Josh Kaufman argues that you can go from nothing to proficiency in almost any skill in just twenty hours. Twenty hours or about forty-five minutes a day for a month, of focused deliberate practice is enough to get you to the point where you will be proficient. You won’t be an expert, which can take much longer, but you will be good enough.
Josh outlines the four simple steps to his process:
- Deconstruct the skill – break the skill down into it primary components
- Learn enough to self correct – use books, dvd, experts etc. to help you to understand how to do the skills properly
- Remove practice barriers – eliminate distractions, arrange for convenience of practice and exercise will power
- Practice 20 hours – by pre-committing forty to forty-five minutes a day for thirty days you will be astounded at your level of proficiency
Kaufman conducts a thirty minute talk tittled You can learn anything…fast followed by thirty minute question and answer session at RSA which provides a bit more substance than the TEDx video and greater insight into his new book.
