Learn How to Learn

If you have closed it, reopen your analysis tool (or start from this template) to perform the fourth and fifth tasks.

In taking stock of your strengths and weaknesses, some study subjects have begun to emerge.

Match Your Study Subjects with Opportunities and Threats

Now, let’s prioritize the study subjects you want to include in your learning plan. You’re first going to match them with your opportunities and threats. In doing so, you’ll determine the best learning tactics to adopt.

In this context, a learning tactic is a concrete action that will help you advance towards your goal.

If you are still looking for ideas, study what is done by the masters in your potential field of study. Get inspired by their attitudes, habits and tactics. Learn from them because there is a strong probability that what works for them would work for you.

You can distinguish between four learning tactics:

• Offensive

• Defensive

• Preventative

• Emergency

Your offensive tactics are actions that will permit you to capitalize on your strengths in order to take advantage of opportunities. In other words, you’ll do more of what you’re already good at. This is your comfort zone, and you should encourage it to grow while further developing your strengths.

Next, your defensive tactics are actions that allow you to capitalize on your strengths, but this time in order to manage your threats to learning. These tactics will help protect you, while also reinforcing your strengths.

Next, your preventative tactics are actions that correct your weaknesses in order to take advantage of opportunities for learning.

Finally, your emergency tactics are actions that will – again – help correct your weaknesses, but this time in order to eliminate potential threats to your learning.

In determining tactics, think about what insight you have gained regarding your preferred learning styles. Also, consult the 71 Learning Methods list we used in the first part of the course, both for inspiration and also to consider methods you have not yet used.

Prioritize Your Study Subjects

Look for the correlation between your subjects, opportunities and threats to help set priorities. Give special importance to subjects that intersect between your weaknesses and threats.

To start the next section in the best possible way, take a moment to organize your list of subjects.

1. Subject A

2. Subject B

3. Subject C

4. Subject D

If, even after the exercise in this chapter, your priorities are not clear, draw a diagram like the one below.

Create Opportunities For Constant Feedback

Create Opportunities for Constant Feedback

Once you’ve completed your dashboard, make sure to ask a friend or colleague whom you trust for honest, constructive feedback to take a look at what you've prepared.

Improve Your Strategy

Create opportunities for feedback, and then approach people with an open mind. In the end, you will be the one designing and managing your plan, however, it may inspire you to adjust your strategy! 😁

Let's Recap

• Prioritize your study subjects by defining your learning tactics and by considering the level of difficulty versus the level of impact of each subject.

• Learning tactics are actions which fall into one of 4 categories:

  • Offensive tactics, or actions in which you use your strengths to take advantage of opportunities.

  • Defensive tactics, or actions in which you use your strengths to manage your threats.

  • Preventative tactics, or actions in which you correct your weaknesses to allow you to take advantage of opportunities.

  • Emergency tactics, or actions in which you correct your weaknesses to eliminate threats or to protect against potential threats.

Congratulations! You now have a learning strategy, which includes a strategic goal, prioritized study subjects and learning tactics.

Before moving on to creating your learning plan, check your understanding with the second quiz.