I separate my “learning” into deep and broad. At work, I’ll take on new categories of assignments (broad) while maintaining a portfolio of profitable, hard problems in my domain (deep).
Personally, I’ll study new languages or cultures or technologies or games. But I’ll also develop—and necessarily, ditch—ones I’ve previously learned.
It’s easy to get caught up in learning lots of basics. Right after the basics is the hard part of integration, which leads to deeper understanding. It’s also easy to do the same thing every day, tricking yourself into the illusion of mastery, and risking becoming the best in a dying field.
Personally, I’ll study new languages or cultures or technologies or games. But I’ll also develop—and necessarily, ditch—ones I’ve previously learned.
It’s easy to get caught up in learning lots of basics. Right after the basics is the hard part of integration, which leads to deeper understanding. It’s also easy to do the same thing every day, tricking yourself into the illusion of mastery, and risking becoming the best in a dying field.