Learning is an integral part of life, and it doesn’t stop after completing school or university. Most of us have goals and aspirations that require learning new skills or knowledge, which is necessary for personal growth as well. However, in our fast-paced society, we tend to develop a mindset that demands rapid progress with mastery of the subject in a shorter amount of time. In this article, we will discuss four simple steps to learn efficiently and effectively in much less time.

Step 1: Get Over Your Fear of the Unknown

One of the primary reasons why people give up on their goals and dreams is because the unknown conjures up feelings of uncertainty and threat. Ambiguity brings doubtfulness, which creates an unstable mindset. When we think about achieving our dreams, this can be a massive goal killer.

The fear of the unknown is a natural human response, but it also hinders our progress. Many of us are more prepared to give up than face entering unclear and insecure territory because it can cause emotional discomfort. However, learning to dispel this fear will go towards developing a more determined mindset. Making the effort to get out of your comfort zone and believing in what you’re doing will take you further, much faster.

Step 2: Discover Clarity Early On

The more clarity you have, the more motivation you’ll get to achieve your goals and dreams. But don’t get too ahead of yourself as the key isn’t to get clear too far up the path. As we mentioned in the last point, the unknown is always there and we can’t clarify what we don’t yet know. However, making sure you’re clear about the next step or two will keep your brain motivated to carry on and not give up.

Many times, not having clarity at each step will cause people to delay the next step or give up altogether until motivation resurfaces, resulting in slower results overall. Break your learning down into structured chunks; firstly, plan when you aim to get each one done. Once you finish each step, be clear about what you need to do next and how you’ll best achieve it, for example, extra resources. This will streamline your forward movement.

Step 3: Keep Your Purpose in Mind

We all have reasons as to ‘why’ we want to learn something, but we can sometimes lose sight of our ‘why’ along the process. It’s crucial to keep coming back to what you’re learning and the purpose behind it, as this helps you to keep your brain motivated. When we start the learning process, there are key stages along the way that can trip us up – whether it’s demotivation or difficulties – and it’s these that slow our learning way down.

Knowing why you want to learn something can help in elevating your focus and steadying your motivation, as well as help to connect your interests and goals.

Step 4: Learn in Context

This is probably one of the most critical steps in streamlining your learning process. Context-based learning helps your brain connect the dots more easily. A perfect example of this is learning a new language. Speaking and practicing with a native speaker or going to the country and forcing yourself to speak the language will help with context.

Whatever you’re trying to learn, try to apply what you know to real-world scenarios. Not only does this allow you to see just how it works, but it increases motivation and allows it to click in the brain more easily. Context-based learning also involves making sure you get consistent feedback or coaching as it not only reaffirms what you know but points out areas of improvement and increases that essential motivation.

In conclusion, learning is an ongoing process that requires patience and perseverance. In our fast-paced society, we tend to create a mindset that expects quick progress with mastery of the subject in a shorter amount of time. However, by following the four simple steps discussed in this article, we can develop a more efficient and effective learning process. Overcoming the fear of the unknown and discovering clarity early on will help to keep us motivated. Keeping our purpose in mind and learning in context will streamline our learning process and allow us to achieve our goals in less time.