# [[How to learn stuff you have no business learning]]
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## Thumbnail
![[How to learn stuff you have no business learning v2.png]]
## Title
1. ==how to learn stuff (100)==
2. learning in public (19)
3. learning in public in obsidian (55)
4. learning in obsidian (84)
## What value do viewers get?
## Hook
It can be tempting to think that learning requires studying techniques or productivity hacks, but somehow we don't need any of that to know the lyrics to a favourite song or how to tell apart the Bene Gesserit from the Fremen. That's because I think the problem of how to learn is primarily about motivation.
I'm a Developer Advocate as my day job, yet somehow I did that without ever officially being a developer. I'm a performance engineer despite having 0 formal education in this industry. I landed a Dutch-speaking job three months after first learning it while living in a different country and not having anyone to speak Dutch with. I built this YouTube channel before I knew how to be normal on camera.
In this video, I want to talk about some principles I've used to cultivate a lifestyle of learning things I had really no business learning-- and I'll show examples of how I used Obsidian to help me do that.
## Structure
- 1. Make it fun
- Follow your interests.
- Start learning without a plan.
- [[ASL]], speedreading
- Stop learning without shame.
- Improve serendipity
- [[Random Tables]]
- Tools like Obsidian
- Within Obsidian, plugins like ExcaliBrain or the built-in graph view, backlinks, Dataview
- Explore interdisciplinary crossovers.
- Ex: [[Coding and writing are converging]], [[Principles of improving work performance]]
- Listen for passion: Seek out passionate people who are good at different fields, and let yourself get interested.
- Example: [[Andy Polaine]]: [[Play]] > [[Exploratory testing]]
- [[The Rules We Break]]
- [[kOH 79 - Exploratory testing]]
- 2. Make it stressful.
- Set a deadline
- Examples
- [[Schrödinger's Pokémon - Observability for chaotic load testing]]
- Emergence
- [[readwise/Books/Emergence]]
- [[sources/Book/Emergence]]
- [[system/cards/Emergent load testing - Rules for organized chaos]]
- Say yes to hard things
- Ex: Learning Dutch, jumping into [[Performance Testing]]
- 3. Make it public
- Cultivate avenues for public learning. Set expectations.
- Obsidian Publish: notes, not blog: notes on courses like [[Master YouTube]], public highlights
- pkm.social and `#TIL`
- [[k6 Office Hours]]
- Livestreams on this channel
- Create learning exhaust as content.
- Examples
- How did I learn how to create videos?: Lucky Dippers OÜ
- [[How to take notes from a book with Obsidian - The Culture Map]], where I create the following learning exhaust:
- That video! ^
- [my notes](https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Book/The+Culture+Map)
- an atomic essay, which I posted to Twitter:
- a short video presentation, which I've also embedded into my notes.
- a small visual drawing in Excalidraw
- [[How I learn in Obsidian - Keeping up with tech trends]]
- Accountability: Publicly announce you're going to do something
- Ex: [[writing a book in obsidian]]
## Outro
I've found that when you reframe productivity as learning-- as play -- then you may find yourself being more productive as a byproduct. And you'll have more fun doing it!
If you'd like to learn more about how to create things with your notes, check out this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zrs_vVRwD4) where I walk you through my process. I'm also leaving links in the description to everything I mentioned in the hopes of inspiring you to seek out ways to learn that are fun, satisfyingly stressful, and public. Thanks for watching! (ASL: Remember to learn often!)
## Related videos and resources
(Notes) Coding and writing are converging: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Coding+and+writing+are+converging
(Notes) Principles of improving work performance: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Principles+of+improving+work+performance
(Highlights) The Rules We Break: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Readwise/Books/The+Rules+We+Break
(Notes) Play: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Play
(Notes) Exploratory Testing: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Exploratory+testing
(Livestream) k6 Office Hours on Exploratory Testing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wVwdlMwsJ8
(Presentation + slides) Schrödinger's Pokémon: Observability for chaotic load testing
(Highlights) Emergence: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Exploratory+testing
(Notes) Emergence: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Book/Emergence
(Upcoming Presentation, KubeCon EU) Emergent load testing: Rules for organized chaos: https://events.linuxfoundation.org/kubecon-cloudnativecon-europe/program/schedule/
(Notes) Master YouTube: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Course/Master+YouTube
(Notes) Producing videos: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Producing+videos
(Highlights) Culture Map: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Readwise/Books/The+Culture+Map
(Notes) Culture Map: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Book/The+Culture+Map
(Atomic Essay) Culture Map: https://twitter.com/n_vanderhoeven/status/1564260701392314370?s=20&t=tkBQpzHlmc73_D0i1pMEAA
(Video) How I take notes from a book - Culture Map: https://youtu.be/VumFk-C4iFc
(Video) How I learn in Obsidian - keeping up with tech trends: https://youtu.be/6kzsCBKCl94
(Video) Writing a book in Obsidian: https://youtu.be/NosD77WX7qM
## Pinned comment
```
All the learning exhaust I mentioned in this video are linked in the description above! Standard disclaimer that all my notes are a work in progress. :)
What are some weird things you've learned that you've never regretted?
```
## Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:04 Make it fun
06:51 Make it stressful
10:06 Make it public
14:52 Learning exhaust
## Post-production
- [x] Create captions using Rev, then edit them.
- [x] Take a thumbnail photo and create one for YouTube (1280 x 720).
- [x] Add description.
- [x] Include the title and any keywords in the first few sentences, but in a natural way.
- [x] Add related videos and resources as links.
- [x] Add end screen.
- [x] Add cards if necessary.
- [x] Add chapters/timestamps for YouTube if longer than 5 minutes.
- [x] Add mid-roll ads/check monetization settings.
- [x] Add pinned comment.
- [ ] Post video preview on Patreon.
- [ ] Schedule on YouTube.
- [ ] Add video to relevant playlist(s), or create a playlist if necessary.
- [ ] Promote on Twitter/LinkedIn as appropriate.
- [ ] Create a blog post on [site](https://nicolevanderhoeven.com).
- [ ] Add to video-database.
- [ ] Add to other notes in my vault as appropriate.