As a freelancer, upskilling is an important part of the job. Adding new skills and capabilities to your resume will distinguish you as a candidate and lead to more (and versatile) job opportunities. But how does one continue to learn new things when work, responsibilities, and life keep us busy? Train yourself to learn more efficiently by learning how to become a fast learner.
Here are some reliable tips and tricks you can use to learn more efficiently:
Tune in to your learning habits
Everybody learns things differently: for some people repetition is crucial, for others a single highly focused session will do the trick.
Figuring out what works for you is the first step to mastering fast-learning techniques. For example, if you find it difficult to be productive in the morning, schedule your learning time for the afternoon. This way, you’ll ensure that you’re getting the most out of the time you have.
In the end, you’ll learn skills faster by taking your learning patterns and strengths into consideration and not working against them.
Break down information
Learning a skill or acquiring new knowledge can be extremely daunting, and you’re not alone if you feel overwhelmed with everything you have to absorb. Breaking large tasks or information down into smaller pieces and tackling them one at a time can therefore help you get through the material at a steady pace. Additionally, setting small, achievable goals for yourself as you learn will help to keep you motivated when working on how to become a fast learner.
Teach what you’ve learned
One of the best ways to retain information is to try and teach the material yourself.
If you’re learning a new software tool, for example, give someone a short tutorial on the skills you’ve been practicing. Even if they aren’t trying to learn the skill themselves, it can be very valuable to see how you’ve digested what you’ve learned. If you understand the material well, it should be easy to explain it to someone else. It will also help you to quickly identify any knowledge gaps you may still have, which you can then fill.
Stay rested
Keeping your brain well rested is vital to efficient learning. You can spend hours trying to learn a new skill, but if you are tired, the information won’t stick. Sleep deprivation not only affects your concentration and ability to focus, it is also proven to affect the quality of memory. In fact, sleep is associated with one of the most important elements of learning: memory consolidation. Researchers believe that memory consolidation—defined as when a “memory becomes stable”—occurs during sleep. All that to say, getting a good night’s sleep and keeping your brain rested will help you learn faster.
Avoid multitasking
We can’t overstate the importance of staying focused while learning. Consequently, one of the biggest pitfalls to learning quickly is multitasking, so it’s critical to find ways to reduce distractions. For some people this can mean having a clean and organized workspace. For others, it can mean turning off email and social media notifications.
A tip to reduce multitasking is to set a dedicated chunk of time aside every day to focus on learning. Even 30 minutes of learning, if you are completely focused, can result in better retention than several hours of distracted learning.
Keep it interesting
It goes without saying that you will be a more avid learner if the subject material interests you. So try to focus on learning new skills that you are naturally drawn to and engage thoroughly with. When you do have to learn something that you’re less excited about, find ways to engage with the subject matter to make it meaningful. Ask questions and seek out answers independently. Make connections between the topic at hand and things you’re passionate about. Keeping yourself engaged will help you to understand and retain any information you learn.
Ultimately, becoming a fast learner is a skill in itself. And it’s worth putting in the effort to hone it as it can help you upskill and adapt to various jobs and work environments. Moreover, fast-learning is something that businesses and recruiters are on the lookout for when hiring freelancers and employees. Demonstrating your ability to pick up new skills and broaden your horizons will set you apart and give you more opportunities in your career and life when you focus on how to become a fast learner.
