Description

This is a really cool little book – true to its title.  It is chock full of common-sensical tips, especially useful for people looking to leverage an artistic type of talent, though perhaps computer programmers and those in similar professions may find these tips useful as well.  I’m including the table of contents, even though it is a bit of a spoiler.  Nevertheless, this book is worth downloading and peeking at from time to time if you need inspiration/motivation, or tips on becoming a more productive and prolific artiste, whatever your media of expression may be.CONTENTSPART ONE: GETTING STARTEDStare, Steal, and Be Willing to Be StupidTip #1: Stare at Who You Want to BecomeTip #2: Spend Fifteen Minutes a Day Engraving the Skill on Your Brain Tip #3: Steal Without ApologyTip #4: Buy a NotebookTip #5: Be Willing to Be StupidTip #6: Choose Spartan Over LuxuriousTip #7: Before You Start, Figure Out if It’s a Hard Skill or a Soft Skill Tip #8: To Build Hard Skills, Work Like a Careful CarpenterTip #9: To Build Soft Skills, Play Like a SkateboarderTip #10: Honor the Hard SkillsTip #11: Don’t Fall for the Prodigy MythTip #12: Five Ways to Pick a High-Quality Teacher or CoachPART TWO: IMPROVINGSKILLSFind the Sweet Spot, Then ReachTip #13: Find the Sweet SpotTip #14: Take Off Your WatchTip #15: Break Every Move Down into Chunks Tip #16: Each Day, Try to Build One Perfect Chunk Tip #17: Embrace StruggleTip #18: Choose Five Minutes a Day Over an Hour a WeekTip #19: Don’t Do “Drills.” Instead, Play Small, Addictive Games Tip #20: Practice AloneTip #21: Think in ImagesTip #22: Pay Attention Immediately After You Make a MistakeTip #23: Visualize the Wires of Your Brain Forming New Connections Tip #24: Visualize the Wires of Your Brain Getting FasterTip #25: Shrink the SpaceTip #26: Slow It Down (Even Slower Than You Think)Tip #27: Close Your EyesTip #28: Mime ItTip #29: When You Get It Right, Mark the SpotTip #30: Take a NapTip #31: To Learn a New Move, Exaggerate ItTip #32: Make Positive ReachesTip #33: To Learn From a Book, Close the BookTip #34: Use the Sandwich TechniqueTip #35: Use the 3 × 10 TechniqueTip #36: Invent Daily TestsTip #37: To Choose the Best Practice Method, Use the R.E.P.S. Gauge Tip #38: Stop Before You’re ExhaustedTip #39: Practice Immediately After PerformanceTip #40: Just Before Sleep, Watch a Mental MovieTip #41: End on a Positive NoteTip #42: Six Ways to Be a Better Teacher or CoachPART THREE: SUSTAINING PROGRESSEmbrace Repetition, Cultivate Grit, and Keep Big Goals SecretTIP #43: Embrace RepetitionTip #44: Have a Blue-Collar Mind-SetTip #45: For Every Hour of Competition, Spend Five Hours PracticingTip #46: Don’t Waste Time Trying to Break Bad Habits—Instead, Build New Ones Tip #47: To Learn It More Deeply, Teach ItTip #48: Give a New Skill a Minimum of Eight WeeksTip #49: When You Get Stuck, Make a ShiftTip #50: Cultivate Your GritTip #51: Keep Your Big Goals SecretTip #52: “Think Like a Gardener, Work Like a Carpenter”