Ultralearning Manifesto

people who are good at things can produce more value. People who produce more value have more bargaining leverage to get great jobs, salaries and projects.

Surprisingly the answer is overwhelming: it’s processing that matters. Motivation doesn’t actually do much at all for memory, but processing words more deeply (such as thinking about their pleasantness) caused participants to remember almost twice as much.

Some passive learning (attending lectures, reading assignments) is probably unavoidable. But I usually recommend trying to compress this as much as possible, to get to doing the real work of learning – practice – as quickly as possible. Only when you don’t understand something does it make sense to go back and re-read notes.

Eliminate distractions. Work without internet, cellphones, TV or distractions. If you need breaks, do something relaxing but not distracting like getting a glass of water, meditating or going for a walk. Don’t turn on the TV because you’re bored.

Limit your materials and methods. It’s easy to go overboard and try to learn everything. Pick a few key resources and a few key methods to start. Only once those fail should you think about branching out.

Then you start work. Learning becomes a path to improvement – it gives you valuable skills so you can be a leader instead of just another cog in the system.

Learning is the foundation for success in nearly every aspect of life.

Learning is the foundation for success in nearly every aspect of life.

Motivation doesn’t actually do much at all for memory, but processing words more deeply (such as thinking about their pleasantness) caused participants to remember almost twice as much.