High Performance Learning

A Transformative Approach

High performance learning (HPL) is more than just a method; it’s a mindset. We can embrace new perspectives, welcome failure, focus on fundamentals, and be ready and willing to forget. In this way, we can transform our learning experiences into something truly extraordinary. This journey is not just about accumulating knowledge; it’s about fundamentally changing how we approach the very concept of learning and growth.

Drawing from extensive experience in guiding thousands of adults to reshape their thinking, speaking, reading, and writing abilities for software development, the learning experiences we craft are not just educational, but transformative.

The path to high performance learning begins with a broadened perspective. It’s about understanding that learning is not confined to classrooms or textbooks but is a continuous, dynamic process that occurs in every aspect of our lives.

“Life is replete with learning opportunities, often in the least expected places. Embracing every experience as a potential lesson can significantly enrich our learning journey.”

Failure to Learn

One of the most transformative shifts recommended by High Performance Learning (HPL) is redefining our relationship with failure.

Traditional educational systems often stigmatize failure, but in reality, failure is actually a powerful tool for learning.

“Confusion is the last recognizable milestone before we learn something new.”

Most of us were raised to believe learning is experienced as a series of cumulative successes: chapter 1, chapter 2, and so on. But real learning requires change, takes work, is sometimes painful, and can even produce a mild headache. Embrace the confusion – it’s the shortest path through the lesson.

This journey through uncertainty is not just a necessary evil; it’s a crucial part of the learning process. When we encounter something new and challenging, our brains engage in a kind of cognitive wrestling match. This struggle, though uncomfortable, is where real growth happens. It’s the mental equivalent of muscle fibers tearing and rebuilding stronger. Just as athletes endure physical stress to improve their physical abilities, learners must embrace intellectual discomfort to expand their mental capabilities.

Carol Dweck’s concept of a “growth mindset” underscores this approach. In her research, Dweck highlights the difference between believing that intelligence is fixed and seeing it as malleable. With a growth mindset, every failure is a stepping stone towards greater understanding and skill. It’s about recognizing that intelligence and ability aren’t static traits but are continually developed through effort and learning from mistakes.

“In a growth mindset, challenges are exciting rather than threatening. So rather than thinking, oh, I’m going to reveal my weaknesses, you say, wow, here’s a chance to grow.”
Carol Dweck

Let’s draw a parallel with physical exercise. In the realm of fitness, there are two primary types of exercises: anaerobic and aerobic. Anaerobic exercises, like weight lifting, involve short, intense bursts of activity, leading to muscle growth and strength. Aerobic exercises, such as running, improve endurance and cardiovascular health. Both are essential for overall fitness, but they stress the body in different ways.

In learning, we can think of dealing with failure and confusion as a form of mental anaerobic exercise. It’s high-intensity interval training for the brain. Just as lifting weights creates micro-tears in muscle fibers leading to growth, navigating through intellectual challenges tears down old understandings, making room for new, stronger connections to form in the brain.

Deliberate practice is key here. It’s not just about putting in the hours; it’s about how those hours are used. Deliberate practice involves focused, goal-oriented learning activities designed to push you just beyond your current abilities. It’s about seeking out those moments of failure and confusion, not shying away from them. This kind of practice is mentally taxing, much like anaerobic exercise, but it’s incredibly effective for learning and growth.

“When students make a mistake in math, their brain grows, synapses fire, and connections are made; when they do the work correctly, there is no brain growth.”
Jo Boaler

So, in the context of High Performance Learning, embrace the struggle, the confusion, and the failures. They’re not just obstacles on your learning journey; they’re essential milestones. Each time you stumble and get back up, you’re not just moving forward; you’re emerging stronger, more resilient, and more capable than before.

Floating Overton Window

The Overton window is the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time. It is also known as the window of discourse.
Wikipedia

Though originally political, the concept of Overton’s Window is a useful mental model when exploring the self-imposed barriers in our learning and personal development. Just as this window defines what is politically feasible, our internalized Overton window dictates the boundaries of what we believe we can learn and achieve.

“Our beliefs define the limits of our growth.”

This metaphorical window floats; it’s not anchored in any rigid frame. It can and does move based on collective and individual shifts in perception. Understanding this fluidity is useful to better understand your own path towards high performance learning. By recognizing that our perceived limitations are often just constructs of our beliefs and societal norms, we open ourselves to greater possibilities and learning opportunities.

Challenging our self-imposed Overton window is essential. It’s about questioning the “given” and not accepting the status quo of our capabilities. Anthropological studies reinforce this by showing how cultural narratives and societal beliefs shape our understanding of what’s possible. These narratives can either limit us or propel us towards greater achievements, depending on how we interact with them.

For example, the concept of learning beyond our ability to remember involves a radical acceptance that there is no speed limit to learning. Counter to our intuition, we learn much faster when we embrace forgetting what we are learning. The details fall away, the patterns emerge, and we build a kind of scaffolding for future domain knowledge to stick.

“There is no speed limit to learning. There is no line to cross. There are no lanes to follow. Just keep moving, follow your curiosity, keep breathing and try to avoid hitting the brakes when you panic – controlling your breath helps with the feeling of panic.”

This approach encourages learners to break free from the traditional constraints of paced learning, where progress is measured by the retention of information. Instead, it emphasizes a more dynamic approach that values understanding and the ability to relearn over mere memorization.

If we worry about forgetting then we regulate our learning by slowing it down so we get the feeling of being able to remember everything we are learning. This is a mistake.

Neuroscience backs this approach, revealing that forgetting is not a cognitive failure but a natural process of the brain to manage and optimize its resources. A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience explains that forgetting allows our brain to discard less important information, making way for new, relevant knowledge. It’s a process of cognitive prioritization, essential for lifelong learning and mental flexibility.

High performance learning also means not waiting for structured opportunities or formal educators to present lessons. It’s about proactively finding learning opportunities in every situation, among your peers, and otherwise in the most unlikely people and places.

This proactive approach aligns with the principles of experiential learning, which emphasize the importance of gaining knowledge and skills through direct experiences rather than through traditional academic routes. Educational psychology, especially the theories proposed by David Kolb, highlights the effectiveness of learning through experience, reflection, conceptualization, and experimentation.

In HPL, finding lessons in thin air is about being alert and open to the myriad learning opportunities that life spontaneously presents. It’s an active, engaged approach to learning that transcends traditional boundaries and methods. Whether it’s a casual conversation, a new experience, or an unexpected challenge, each moment holds the potential for significant learning and growth.

By embracing these principles of HPL — challenging our self-imposed limits, learning beyond our ability to remember, and proactively seeking knowledge — we can transform not just how we learn, but how we live. It’s a journey of continuous growth, discovery, and transformation, where the entire world becomes our classroom.

TLDR

Incorporating the above principles, here are some practical tips for high performance learning:

Embrace the feeling of confusion as the moment you’re about to learn something totally new
Accept the moment of forgetting because it means you’re reorganizing the lesson in your mind
Master the fundamental concepts as they are the key to recognizing the deep structures within any lesson
Seek a diversity of mental models since different ways to thinking lead to better ways of thinking
Challenge your perceived limits and become open to redefining what’s possible for you.

High performance learning is a journey of transformation. It’s about breaking free from traditional confines and entering a world where learning is dynamic, experiential, and endlessly rewarding.

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High Performance Learning

A Transformative Approach

Failure to Learn

Floating Overton Window

TLDR

Further Reading