Ultralearning

PROBLEM 1: FAILING TO START FOCUSING (AKA PROCRASTINATING)

Even if the feats of Lewis, Barone, or Craig don’t reach the level of Tao’s brilliance, perhaps their accomplishments also are due to some hidden intellectual ability that normal people lack. If this were so, ultralearning might be something interesting to examine but not something you could actually replicate.

transfer really embodies something we expect of almost all learning efforts—that we’ll be able to use something we study in one situation and apply it to a new situation.

Supposing that you’ve found a chunk of time to learn that is as optimal for you as it can be, how can you sustain your focus during that time? I’ve found that there are three different sources that cause focus to break down and distraction to occur.

Learning is often the major obstacle to transitioning to the career you want to have.

The first problem that many people have is starting to focus. The most obvious way this manifests itself is when you procrastinate: instead of doing the thing you’re supposed to, you work on something else or slack off.

BECOMING AN ULTRALEARNER

The best ultra learners are those who blend the practical reasons for learning a skill with an inspiration that comes from something that excites them.

Distraction Source 3: Your Mind