If you’re looking for some strategies on how to learn a new skills quickly and effectively , then you’ll love this article.

Recently I had the opportunity to have a conversation with my friends on a topic of how to learn new skills fast, for example in 21 days or less and how to master it in 3 months?

When people were asked, who upgraded their skills successfully in the past 6 months, only a handful of people raised their hand, may be a 2-3.

This isn’t just the case here, around the world over 99% people either are living with whatever they learnt during their education or those who have got trained are using their skills for years without upgrading them.

A minority % of people who feel deeply about acquiring news skills make an attempt however leave mid-way. Why does it happen?

The good news is, this pattern can be broken. In the article we look at 5 basic learning steps.

Once they are followed in sequence learning a new skill wouldn’t be a tough or a daunting task. We cover mastering in the next few steps.

The 5 basic steps of learning.

That’s all is needed for a person to adopt to make a big change in his life. The disclaimer is he must do it consistently and with total commitment. So let’s unfold the 5 steps of learning.

How to Learn a New Skills Quickly

1. Know “WHY”

The first step is to know “WHY” of the participant.

Why does one want to acquire a new skill? What is that compelling thing or motive to acquire new skill? 90% of the people do not have a compelling why and hence they do not strongly pursue trainings.

They either do not focus on trainings or leave it mid-way or do not actually utilize the skills. It is recommended that this first step should be answered by the participant.

SEE ALSO: What Can The Brain Do: Find Out How Amazing Is The Human Brain

2. Set goal.

Once the why is clear and the reason of acquiring skill is compelling then the next step is to set goal for acquiring and practicing the skill.

Goals always have to be SMART.

Whatever skill one may choose to acquire has to pass the SMART test (specific, measureable, action based, realistic, time bound). If it doesn’t fit in, drop it from the learning list.

Set a goal for

Understanding the skill,

learning the skills

for applying the skill.

For instance if you wish to ride a bike, first you should know what are the various parts of the bike and their function. This is the understanding phase.

The next is learning where a person knows how to use them. He tries using the brake, accelerator etc. The last phase is applying the skill where he practices and start driving the vehicle.

3. Create spare bandwidth by optimizing current work.

This will give someone the time to learn new skills. It might be as short as half an hour each day or as high as 4 hours each day.

4. Identify tools for acquiring the skill.

It could be a mentor, coach, material, guide, internet etc. The best way to go about learning a new skill is to learn it from someone who has already learnt it and is expert in using it.

For instance if one needs to learn how to design animation characters, learn it from someone who is already in to animation.

SEE ALSO: How To Be Good Student: Learn 10 [Experience-Based] Proven Ways

5. Acquire the skill

“Perfect practice makes a man perfect.”

Break the learning in to sequential steps. After each step take a demo and try to do the step. Collect feedback and improvise.

After these 5 steps the person is ready to start using the skill. Within 24 hours of acquiring a skill, the person must start using it. The next 21 days he has to use the skill each day. If one day is missed, the counter is reset to 0, start over again.

There are also other elements that prevent people from learning effectively. They are:

a. Fear of Failure or uncertainty.

This fear is with everyone at some point of time. Successful people have learnt to overcome it. How? One tip though is not resisting the fear, harmonize it. Work on it.

b. Our old habits prevent us from succeeding even after successfully learning new skill.

For instance if one learns to ride a bicycle and now he needs to ride the bicycle every day and he gets up late in the morning so he doesn’t have time to ride it. The only solution is to replace old habits by forming new ones.

There is an artcile about how to develop habits as habits are difficult to change.

Summary

Once a skill is acquired use it, master it and transform. Experience the joy of using the skill. Teach others. This will make one’s learning permanent and also help someone to learn. Celebrate success.

Questions you could ask yourself

If I am stuck in getting a new job, receiving promotion, not able to make enough money, being outsmarted by others, low in morale, what would I need to commit based on these 5 steps to change my life?

What are those areas in my life I can touch upon and make a phenomenal change?

What are the payoffs I will receive once I make changes and at what price? Am I ready to go for it?

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I want to thank you for taking the time to read my article about how to learn new skills quickly. I sincerely hope its contents have been a good help to you.