Two Life Hacks for Quick and Deliberate Learning

Life in the 21st century is fast and furious, mainly because information comes fast and is replaced by another piece of information in the blink of an eye. There are so many things to learn, but so little time to learn them.

Even if you're lazy, you can't help but learn something just by watching a video or viewing an ad. Being overwhelmed by all of the knowledge swirling around us can be considered normal now.

Deliberate Learning

Choosing the topic you want to learn at any given time is the best thing to do in this information maelstrom. We have limited energy for work and play and then we fall asleep. Instead of squandering the time passively learning things you don't necessarily want to learn, such as when you read memes or scroll through Facebook and inadvertently stumble on gossip, be deliberate in your learning habits.

Here are two life hacks I have developed as habits exactly for this purpose.

1. Keep At Least Three Books Around You for Passive Reading

You can put them near your bed, on your nightstand, or coffee table. These books should be curated well to represent the things that interest you most (for non-fiction) or your the genre you really love and never get tired of (for fiction books). Periodically change them or alternate them with your other books, but there should always be a few books nearby (at least 3!) in case your mind needs a "joyful information" fix.

Mine are currently the following:

ABCs of Handlettering by Abbey Sy
ABCs of Journaling by Abbey Sy
Harry Potter by JK Rowling
48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

The first two are my current artsy-fartsy interests. Harry Potter is my go-to YA fix. 48 Laws of Power is my go-to bran snack when I am feeling Machiavellian.

2. Bookmark a YouTube video on a new hobby that you've always wanted to try

Videos are easy to digest. Some would say they're better than reading materials. But there are so many videos around and so many influencer content to consume that information overload can happen even when you're just relaxing. Have one video on a topic you want, preferably something you have always wanted to try and watch a few minutes of it at a time when you're taking a break from work. Better yet, bookmark it so you can consume it in little bites whenever you like.

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