How I Learned to Learn

To be honest, for a long time, I thought I was just "bad at learning."

I have a digital graveyard of unfinished projects to prove it. I’d start with a burst of excitement, convinced that this was the time I was finally going to master a new skill. I’d buy the video courses, bookmark the documentation, and open fifty tabs.

But inevitably, the friction would set in. The subject would feel too big, the progress would feel too slow, and I’d feel myself spinning my wheels. Eventually, I’d stop opening the project.

I used to look at that pile of half-baked projects and abandoned tutorials with a deep sense of shame. I didn't just see wasted time; I saw a lack of character. I saw evidence that I didn't have the discipline or the willpower to finish what I started.

But looking back, I realized something strange. In many of those "failed" projects, I had actually learned what I needed to learn. I stopped because I had satisfied my curiosity, or figured out the specific mechanic I was interested in. The "failure" was simply that I didn't have a polished artifact to show for it.

The problem wasn't that I was failing; it was that I hadn't scoped my projects, or allowed myself to enjoy the learning process. I wasn’t conscious of what "success" looked like to me.

I realized that willpower wasn't the problem. My "scope" was.

Here is how I used a developer-inspired concept (Scope) and a tool I created myself (The Shuffle) to fix my relationship with learning.

The Scope

In software development, we use a term called "Scope Creep". It happens when a simple project slowly expands until it becomes a monster that is impossible to finish.

I was doing this to myself every time I tried to learn. I wasn't just trying to learn a skill; I was trying to swallow an entire discipline.

If you stand on a cliff and take in the whole landscape, you get overwhelmed. To learn effectively, you need to pull out your telescope.

A telescope does two things: it magnifies one specific thing, and crucially it blocks out everything else.

1. Define "Done"

The biggest mistake I used to make was setting vague intentions.

• The Vague Mountain: "I want to learn 3D printing."
• The Specific Hill: "I want to design and print a coat hook for my hallway".

The first goal is a trap. You can study 3D printing forever and never be "done". The second goal is binary. It either exists on my wall, or it doesn't.

This also solved my "unfinished project" shame. If my goal is "Understand how a specific API works," then once I understand it, I am Done. I can move on from the code without guilt because the project succeeded. I got what I came for. Anything I did after that was icing on the cake.

2. Conscious Exclusion

This is the part that feels scary. To focus on the coat hook, I had to explicitly list what I was not going to learn.

I call this "Conscious Exclusion". I literally write a list titled Out of Scope.

• I am not learning about lighting and rendering.
• I am not learning character design.
• I am not worrying about tolerances (yet).

These aren't dead ends; they’re just things I’m choosing not to look at through the telescope right now. This removes the guilt of "skipping chapters." I’m not cutting corners; I’m sticking to my scope.

Scoping

A framework to turn overwhelming projects into actionable, bite-sized tasks.

Written Guide

Ollie

The Shuffle

Even with a clear scope, there is always "The Day 2 Problem". The initial excitement fades, the work gets hard, and you get bored.

I used to think this meant I had a bad attention span. But I realized the problem wasn't my brain; it was the mode I was operating in.

I call this tool The Shuffle.

Think of your energy levels like a playlist. You wouldn't listen to heavy metal to fall asleep, and you wouldn't listen to ambient whale sounds to hit a personal record at the gym. You match the music to the environment.

Learning is the same. We often talk about "learning styles," but I think that is a misnomer. What we are really talking about is stimulation and engagement.

If I’m forcing myself to read technical documentation (Focus Mode) when my brain is full of caffeine and restless energy (Builder Mode), I’m going to crash.

I don't need more willpower; I just need to Shuffle the Playlist.

Matching the Modality

When I feel the friction of boredom, I don't quit the subject. I just change the input to match my current energy. The goal is to stay immersed in the same topic, but through a different medium.

• If I’m restless (Builder Mode): I stop watching the tutorial. I open my code editor and try to build a "toy" version of the exact concept I was just watching. I’m still learning the concept, but now it’s interactive and I’m playing with the thing.
• If I’m lonely/stuck (Collaborator Mode): I switch to a social track. I’ll talk to my wife or jump into a Discord channel and try to explain the problem I’m solving. I’m letting myself absorb what I’ve learnt and re-engage with the material while listening to what my body needs.
• If I’m over stimulated (Focus Mode): I switch to "Consumer Mode." I’ll close my code editor and just watch a YouTube video about the technology while I do the dishes.

I encourage "Intentional Play". If building a silly, unrelated tool keeps me engaging with the code, then it’s productive. The moment it stops being fun, it’s a distraction.

The Friction Audit

Ultimately, we have to stop treating friction like a moral failure.

Friction is just data. When you feel stuck, stupid, or bored, do not try to push through with brute force. Treat that feeling like a "Rescue Flare."

Stop and ask yourself:

1. Is the outcome still important? If not, archive it. That isn't quitting; that’s agency.
2. Is this specific struggle necessary? If I’m stuck on a video about "picking the perfect wood for my carpentry project" but I just want to screw two planks together, I can cut the cord. I can skip that video and pick up the drill.

Learning shouldn't be a battle of will. It should be a scoped pursuit of curiosity. You don't need to conquer the mountain to enjoy the view from the hill.

The Shuffle Method

How to identify why you feel stuck and how to keep moving forward.

Written Guide

Ollie