--- title: How to Get Smarter description: Wouldn’t you like to know how to get smarter? Of course. I’ve looked at the science on the subject many times in the past and... canonical: https://time.com/3845334/get-smarter/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-07T04:01:25.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:49:38.802Z article:section: Ideas og:title: How to Get Smarter og:description: There's no end to learning og:url: https://time.com/3845334/get-smarter/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e48e60c6adc71fc/6987ee368e0601bfad45e730/200549647-001-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=458&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 458 og:image:height: 258 og:image:alt: elderly-reading-close-up og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How to Get Smarter twitter:description: There's no end to learning twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e48e60c6adc71fc/6987ee368e0601bfad45e730/200549647-001-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=458&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How to Get Smarter by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker May 7, 2015 4:01 AM UTC  Getty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker May 7, 2015 4:01 AM UTC Wouldn’t you like to know how to get smarter? Of course. I’ve looked at [the science](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/02/checklist-smarter/) on the subject many times in the past and there are some simple methods — like, believe it or not, [exercise](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/01/get-smarter/) and even [chewing gum](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/06/can-chewing-gum-make-you-smarter/). But is that really going to move the needle over the long haul? [Research](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/03/how-to-make-your-kids-smarter/) shows that IQ isn’t all that valuable without a little discipline behind it. So what’s going to really make a difference? Learning. * [Numerous](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2010/12/how-to-keep-your-mind-strong-as-you-age/) [studies](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/03/are-bilinguals-better-at-creative-problem-sol/) have shown learning another language is good for your brain. * There’s a [lot](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-can-increase-90-of-childrens-verbal-inte) of [evidence](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-music-lessons-raise-iq) that learning to play [music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-increase-your-iq) can [make you smarter](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/should-everyone-be-required-to-learn-a-musica). * Or learn [any new skill](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-increase-your-iq). Cool. But learning new stuff takes time. And you’re busy. But what if you could pick up new skills super fast? Ah-ha. Now we’re on to something. However, I’m no expert at this. But, luckily, I know a guy who is. [Tim Ferriss](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/most-productive-people/) is the bestselling author of [The 4-Hour Workweek](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WE46UW/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002WE46UW&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20&linkId=EBJJXUY3B2QTGEVD). And he’s also an expert at learning new stuff fast. In fact, his new TV show, [The Tim Ferriss Experiment](http://itunes.com/timferriss), is about just that. In the various episodes Tim tackles all kinds of skills from poker to rally car racing to chess — and then puts his new talents to the test. (He picks up the language Tagalog in 4 days and then does an interview in Tagalog on Filipino TV.) So what can Tim teach you about accelerated learning? A lot. And all you have to remember is a simple acronym: **“DiSSS”** Those are the four steps: **Deconstruction, Selection, Sequencing, and Stakes.** Tim explains in [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSq9uGs%5Fz0E): I’ll break down the steps for you below. Okay, let’s get learnin’. ## **1) Deconstruction** Picking up a language? Oh god, that takes forever… Wrong. Every skill has parts. To learn effectively you need to break it down into the key elements. This makes something that may seem overwhelming and divides it into manageable chunks. Here’s Tim: --- > “” --- (For more on the 8 things successful people do that make them great, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/02/most-successful-people/).) That’s pretty straightforward. But here’s where Tim’s expertise really helps… ## **2) Selection** Most classes or books start you out from the beginning and gradually build you up. That’s nice if you have a lot of time. You don’t. We need to be smart about where we put our energy and focus if we want to make progress quickly. **Forget what is fundamental and ask yourself what is most important to get to competency.** Here’s Tim: --- > “” --- So when learning a language, Tim doesn’t bother with the typical basics. He looks at what the most frequently used words are and studies those first. That Spanish class taught you the word “Father” in the first week. But how often do you really talk about Dad? Here’s Tim: --- > “” --- This jibes with the research. When I spoke to [Sports Gene](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEDDQKE/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AEDDQKE&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20&linkId=5BJ3TWN4KZ2PY5FT) author [David Epstein](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2015/02/being-the-best-at-anything/) about how world class athletes train, he said the same thing: “The hallmark of expertise is figuring out what information is important.” And what’s the first thing [academic research](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/05/what-techniques-are-proven-to-help-students-s/) shows helps undergraduates get better grades? Yup: --- > “” --- (For more of what top athletes can teach you about being the best at anything, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2015/02/being-the-best-at-anything/).) So