In school, I was a very good student. The funny thing is I don’t remember learning how to learn. I had a good memory, so that was certainly a good portion of it. As part of the Precision Nutrition certification course, there is a unit devoted to core skills, practices, and actions of being a good student. This is a good reminder for me, and I thought I would share some of the ideas.

Skill - Time management

This involves organizing your time effectively and efficiently. You are clear on what happens when. You practice this skill by making time to study. Look at a calendar and schedule study time. Identify activities that are wasting your time. Create a NOT To Do List.

Skill - Planning & Preparation

This involves looking ahead, anticipating obstacles, and having a strategy in place. You also set up a learning environment to reduce distractions. You practice this skill by identifying specific and probable obstacles that will interfere with your learning. Come up with 5-minute actions to confront obstacles that come up. 

Skill - Prioritization

This involves putting first things first. You practice this skill by making a list of your top priorities and staying focused on them. Once you have this list, review it often and assess daily activities to determine how much time you are spending on activities that are related to top priorities.

Skill - Application

This involves putting what you’ve learned into practice. Knowledge is not power. It’s not enough to just know something. In order to install what you are learning, you have to put it into practice. Start using what you learn as soon as possible. Share what you learn with others. I am practicing what I preach.

Skill - Repetition

This involves doing something over and over again. Think like a beginner and pretend like you don’t know about a topic even if you heard about it before. Even if you have studied it before. You aren’t the same person you were the first time you learned that information. It takes repetition for most people to learn. Re-read things. Watch videos more than once. Put triggers in place to remind you to do things more than once per day.

Skill - Growth mindset

This involves believing that achievement comes from persistence and effort. The more you work on things, the better you’ll get. Stick to it. Keep showing up and never quit. There is no failure, only feedback.

Happy learning!