building a balance of self-awareness and contextual awareness helps guide progress effectively.

Q & A

Why is teaching yourself a new skill harder than learning from a great teacher?

Teaching yourself is challenging because, unlike a great teacher, you don't have someone to tailor the learning process to your specific needs, assess your strengths and weaknesses, and keep you accountable. A great teacher can guide you in finding the optimal difficulty for progress, which is crucial for staying motivated.

What is the 'secret sauce' that great teachers use to help their students succeed?

The 'secret sauce' lies in self-awareness. Great teachers constantly assess a student's abilities and tailor lessons to match their strengths and weaknesses, keeping the learning process in the zone of optimal difficulty where students are motivated and progressing.

How does self-awareness help in teaching yourself a new skill?

Self-awareness enables you to recognize when a task is too difficult or too easy. This helps you adjust your learning process to maintain optimal difficulty, ensuring that you're constantly moving forward and staying engaged without becoming overwhelmed or bored.

What is the role of contextual awareness in learning new skills?

Contextual awareness involves understanding where your skills fit in the broader context of others learning similar skills. It helps you compare your progress with others, ensuring that you're on the right track and know what to focus on next to improve.

How do self-awareness and contextual awareness work together to aid in skill development?

Self-awareness allows you to assess your own abilities, while contextual awareness helps you understand how your skills relate to others in the broader skill landscape. Together, they give you a clear map of what to work on next and where to focus your energy.

What is one way to outsource contextual awareness when teaching yourself a new skill?

You can outsource contextual awareness by taking a fully structured class from start to finish. Structured classes, such as those offered on Skillshare, provide a curated learning path that helps you understand the necessary steps and where you fit in the broader learning process.

Why is recording yourself an effective tool for improving self-awareness?

Recording yourself allows you to review your performance later, giving you the mental space to reflect on what you did right and wrong. This helps you identify areas for improvement that you might not notice in the moment due to your brain's limited working memory capacity.

How can recording yourself be used in a practical skill learning scenario, like learning a reverse around the world soccer move?

In the case of learning a reverse around the world move in soccer, recording yourself lets you see if you're executing the technique correctly, such as whether you're moving your foot around the ball in the right direction. It allows you to make adjustments after reviewing the footage.

How can building a frame of reference help in skill development?

Building a frame of reference involves comparing your abilities to others at similar skill levels. This helps you identify areas where you might be excelling or struggling, allowing you to adjust your learning strategy and focus on the right areas for improvement.

How can using a frame of reference become toxic, and how can it be avoided?

Using a frame of reference can become toxic if it leads to unhealthy comparisons about your self-worth or others' abilities. To avoid this, focus on using the frame of reference as a tool for progress, not as a measure of self-worth, and always be aware of the potential for unhealthy competition or comparison.