Learning Methods That Make a Difference Between Regret and Success

10 min readOct 26, 2023

Hi Medium friends, in the pursuit of monetizing knowledge, it’s crucial to distinguish between effective and ineffective learning methods.

This article aims to uncover the learning methods that can maximize efficiency and effectiveness, preventing regrets for not discovering them earlier. By implementing these techniques, you can expedite your learning journey and successfully monetize your knowledge.

1. Active Learning vs. Passive Learning:

The first step towards effective learning is adopting an active approach rather than passive consumption of information.

Active learning involves engaging with the material by asking questions, seeking practical applications, and actively participating in discussions.

This method stimulates critical thinking and retention, surpassing the passive approach of passively reading or listening.

I have shared about “It’s not about how many books you read, but how much you absorb and apply”.

In my last 10 years, I have read more than 300 books. My book shelves are full of books that I have bought and read.

HOWEVER, if you ask me what have you takeaway from these 300 books, my mind would go blank.

It astonished me — how I have read 300 books and failed to say at least 50 things that I’ve learnt from these 300 books (not even 1 thing per book).

That lead me into deep reflection of what is my purpose of reading.

If I am reading for entertaining, then fine.

Entertainment is supposed to be watched / read / listened to and then forgotten. They are meant to be consumed without being mindful.

The problem is I am not reading for entertainment. I am reading for growth, self development and learning.

I have therefore came to a painful conclusion that:

I have wasted 10 years of my time because I didn’t know how to really LEARN.

If you are reading this now and you are a reader who reads for knowledge and growth, congratulations you could have saved a few years (or a lifetime) continuing meaningless reading.

Truth is it is not about how many books / courses you learn, but how much you absorb and apply

I was a “C” student when I was small.

One day in my high school, the classmate who got the highest mark in the maths exam was sitting next to me. I thought for a moment and asked myself “what was the difference between me and her? Why she can get the highest mark in the class but I only got a mere pass?”

I observed — she was wearing the same uniform as I did. She was sitting just next to me. We were listening to the same teacher. We were using the same maths textbook. There is no difference between me and her — at least from the source of information.

Then I persuaded myself that “if she can do it, I can do it too”.

I started going through each maths questions in the textbook, listening attentively to the teacher, working my way through the maths homework.

In the next exam, I got the highest mark at the class.

What changed? Has I become smarter all of a sudden?

“No, I just started to learn.” I concluded

Previously I was just fulfilling my part as a student, I listened but not learnt, I saw but not learnt, I sat there but not learnt.

Learning is active pursuit of the solution.

If one is reading a book aimlessly, it is not learning because one is not actively pursuing a solution.

Likewise, if one is sitting in the classroom listening to the teacher, it may not be learning because

There is a difference between consumption of information and learning, which is active pursuit of a solution.

Consumption of information does not require any mindful, active thinking, while learning does.

Mindful, active thinking means that you need to analysis whether the information is useful to you in solving the problem at hand (e.g. for maths, whether the formula applies), whether the information is applicable in the scenario (e.g. whether this maths formula is applicable for calculating 3D cube rather than 2D area), whether the information can be used elsewhere (e.g. whether the same formula can be used to calculate other 3D objects) etc.

The difficulty of learning, and why we are not doing it as often as we should, is because learning involve active thinking.

As Earl Nightingale said “men simply don’t think”.

TVs, Netflix, youtube, piecemeal social media posts, movies, radio programs, podcasts, reels, almost all of these major information channels are created for consumption, not learning. For their ultimate purpose is to catch the eyeballs and keep you excited to retain your attention. Their purpose is to entertain and keep your mind empty when you’re consuming those content, so that you feel easy and want more of it.

Learning on the other hand, could feel hard. And we tend to procrastinate when we feel that something is hard (and not urgent). Hence, even though books and some programs are developed for learning purpose, we consume them for the sake of consumption, to feel comforting that we have done something and not wasting time. In fact, we could be lying to ourselves since we are not really learning. Consumption has the same effect across all content. It does not matter whether the content is developed for learning or entertainment, it depends on us to decide whether it is a consumption or learning. If we actively think and pursuit for the solution, we can learn from anything even movies or games (something designed for entertainment). If we let our mind be mentally lazy and simply consume the content, we should not lie to ourselves that we are learning.

2. Mission-Based Learning:

Mission-based learning is a powerful method to increase efficiency and motivation. Instead of merely studying to acquire knowledge, set specific missions or goals to frame your learning process. These missions can be the completion of a project, solving a problem, or acquiring a skill. By establishing a clear purpose, you cultivate a sense of direction, engagement, and tangible outcomes.

At present, education experts and learning technology researchers all over the world have a consensus that we have now found the best way to learn. This learning method is called “mission-based learning” — using real tasks, projects, and goals to guide your own learning.

