So you want to learn a new skill, you want to take up a hobby or you simply just want to gain some muscles or lose some pounds.
Learning and starting something new is always exciting, that is until you get past your excited phase and now the task at hand seems daunting – your interest or hobby has now turned into a task that already makes you want to give up because, quite frankly, you are going to be AWFUL at it – plus the word “task” puts an instant negative connotation in your mind; “task” is a chore…a job is it not? Ugh, no thank you.
So, maybe you try to learn whatever it is a few more times here and there and you still see no improvement – so you start thinking to yourself, “it was not meant to be” or “I don’t really like it anyway”.
So, you give up.
Well, what if I told you that it only takes, on average, 30hours to be better than most people.
Of course, there are a lot of other factors to take into account – you got to know your own abilities; maybe you are a slower or a faster learner, maybe you do better learning before bed, maybe you need to be in a certain state to learn faster, maybe you need to learn more than one thing at a time or maybe you simply do not have much time to spare. Also, acknowledging what you are learning is important, for example, learning a new language compared to learning an instrument will differ significantly as to what the first 30hours would do for you.
Doesn’t the above just sound like a whole contingencies of excuses? – Well, because they are. If you WANT to learn something badly then you would put in the effort.
There really is no hacks to learning faster – learning takes patience and constant practice; the easiest way to learn is by consciously substituting your time and energy to actually learning. You know those moments where you start watching the TV, lounging around, going out to parties, riding on the bus etc; well, these are the times that you should be learning your new-found interests or hobby (yes, feel free to lift some weights or do the hula hoop whilst watching TV).
It takes 30 days to make a habit and to break a habit – so make the above advice a reality and you will slowly incorporate a routine subconsciously. If you are wondering what 30hours is spread over 30 days – I estimate around…50-55minutes each day.
When learning something new, you are not expected to become the “master” right away, so do not put so much pressure on yourself – when you decide to learn something, the only way is up; you cannot get any worse than your current ability so…
Everyone had got to start somewhere.
Now the first 30hours is not going to guarantee you success on mastering your new interest, it will however, guarantee that you will be better than most people who is beginning on the same level as you.
The first 30hours allows you to see results (that is if you are persistent), even if it is only a little – after 30hours, you would have pushed through your self-doubt and your low self-esteem; lets’ face it, who does not compare themselves to some prodigy when we begin learning? They are probably one of the reason that you wanted to be competent at whatever it is you want to learn.
So a break down of the hours:
1-2hours: you are pretty much still awful at it
2-4hours: you are understanding it
4-6hours: you are getting the hang of it
6-8hours: you feel confident and you feel slightly more competent than before
8-10hours: same as above (if not, even more competent and confident)
10-15hours: you are learning faster and gaining pace
15-20hour: you are rocking it
20-30hours: better than most people
It is only after 30hours can you really start to gauge whether you like what you have learned and so you decided to delve deeper OR whether you decide to move onto something else.
However, until then, keep practicing!
Geomeun Goyangi =^-^=
INTJ:Break-The-Chain 
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