zen habits: How to Learn Anything

Posted: 21 Nov 2012 09:50 AM PST

Post written by Leo Babauta.

It’s not often you get to talk to someone so intensely focused on learning.

I had that chance recently, as I sat down with Tim Ferriss, who just launched his massive new book, The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life.

Tim spent some intense months learning how to do the thing that has kicked his butt for his entire life: cooking. He sucked at cooking, and decided to conquer it, and in the process shows us how to learn anything, from languages to sports to survival skills. The book teaches us how to cook, but more importantly, it teaches us the art and science of learning.

So I sat down with Tim to talk about learning, and asked questions submitted by Zen Habits readers the week before:

What is your set protocol for when you catch yourself procrastinating?
How are we supposed to devote several months to learning when we have 9-5 job, family, etc?
Do rules set us free? More specifically, is habit essential when trying to be productive?
Do you know any secrets to self-imposed moderation? For alcohol, food, or anything really.
Learning something new involves memory. How important is a good memory in learning? How can I improve my memory?

Watch the video below, or download it here to watch on your iPad/iPhone or later on your computer.

And when you’re done, check out Tim’s incredible book, The 4-Hour Chef.