Only by starting your own learning with the goal of “delivering a mission” can you not only promote the breadth of your learning, but also ensure the depth of your learning, and also allow you to maintain a sense of accomplishment during the learning process.

Mission-based learning is also the basis of “learning how to learn in a way that makes money”

So what are the missions mentioned in “mission-based learning”?

Let me remind you that it doesn’t have to be a work assignment. These mission may come from various life stages

For example, when I was 25 years old, I was thinking about how to join the company I most wanted to work for. You see, this has become a task in itself, and I have to study around the task of “job hunting”. I want to learn how to interview, how to apply, and how to create performance in the first stage of work.

When I was 30 years old, I might think about how to become a team leader who can lead others to work together. At this time, my learning task became how to be a small leader.

At the age of 35, I may be faced with: how to start my own family, how to let my children grow up happily. Then this is also a good task for mission-based learning.

Even at the age of 60 or 70, I may have to retire, but I still have my life mission, such as how can I maintain my health and live a fulfilling life?

Many times, we feel that these things happen naturally. In fact, not necessarily, these life mission also needs to be learned.

Of course, even at the same stage of life, everyone’s life tasks are not the same.

For example, in my 30s. my challenge may be how to make a good product; your challenge may be how to communicate with your superiors; his challenge may be to quickly understand a new investment field within 20 hours.

Such personalized needs are different for thousands of people.

3. Utilize Technology and Online Courses:

Leverage technology and online courses to access a vast array of resources that can enhance your learning experience. Online platforms offer a wide range of courses tailored to specific interests and abilities.

By investing in high-quality online courses, you can save time, learn from experts, and acquire specialized knowledge.

4. Create a Distraction-Free Learning Environment:

To optimize your learning process, establish a distraction-free environment. Minimize interruptions by turning off notifications, finding a quiet space, and creating a study routine.

Eliminating distractions allows for focused learning, increased concentration, and enhanced retention of information.

I have written about how to get into the flow state in details (step-by-step guide) in my previous article on Medium.

5. Continuous Learning and Feedback:

Effective learning extends beyond the classroom or online course. Embrace a growth mindset and adopt a lifelong learning approach. Seek opportunities to expand your knowledge through books, articles, podcasts, and discussions with industry professionals.

Additionally, actively seek feedback on your work to identify areas for improvement and ensure continuous growth.

6. Collaborate and Share Knowledge:

Engaging with a community of like-minded individuals is invaluable for effective learning. Collaborate with peers, join study groups, or participate in online forums to exchange ideas and gain diverse perspectives.

Sharing knowledge and experiences not only enhances your understanding but also cultivates relationships that can lead to collaborations or business opportunities.

This friend is a mobile game entrepreneur who is doing very well. Once, I asked him a question: “As a successful entrepreneur in the game industry, how do you understand your business?”

He gave me a wonderful answer. He said: “The essence of a game company is to create happiness for everyone. Because we are constantly creating positive feedback for people every day.

For most For ordinary people, this world is actually quite cruel.

For example, if you work in a company, even if it is a good job, you will only have one chance to get a salary increase after at least half a year or a year, and the rest will be day-to-day of repetitive hard work.

But games are different, it can give you several positive feedbacks in just one minute. Creating a flow experience by creating positive feedback is the secret of our game industry and the value of games.”

After listening to his words, although I feel that we should spent less time on playing games anyway, the secrets of the game industry are useful to every one of us.

We can also, like a game designer, actively create positive feedback for our own study, work and life. It’s not just a need, it’s an ability. This ability is “self-driving force”, that is, internal motivation.

How can a person drive oneself? We can rely on the positive feedback and sense of accomplishment he created to support and motivate himself to continue to persevere.

Then the question arises, how to cultivate this kind of competitiveness?

In the course “learning how to learn in a way that makes money”, you will learn the systematic ways of closing the loop of learning by application

#1 How to apply and execute our new knowledge to our life / business / career?

#2 How to validate our understanding and test whether the knowledge is applicable?

#3 How to migrate the knowledge to new territory?

#4 How to consolidate and continuously upgrade our new ability?

#5 How to promote sense of accomplishment for internal motivation?

#6 How to obtain learning feedback frequently?

#7 How to obtain learning results with ease and comfort?

#8 How to record inspiration to facilitate breakthrough?

Conclusion:

Monetizing knowledge requires a strategic and effective approach to learning. By embracing active learning, mission-based learning, utilizing technology, creating a distraction-free environment, continuing to learn, and collaborating with others, you can prevent regrets and fast-track your success.

Empower yourself with these effective learning methods, harness your potential, and unlock the doors to monetizing your knowledge in a meaningful and fulfilling way. The journey to knowledge monetization starts with effective learning methods — so begin now and pave the way to success, exponentially.

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