Jason Zedde

Curious guy, grateful meditator, software engineer.

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

Thank you @michael_nielsen for the idea an external memory system like Anki can improve excitement and confidence for learning challenging new material. I'm three months into an Anki habit and am amazed at how empowering it is to make memory a choice. https://t.co/6yQAySb9SL

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

"Reading speed is nothing more than signaling. Skim broadly to find something worth reading. Then dive in slowly and deeply.

It's not how fast you read but what you absorb that matters.​"

— @shaneparrish

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

@patio11 Agree. There seems to be special opportunity for those who treat each challenge in the jobs search - from optimizing the resume to driving onsite interview conversations - as opportunities to learn and experiment. My story was very similar: https://t.co/eQhR2XGdwM

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

Ways to address Imposter Syndrome:

1. Remember we all struggle with it
2. Stoke curiosity
3. Build confidence in learning so that you know understanding is only a matter of time
4. Share your curiosity and learning approach - they'll be contagious and appreciated by colleagues

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

One way to ensure feedback: make sure we're ambitious enough in our attempts that we're failing a sufficient amount of time.

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

Learning as fast as possible requires ruthless prioritization - our limited time must only be spent on the most important topics. This includes the sweet spot between understanding and abstraction - some things we learn deeply, other things we don't need to understand, just use.

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

Four conditions of deliberate practice determine expertise over time: motivation, focus on growth areas, feedback, and reflection. How much learning are we leaving on the table by not (a) specifying our weaknesses, (b) hunting down feedback, and (c ) reflecting?

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

We are often more creative when faced with constraints. When stuck while brainstorming, attempting to put structured on the unstructured and then thinking within "buckets" might improve the quality and quantity of our ideas.

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

Learning fast means learning smart. @ScottHYoung suggests ultra-learners spend 10% of their time on meta-learning – thinking through what concepts, facts, and skills we want to learn and how to best tackle each. #ultralearning

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

One study found that people who write bullet points summarizing a chapter remember 50% than those who read the same chapter 4 times! Forcing ourselves to engage in active recall can dramatically increase our retention. https://t.co/KFbeP3WZsR

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

Revisiting material clearly helps retention; spaced repetition times it just right so the minimal amount of revisits results in highest retention. Special timing includes: 1 hr, 1 day, 5 days, 25 days, 4 months, 2 year. https://t.co/94dsKne0AP

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

We have far greater control over the inputs into our journeys than the outcomes. It'd be a shame to invest carefully in our inputs only to cling so tightly to a desired outcome that we fail to delight in the journey.

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

"The struggle ends when gratitude begins" - Neale Donald Walsch

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

Habits trump goals. Goals can help set direction, but habits can overshoot goals, build momentum and compound, and allow us to enjoy our journey rather than grow dissatisfied about goals not yet met. https://t.co/HMyvSk1Oiq

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

Rate of learning is far more important than current understanding. Few things see compounding returns like money, relationships, and learning.

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman's test for understanding: If you can't explain it to an eight year-old, you don't understand it.

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

When learning a new task it is often the case that many people have faced the same challenge before, and a small subset of them have seen extraordinary results. This suggests an opportunity: track these people down and ask for *specifics* about what they did differently.

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

Learning materials are not created equal – often a single resource, or the right mix of a few resources, can lead to faster learning than many others combined. A quick skim of available resources before selectively diving deep into difficult content can pay big dividends.

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

And in fields with a quick half-life of knowledge, where technologies quickly become obsolete, it is all the more important to identify and invest in concepts that are unlikely to change – the patterns and concepts behind transient solutions.

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

Concepts are not equally valuable - we're wise to invest deeply in learning those that are particularly important.

[Jason Zedde @JasonZedde]

A deep understanding of fundamentals, for example, unlocks opportunities for intuition and experimentation, learning experiences far more valuable than regurgitating "advanced" material we may be tempted to invest in after only partially understanding the basics.