Author's note: This is a reply to one of the requests from a previous post. This post is curated from a combination of my experiences but also social and cognitive sciences. Portions of this post are purely subjective. Hope you enjoy!

Learning a new skill is never easy, especially when it's self guided.

After years of experimenting with different learning methods and reading about learning psychology, I've found that a simple system works far better than trying to learn everything at once.

Here are the five principles I use to teach myself almost anything.

Tip 1: Set the target goal.

This should be the first thing you do. Identify what success looks like to you. Don't be afraid to make your target goal as descriptive as it needs to be.

For example instead of setting a broad goal like "I want to learn coding," be more specific:

Build a fully functioning website
Create a app
Pass my upcoming computer science test.

Having a clear goal sets the framework for what, who, why, and how you focus on learning your content (as well as what to ignore). A broad goal overwhelms your brain. It forces your brain to learn irrelevant and overcomplicated tasks that often times slow down progress or even forces one to quit.

Then, I would break down that goal into its on sub skills or sub goals. For example, coding a Python card game requires one to know the following:

- Understanding variables
- Understanding if/else statements
- Understanding functions

etc...

Each of those bullet points is a sub skill and that is the priority. Accomplishing those sub skills (one at a time) will lead to you being able to fully learn the concept/skill.

If needed, feel free to break down each sub skill further after all learning becomes less difficult when you stop trying to rush through topics and learn everything at once.

Tip 2: Make a SIMPLE plan.

Once you know your goal, figure out the shortest and most direct path on reaching it. Too many times, people say that they want to learn x or y but they don't have a concrete plan on how to accomplish it. They just try to learn it "on the fly". Please don't do that.

On the other hand, many people try to learn how to walk before they can crawl. What I mean is that people expect too much out of themselves and end up diving into advanced topics WAYY TOO EARLY before fully understanding the fundamentals. Your plan should always start with the fundamentals before advanced topics.

A rule of thumb to knowing if you've mastered a subject is if you can teach it to other people (aka the Feynman Technique).

Another suggestion when you create your plan is to have one main resource you use as a reference to learn. Whether it's a YouTube Playlist or a textbook or an online course try to stick with 1-2 high quality resources instead of 20. Constantly switching resources creates unnecessary overlap and overload instead of progress.

Remember keep things simple, straightforward, and don't feel obligated to learn everything.

Ask yourself "Do I need this to reach my goal?"
If the answer is no, skip it for now.

Tip 3: Practice makes perfect

Rewatching videos or reading books probably feel productive, but it's one thing to memorize information and it's another to know how to apply it. For example, the owner of a pizza shop may (on paper) know the ingredients & processes to specific pizzas, but put them in a kitchen environment and they may not be able to cook a pizza independently.

You should incorporate at least one of these strategies to retain and apply your learning.

1. Active Recall - Remember information without looking at your notes. You can do so by taking time to reflect (while you're watching a vid, course, reading book, etc) and try to explain in your head or out loud what you remember. It will help you with memorization.

2. Deliberate Practice - Focus on specific parts you struggle with the most instead of repeating what you already know. You are only as strong as your weakest link.

3. Spaced Repetition - It is important to practice this skill throughout multiple sessions. Each successful review strengthens the memory and will have you spending less time relearning later on.

4. Practicing through projects - Build something tangible using your skill. I know I said to take the shortest path but this is essential for many theoretical skills like coding or software development. Projects expose knowledge gaps that passive learning hides.

Tip 4: Get Feedback Early and Often

One of the biggest downsides of self-learning is that there's no teacher telling you when you're doing something wrong. That means it's incredibly easy to practice mistakes without realizing it.

Seek feedback as early as possible.

If you're learning to code, ask someone to review your project or post it online for critique. If you're learning to draw, compare your work to reference images or ask for feedback in art communities. If you're studying for an exam, take practice tests instead of assuming you understand the material.

Feedback helps you identify blind spots, the things you don't know that you don't know.

Don't wait until you "feel ready" before sharing your work. Some of the fastest learners are the ones who are comfortable being corrected.

Remember: Practice doesn't make perfect. Correct practice makes progress.

Tip 5: Don't overdo it. Consistency is Key.

You've probably heard this a million times but if your goal is fueled by motivation, chances are, it won't be accomplished. It needs to be fueled by discipline. You must come to realize that you cannot expect to see noticeable improvements after days, weeks, or in some cases, even months of consistent effort.

One way to do so is by building small habits that are easy to repeat. 30 minutes of locked in work is much easier to replicate and less physically/mentally demanding than one exhausting 6-hour grinding session each week. Mental health comes first. Take breaks, get good sleep, and live in the moment.

Hopefully at least one of these tips helps someone who's trying to figure things out on their own. Self-learning can feel overwhelming at first, but it gets much easier once you have a PLAN instead of relying on motivation or guessing what to learn next.

If you have any questions, drop them in the comments. I'll do my best to answer all of them. If enough people find this helpful, I'd be happy to write more posts like this.

P.S. A few people have asked if I write more content like this. I recently started a free weekly newsletter called The Study Shortcut, where I share practical study strategies, and AI tools that help students learn more efficiently. If this post was helpful, you can find it through my Reddit profile.

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What's one piece of study advice that never actually worked for you?

[GUIDE] The Best Way to Learn a Brand-New Subject on Your Own

Tip 1: Set the target goal.

Tip 2: Make a SIMPLE plan.

Tip 3: Practice makes perfect

Tip 4: Get Feedback Early and Often

Tip 5: Don't overdo it. Consistency is Key.

What's the biggest study problem you've never been able to solve?

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