GET BETTER AT ANYTHING by Scott Young | Core Message

Productivity Game

2 Jun 202408:33

Summary

TLDRScott Young's 'Get Better at Anything' outlines a three-step learning cycle: observe, practice, and receive feedback. The video emphasizes the importance of actively copying experts, asking process-oriented questions, and practicing within a 'difficulty sweet spot' to build self-efficacy. It also highlights the value of seeking micro feedback from models and peers to refine skills effectively. Young's book offers 12 maxims for learners, promising rapid progress through example learning, extensive practice, and reliable feedback.

Takeaways

🚴 Learning a new skill involves a three-part cycle: see it, do it, get good at it, and feedback.
👶 As children, we learn by observing, attempting, failing, and receiving guidance, which can be applied to adult learning.
📚 To enhance learning, actively copy and mimic the skills of experts, such as writing by hand or replicating speeches, to notice differences and improve.
🤔 Ask experts to solve problems while explaining their thought process to understand their decision-making and learn the 'if-then' rules.
🏌️‍♂️ Engage in completion exercises to test your knowledge, starting with simpler tasks and gradually increasing difficulty to stay in the 'difficulty sweet spot'.
📈 Use flashcards and spaced repetition for cognitive skills, and practice trigger movements for physical skills to build expertise.
📉 Focus on feedback that is process-oriented rather than outcome-oriented to avoid being misled by temporary success.
📝 Keep a learning journal to document your thought process and seek feedback from experienced individuals or online communities.
🎥 Record yourself performing a skill and have experts evaluate your technique to gain deeper insights into your fundamentals.
🤖 Utilize large computer models for immediate, micro feedback on your skill sequence, such as chess engines or poker GTO models.
📈 Scott Young emphasizes the importance of learning from examples, extensive practice, and reliable feedback for rapid progress in any skill.

Q & A

What is the three-part learning cycle mentioned in the script?
-The three-part learning cycle consists of 'see it', 'do it', and 'get good', which involves observing, practicing, and receiving feedback to improve a skill.
How does the script suggest we enhance the 'see it' phase of learning?
-The 'see it' phase can be enhanced by not just passively watching but actively copying and extracting from the skills of others, such as copying passages from favorite writers to improve writing.
What is the purpose of asking experts to solve a problem while thinking aloud?
-Asking experts to solve a problem while thinking aloud helps to extract their thought process and understand the fundamental rules that guide their decisions and actions.
How can mimicking a great keynote speech help improve public speaking skills?
-Mimicking a great keynote speech allows learners to practice pauses, vocal variety, and delivery, helping them understand the components of an effective speech.
Why is it important to remain in the 'difficulty sweet spot' when testing what you've learned?
-Staying in the 'difficulty sweet spot' ensures that the learner is challenged enough to form new connections for improvement without becoming overwhelmed, thus maintaining self-efficacy and interest.
What are completion exercises and how do they help in the learning process?
-Completion exercises are tasks where learners start with a part of the information and try to complete the rest. They act as scaffolds, helping to build expertise and self-efficacy through frequent small wins.
How can flashcards be used to test knowledge of key concepts?
-Flashcards with keywords missing can be used for spaced repetition, where learners read the cards and try to fill in the blanks, reinforcing memory and understanding of the concepts.
What is the significance of seeking feedback on the process rather than just the outcome?
-Feedback on the process provides insights into the learner's approach and helps identify areas for improvement, whereas outcome-based feedback can sometimes be misleading and not indicative of true skill level.
How can large models provide micro feedback for skill improvement?
-Large models, such as chess engines or poker GTO models, offer immediate feedback on each step of a skill sequence, allowing learners to evaluate their decisions and understand their performance relative to optimal strategies.
What is the core message of 'Get Better at Anything' by Scott Young?
-The core message is that by copying the examples of others, practicing extensively, and getting reliable feedback, one can make rapid progress in learning any skill.
What does the script suggest for those who want a summary of insights from the book?
-The script offers a one-page PDF summary of insights from the book for those interested, which can be obtained by clicking on the provided link and subscribing to the email newsletter.

Outlines

00:00

🚴‍♂️ The Learning Cycle for Skill Improvement

This paragraph introduces the concept of a three-part learning cycle for mastering any skill, as outlined by Scott Young in his book. The cycle consists of observing (seeing), practicing (doing), and refining (getting good). Feedback plays a crucial role in this process. The author uses the example of learning to ride a bike to illustrate how children naturally follow this cycle. As adults, we can enhance each step using the latest learning research. For instance, improving writing by copying passages from favorite authors, public speaking by mimicking great speeches, and programming by writing code exactly as it's written. The key is to think like a skilled practitioner and ask experts to solve problems while explaining their thought process. This helps in extracting vital 'if-then' rules that underpin the skill.