you know what’s important. What’s next? ## **3) Sequencing** This is the thing most teachers, classes and books get wrong. Not only do they not focus on what’s important but they don’t work on that stuff first. Here’s Tim: --- > “” --- When Tim was learning chess from champion [Josh Waitzkin](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QCQ970/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000QCQ970&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20&linkId=ZRY4UB65L4XZKTKG) (whose life was the basis for the film “[Searching for Bobby Fischer](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018RFLQ2/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0018RFLQ2&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20&linkId=56XFKOAOBUN44E7N)“) they did things the _opposite_ from how most chess instruction works. They didn’t start with the beginning of a chess game. They jumped straight to key moves that are applicable to the majority of interactions on the board. This allowed Tim to hang with top players after only a few days of practice. Here’s Tim: --- > “” --- (To learn how to develop a photographic memory in four steps, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/10/how-to-develop-a-photographic-memory/).) So you’ve broken your area of study into parts, figured out what is important, and you’re focusing on that first. What’s the final step? ## **4) Stakes** You won’t get fired from your job if you don’t learn to speak Russian. Your family won’t starve if you don’t master the guitar. And this is why you quit. Because you can. You need an incentive to keep practicing. Or, even better: a penalty if you don’t practice. Here’s Tim: --- > “” --- So Tim recommends using what researchers call a “commitment device.” Write a check for $100 to a political party you hate or a cause you are actively against. Give it to a friend. If you don’t achieve your goal or put in the hours, your friend mails the check. Boom. You’re now motivated. (For more on how to conquer procrastination once and for all, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/07/chronic-procrastination/).) Okay, Tim has given us some powerful tools for learning. Let’s round them up. ## Sum Up Just remember this… actually, just remember “DiSSS”: 1. **Deconstruction: Break a skill down into its key elements.** 2. **Selection: Figure out what’s important and what gets used most often.** 3. **Sequencing: Work on the important stuff, not what chronologically comes first.** 4. **Stakes: Use a “commitment device” to make sure you have skin in the game and don’t quit.** And hang out with smart people. [Research](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/03/how-to-make-your-kids-smarter/) shows it helps. (In fact, studies show [stupidity is contagious](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/06/is-stupidity-contagious/).) So what’s the best way to get started? This is no magic trick. It comes from the heart. The first step is to [believe that you _can_ become smarter](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/07/is-there-an-easy-way-to-become-smarter/): --- > “” --- And learning doesn’t have to be a solitary activity. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Wanna be smarter? Surround yourself with people who believe in you. Via [The Heart of Social Psychology: A Backstage View of a Passionate Science](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0669211443/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0669211443): --- > “” --- Want even more accelerated learning secrets? In my [next weekly email](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD) I’ll have powerful insights from Tim including his counterintuitive advice on how to retain skills and the one question he always asks experts so he gets their most valuable lessons _quickly_. Get it all by joining [here](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD). **Join over 185,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD)**.** **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2015/05/how-to-get-smarter/)**_._** Related posts: [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/) [6 Things The Most Productive People Do Every Day](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/most-productive-people/) [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/) ### 5 Horrible Habits You Need to Stop Right Now  Do Not Email First Thing in the Morning or Last Thing at Night “The former scrambles your priorities and all your plans for the day and the latter just gives you insomnia,” says Ferriss, who insists “email can wait until 10am” or after you check off at least one substantive to-do list item. Chris Pecoraro—Getty Images  Do Not Agree to Meetings or Calls With No Clear Agenda or End Time “If the desired outcome is defined clearly… and there’s an agenda listing topics–questions to cover–no meeting or call should last more than 30 minutes,” claims Ferriss, so “request them in advance so you can ‘best prepare and make good use of our time together.'” Sam Edwards—Getty Images/Caiaimage  Do Not Check Email Constantly Batch it and check it only periodically at set times (Ferriss goes for twice a day). Your inbox is analogous to a cocaine pellet dispenser, says Ferriss. Don’t be an addict. Tools like strategic use of the auto responder and Boomerang can help. Jetta Productions—Getty Images  Do Not Carry a Digital Leash 24/7 At least one day a week leave you smartphone somewhere where you can’t get easy access to it. If you’re gasping, you’re probably the type of person that most needs to do kick this particular habit. by nacoki ( MEDIA ARC )—Getty Images/Flickr RF  Do Not Let People Ramble Sounds harsh, but it’s necessary, Ferriss believes. “Small talk takes up big time,” he says, so when people start to tell you about their weekends, cut them off politely with something like “I’m in the middle of something, but what’s up?” But be aware, not everyone agrees with this one (and certainly not in every situation), and you may want to pay particularly close attention to norms around chit chat when traveling internationally. 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