The Learning Life Master the BASICS

By Lowell Anderson

We all have things we want to learn. Whether it’s information we want to acquire or a new skill we want to master, learning is something we want to do as quickly and with as little effort as possible.

Depending on who you listen to, learning to do something well could take anywhere from a few hours to 10,000 hours. But regardless of how long it takes, one of the traps that slows the progress of almost everyone is in trying to jump ahead to advanced material too quickly.

There’s an old saying that champions are people who simply do the basics well. This idea has been used in reference to skills ranging from selling to football, but what it means is that high level skills come from first knowing and doing the basics. The foundation formed by the basics allows champions to build the advanced skills that everyone notices. In addition, what may look like advanced skills may really only be basic skills refined and practiced to perfection.

This idea also applies if you’re learning information rather than skills. Information consisting of lots of little details can only be absorbed and applied if you first know the basic information that forms its foundation.

Rather than rushing to get to the exciting, advanced stuff, it’s usually more effective to really learn the basics first. Rather than being impatient, it pays to stick with the simple, foundational elements for as long as you need to. And don’t be afraid to keep reviewing the basics even if you think you have them mastered. You want your foundation to be as solid and unshakable as possible.

Imagine that you’re trying to learn a foreign language. There are all kinds of phrases you could try to memorize, such as “Where is the nearest museum?” However, what if instead you spent time learning how to perfectly pronounce a few simple, everyday expressions that are used constantly, such as “hello,” “goodbye,” “please” and “thank you?” Those few words pronounced well could provide the positive impression that would help natives put up with many of your other lan- guage blunders.

Of course, you also don’t want to fall into the trap of staying with the basics forever. You want to master the basics but not expect absolute perfection before moving on. If you’re struggling with the question of whether to review things you already know or to practice new things that you don’t know that well, the answer might be to do both. It’s important to keep expanding and learning new things, but just remember that without a mastery of the basics, adding more details is often just a waste of time.