05:01

📈 Enhancing Feedback for Skill Mastery

The second paragraph delves deeper into the feedback component of the learning cycle. It emphasizes the importance of focusing on the process rather than just the outcome. Outcome-based feedback can be misleading, as it may not accurately reflect the quality of one's skills. To counter this, the author suggests keeping a learning journal to document the application of skills and seeking feedback on the process from peers or experts. Additionally, recording oneself while executing a skill and sharing it with experts can provide valuable insights. The paragraph also highlights the utility of large computer models for immediate feedback on skill sequences, such as chess engines, poker GTO models, and golf stroke gain data. These models help in evaluating decisions and understanding areas for improvement. The ultimate goal is to learn from examples, practice extensively, and receive reliable feedback to achieve rapid progress.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Learning Cycle

The 'Learning Cycle' is a three-part process consisting of 'see it, do it, get good,' which is central to the video's theme of skill acquisition. It starts with observation, followed by practice, and ends with refinement through feedback. The script uses this cycle to illustrate how children learn to ride a bike and how adults can apply it to improve various skills.

💡Feedback

In the context of the video, 'Feedback' is essential for refining skills and understanding one's progress. It is part of the learning cycle where individuals receive guidance on their performance. The script emphasizes the importance of seeking feedback not just on outcomes but also on the process, using examples such as receiving tips after falling off a bike.

💡Self-efficacy

'Self-efficacy' refers to an individual's belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task. The video mentions it in the context of maintaining motivation and interest in learning a new skill. It is tied to the difficulty sweet spot, where challenges are not too overwhelming nor too easy, thus supporting the development of self-efficacy.

💡Mimicry

Mimicry, as discussed in the script, involves copying the actions or behaviors of others to learn a new skill. It is a method of 'seeing it' in the learning cycle, where one replicates the actions of experts to understand their thought processes, such as copying passages from a favorite writer to improve writing skills.

💡Problem-solving

'Problem-solving' is a cognitive process that the video links to skill improvement. It involves asking experts to think aloud while solving problems, which allows learners to understand the decision-making process. The script provides examples like asking a golfer how they would handle poor performance or giving a programmer a challenging problem.

💡Difficulty Sweet Spot

The 'Difficulty Sweet Spot' is a concept in the video that describes the optimal level of challenge for effective learning. It is where the learner is neither too overwhelmed nor under-challenged, thus promoting the formation of new neural connections and supporting skill improvement, as illustrated by the script with examples like completing exercises in learning a language or programming.

💡Completion Exercises

'Completion Exercises' are a learning technique mentioned in the script where learners start with a partially completed task and then attempt to finish it. This method helps build expertise by providing temporary support, akin to scaffolding, and is used to practice and reinforce newly learned skills, such as writing a story continuation or completing a common phrase in a language.

💡Micro Feedback

Micro feedback, as discussed in the video, is immediate and specific feedback on individual steps or actions within a skill sequence. It is used to refine skills and is provided by large models or experts, helping learners understand their performance in detail, such as getting feedback on every move in a chess game from a chess engine.

💡Fundamentals

'Fundamentals' in the video refer to the basic principles or rules of a skill that, once understood, allow for faster and more effective learning. The script emphasizes the importance of extracting these fundamentals from experts through questions and problem-solving, which forms the basis for performing a skill well.

💡Brain Trust

A 'Brain Trust' in the context of the video is a group of experienced individuals who provide valuable feedback and insights. It is a source of feedback on one's learning process, helping to identify flaws and improve approaches, such as sharing sections of a learning journal with a group of experts for critique.

💡Rapid Progress

'Rapid Progress' is the outcome that the video aims to achieve through the described learning strategies. It is the result of learning from examples, extensive practice, and reliable feedback. The script suggests that by following the learning cycle and applying the strategies discussed, one can make rapid progress in any skill.

Highlights

Scott Young's three-part learning cycle: see it, do it, get good, with feedback.

Learning to ride a bike as a child exemplifies the learning cycle.

Adults can enhance the learning cycle using the latest research.

Copying passages from favorite writers to improve writing skills.

Replicating a great keynote speech to enhance public speaking.

Writing code exactly as written to become a better programmer.

Asking experts to solve problems and explain their thought process.

The importance of asking 'why' to understand key decisions.

Extracting vital 'if-then' rules from experts to perform skills faster.

Staying in the 'difficulty sweet spot' when testing learned skills.

Using completion exercises to practice within the difficulty sweet spot.

Creating flashcards for cognitive skills and testing at spaced intervals.

Seeking feedback on the process, not just the outcome.

Keeping a learning journal for process feedback.

Utilizing large models for micro feedback on skill sequences.

The importance of self-efficacy in sustaining the belief in learning a skill.

Scott Young's 12 maxims for aspiring learners.

Offering a one-page PDF summary of insights from the book.