The Discomfort of Learning and Overcoming Distractions

Hello!

Welcome to this week's 2 x 2 Newsletter.

Every week, I share insights from my exploration into the science and art of learning.

My aim is to offer you valuable ideas and tools that you can start using today to learn faster and better.
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2 Quotes on Mastering Distractions:
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• At the root of all our behaviour lies the desire to avoid discomfort. — paraphrased from Nir Eyal's book Indistractible

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• “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” — Winston Churchill

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2 Thoughts From Me:
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• We often trick ourselves into thinking that we are learning something new. Instead, we work on material that we already know, or are familiar with, because it's more comfortable. What can you do today that will stretch you outside of your comfort zone?

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• If you find it hard to get started on a new learning project or feel easily distracted, try the 5 minute rule. Set a timer for 5 minutes, and dive into the work. If you still feel like quitting after 5 minutes, you can go ahead. However, you might find that you end up finishing whatever it is that you started.

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Until next week,

Matthew Outerbridge
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P.S. Here's a bonus infographic for you from Barbara Oakley's popular Mindshift course.
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