Job of Learning

Goals

1. Describe the job of learning.
2. Skillfully determine if your method of learning is fulfilling its potential.

Job of Learning (What)

The job of learning is to help you and your groups gain more rewards and experience fewer drawbacks—especially with regards to continually building a better life.

Analysis (Breakdown of Key Ideas)

• job: This is what learning is supposed to do for you or anyone else.

• learning: Learning is the process of creating lasting brain changes that improve knowledge or performance.

• you and your groups: Learning benefits individuals and collectives like families, teams, companies, universities, and governments.

• rewards: A reward is anything you like, value, or want more of.

• drawbacks: A drawback is anything you’d prefer to avoid, reduce, or eliminate.

• better life: A better life means making continuous improvements that matter to you.

Rationale for Understanding the Job of Learning

Understanding what learning is supposed to do for you helps you evaluate whether your current approach is effective—or if a different method might better serve your goals.

Application of This Concept

Use this checklist to evaluate your current method of learning:

• Does it regularly lead to meaningful rewards?
• Does it help you avoid, reduce, or eliminate drawbacks?
• Is your life getting noticeably better?
• Are the groups you care about improving as a result of your learning?

If you answer no to any of these, it might be time to try a different approach.

One highly effective method is Deliberate Practice (DP). Here’s why:

1. It’s super enjoyable—many find it nearly addictive.
2. It builds true competence with each thing you learn.
3. It minimizes drawbacks while maximizing growth.
4. It tightly integrates learning with doing and achieving.

On other pages, I delve into the details of DP, emphasizing “how to.”