Use an approach for accelerated learning
The approach on this page provides you with an overall strategy for
achieving your learning goals. This strategy helps you plan and start your
goal, track progress, and keep you going in the right direction. This
approach also helps remind you to enjoy the journey as much as reaching the
goal. When you use this strategy, you can be confident you have a much
stronger likelihood of success.
Over the previous four sections (state, process, techniques and styles)
I’ve covered much detail about the various ways you can accelerate your
learning. In this chapter, we step back from specific learning methods to
cover an overall strategy for running your learning program. The Memletic
Approach helps you plan and manage your learning activities.
The following diagram shows the steps of the Memletic Approach:
As you can see, the four steps of this approach are as follows:
- Target. Choose and clarify your goal.
- Plan. Decide your approach to achieve the goal.
- Track progress. Track your progress along the way.
- Do it for life. Enjoy both the journey and the goal.
You usually work through these activities in the order listed, however
you may also work across two or more at the same time. For example, you may
go back and clarify your goals further once you have done some planning. You
may also alter your plan once you start learning.
How much planning and managing you do for any activity varies according
to the size and importance of the goal. The Memletic Approach is no
different. The activities I suggest in here are mainly relevant if you are
targeting an effortful learning goal. If you are planning a longer-term
goal, such as gaining a university diploma or a commercial flight license, I
suggest you spend more time planning and managing your activities. If you
are simply doing a course in public speaking, you may not need to spend as
long in this part of Memletics.
A good guideline to start with is to spend about ten percent of your
overall effort on these planning and managing activities. You will likely
need to spend more time on these activities at the beginning of your
journey, with less time towards the end.
Target—choose and clarify your goal
The first step in any worthwhile activity is to clarify the goal and
objectives. I call this targeting, and it serves several purposes. The
targeting step itself helps take the first steps towards your goal. You
begin to decide the direction for how to get there. Setting a goal provides
you with motivation, and you know your finishing point.
The targeting step has three key tasks. Firstly, find and understand your
reasons. Why have you set the goal? Secondly, explore your goal. This means
learning more about your goal. Make sure you have a realistic understanding
of what life will be like after you reach the goal. Lastly, set your
objectives. What are the major objectives you need to complete on the way to
your goal?
You may recall that “Clear, Desirable and Achievable goals” is one part
of Memletic State, in particular mental state. While there is some
duplication here, it’s because this goal-setting activity is critical to
both getting your journey started as well as upholding state along the way.
The Memletics Accelerated Learning Manual describes:
Find and understand your reasons
- How to turn vague ideas into explicit reasons.
- Examples of activity-specific (such as specific to flying – career,
transport, recreation etc) and personal skill reasons (such as achieving a
dream, overcoming challenges, personal discipline, planning,
decision-making, judgment, learning how to learn etc)
- How to find motivation for a goal that may not be in line with your
personal objectives.
- How to set a direction when you are not sure of which direction you
want to go in.
- Tips on learning Memletics as a goal.
Explore your goal
- How to explore your goal to make sure its right to you.
- Techniques you can use to explore goals.
Set your objectives
- How to set major objectives for your learning program.
- The importance of writing down your objectives.
- How to use them to assist motivation.
- Comments on updating goals – including the idea of “creative tension.”
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Plan—decide your approach
Now that you have your guiding goal, reasons and objectives, you next
turn your objectives into a plan you can use to guide your actions and track
your progress. You now extend the research you started in the previous
Targeting step. You gather information you need to develop your plan. Once
you have this information, the next steps are to create a course map, plan
your time and plan your costs. These are three key tools you can use to
track your progress.
Keep in mind that you may not need to do these activities to the depth
outlined here. If your learning objectives are short term and easy to
achieve, you may not need to do much planning at all. The size or importance
of the objective should guide you on how much planning and management you
need.
The Memletics Accelerated Learning Manual describes:
Do the research
- Fundamental questions to consider and answer: your time commitment,
costs, the method of instruction, and the location.
- Factors to consider before answering these questions, including the
importance of your goal and any restrictions on time or cost.
- A discussion of commitment – full time or part time. Includes
advantages and disadvantages.
- A discussion of method – self study, individual instruction or
group-based instruction. Includes comments on whether you are a
self-directed learner, whether you prefer studying at your own pace,
maintaining motivation, and how you obtain your learning material.
- A discussion on location – local study or remote study. Thoughts on
studying in the city, suburbs, regional areas, country areas, interstate,
international and/or overseas providers. How to use your “personal hourly
rate” to help work out which location may be best for you.
- How to make the decisions once you have finished research. Comments on
using your gut or instinct versus finding other assistance or guides.
Suggestions for questions to ask a training provider – such as other
student’s questions, talking to those already studying, and their thoughts
on Memletics.
Determine your Course Map
- How to create your course map, what to include, how to break it down
into streams and modules.
- Includes an example of a course map for aviation or flight training.
- Comments on the level of detail you may need in your course map.
Plan your Time requirements
- How to work out your time requirements, including considerations such
as a completion goal, time requirements, and available hours.
- Laying out a basic time schedule.
- Additional considerations, such as whether you are learning Memletics
for the first time, and the impact of exams and tests.
Plan your Costs
- Basic points on planning your costs.
Review your Plan
- Basic comments on what to do once you have completed your plan.
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Track—manage your progress
After you start your training or study, the Memletic Approach switches
from planning to progress tracking. Just like navigating an aircraft, I
suggest you pause occasionally and consider how well you are tracking to
your plan.
The Memletics Accelerated Learning Manual describes:
- The importance of tracking your progress, including key points such as
time schedule, cost schedule, progress, issues, replanning etc.
- Avoiding the habit of reviewing progress too often.
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Do it for life—enjoy the journey and the goal
When you reach your goal, be sure to take time to enjoy what you have
achieved. Whether it’s for work or recreation, find ways to use what you’ve
learned. When you use your knowledge, you reinforce your self-image as
someone who can learn fast, overcome obstacles and reach goals you set for
yourself. This often provides a high sense of satisfaction.
The Memletics Accelerated Learning Manual describes:
- Comments on enjoying the goal, enjoying the journey, and keeping it up
for life.
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