Learn Like an Athlete

In his article “Learn Like an Athlete,” David Perell argues that knowledge workers should adopt training methodologies similar to professional athletes. While athletes, musicians, and performers have structured training regimens, knowledge workers typically lack equivalent learning systems. Perell contends that knowledge workers should implement “strict learning plans” modeled after elite athletes like LeBron James, focusing on deliberate skill-building and improvement despite the challenges of measuring intellectual progress.

Perell observes that reactive learning is common even among ambitious professionals, who often let their attention be guided by “email newsletters, friend recommendations, and social media feeds” rather than intentional planning. To counter this tendency, he recommends organizing learning into three-month sprints with clear end goals focused on outcomes rather than skills. For example, instead of simply “learning to draw,” one might aim to “hand-draw all charts and graphs for my website.”

Effective learning projects, according to Perell, should follow the “Goldilocks Principle”—challenging enough to require focus but accessible enough to permit consistent progress. The final component of Perell’s approach emphasizes sharing one’s learning through essays, reviews, or projects. This sharing process facilitates deeper understanding and potentially connects learners with subject-matter experts, creating a virtuous cycle of knowledge acquisition and dissemination.

Article: https://perell.com/essay/learn-like-an-athlete/

I aspire to post one note from my “slip-box” every weekday. If you want to learn more about how to work with knowledge, click this link: What is knowledge management?