In this episode of The Charged Life, high performance coach and #1 New York Times bestselling self-help author Brendon Burchard shares simple ways to learn FASTER.

This is Brendon speaking freestyle, recorded in one take without prompter or notes. Post your comments and questions for him below, and he might do an episode answering your question freestyle.

1- You have to know what you want of your life before you become a master learner. If you don’t know what your goals are or dream life should look like, you don’t know WHAT to learn and, worse, you won’t be COMMITTED to truly learning it. Advanced learning requires clear focus and a definitive WHY for learning – without these you won’t stay disciplined enough to learn anything with real depth.

2- Avoid starting from scratch. With no model to begin from – no example or strategy you are following – you’re reinventing the wheel and doomed to waste time. So, what proven framework, person, strategy, or step-by-step instruction are you following in order to learn this new area?

3- Make a PRACTICE of mastering skillsets. A practice is a recurring habit or routine that deepens your skill in any given area. The important thing here is to make a daily practice of anything you truly want to learn. Without daily exposure and immersion in the area you are trying to learn you will never achieve mastery. Learning must be an everyday discipline.

4- Get feedback. As you begin something new, all leaps forward, all major advancement, rests on getting immediate feedback and direction. Learning is a social process, so ask other people for suggestions and direction as you move forward so you can adjust your approach. Don’t listen to the haters, but never forget their can be valuable feedback from others even if you don’t like how they delivered it.

5- Have a deadline. Without a timeline for developing your competencies, you’ll never act or you’ll fall off track. No deadline means guaranteed distraction. So, when do you need to learn this new topic or reach the next level of skill? What’s the consequence if you don’t learn it by then? Knowing the answer to these two questions will accelerate your learning.