Thread by @ImprovementGeek

"If you want to master something, teach it"

~ Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman

A sensible quote, sure... but what does it mean?

Feynman had a special way to learn FAR more than his peers

Here's how you can use the legendary "Feynman Technique" yourself:

(THREAD)

Step 1) Teach it to a child

Imagine you're going to explain what you know about your chosen topic to a 12-year-old

You'd have to use simple words and concepts, right?

Yes - that's exactly the point

As Albert Einstein (another pretty smart dude) said:

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough

To be able to explain something SIMPLY, you must first understand it DEEPLY

If you have to use jargon and technical terms, you don't understand it well yet

Grab a pen and paper and write down what you'd want to teach that 12-year-old

Remember, you have to explain it in simple words and concepts

As you write, you'll notice places where you get stuck

Sometimes it'll be because you feel like you can't simplify any further

Other times it'll be because you have a hole in your knowledge in that area

Take note of these places and come back to them when you've dumped everything you can out of your brain

Step 2) Review and Learn More

Now imagine you're the 12-year-old

Grab a juice box and start reading what you wrote

Picture yourself as a child who has absolutely ZERO previous knowledge about this topic

Or pretend you're @AyAy_Ron69, same thing

As you read, do you understand what you're reading?

If you do, great - you know your stuff!

But if you find parts you don't understand

Or parts you couldn't simplify as you wrote

You have work to do - make note of those parts

Refer to your source material:

- books
- videos
- podcasts
- and so on

Learn more about the areas you couldn't explain simply

Update what you wrote, then read through it again

Repeat this process until your inner 12-year-old understands EVERYTHING

Step 3) Organize Your Notes

You're going to have to repeat Step 2 a few times

I usually do too - it's normal

This means you'll have written A LOT

Now, take that writing and organize it

Neatly rewrite it on fresh pages or in your favorite program

This will enable you to easily refer to your simplified notes later on

Better yet, it'll enable you to...

Step 4) Teach Someone Else

One of the best feelings in the world is to teach someone something

That's one of the things I love most about being a coach and a content creator

Find a person you can teach about your subject

Using your simplified notes, teach them what you know

If you've done this well, they don't have to have prior knowledge about the topic

All they need is their teacher - you!

(and depending on their age, a frosty juice box)

If you get to this step and you don't have someone to teach, teach me!

DM me and teach me something new

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