First I review my pet big ideas/grand visions and work out how the object of my study fit in so I'll be motivated enough to go through learning it.
I meditate for a couple of minutes to get the same brain waves I had during my best learning performance.
Once I'm psyched I speed read the whole documentation while taking notes on it's structure using a mindmap, break down the problem into smaller parts and estimate how long it will take me to solve them. Then I can begin to study.
"Studying" as a cognitive activity can be an aesthetic object. When my aesthetic conduct it well executed it happen to positivly reinforce the whole learning process: I can notice more details while being less stressed and feel more deliciously empowered. This has been my favorite pet idea for a while now so it is very likely I'll indulge myself in writing about it again in more details :-)
Anyway, I keep this discipline up until I'm done (without breaking my optimized sleep pattern obv). And when it's over I treat myself to a king size moroccan hash dobbie. (kiding. I'm looking for smarter, healthier dopaminergic overdrivx0rz)
― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Monday, 31 March 2003 03:41 (twenty-three years ago)