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technique
Learning a hard skill
1 creator use or recommend it
1 recommend
Last discussed Jun 15, 2026
A cognitive fitness technique of regularly practicing a difficult skill that requires sustained concentration, such as a musical instrument, sport, or craft.
Recently discussed in
Do I Need a “Brain Gym”?
Cal Newport · Jun 15, 2026
What creators say
Cal Newport
recommends
Used for: Keeping the mind actively engaged; building concentration through deliberate practice of a challenging activity
Praised: Forces sustained concentration; provides regular cognitive exercise analogous...
vs: Compared to playing pickup basketball or ultimate frisbee for physical fitness
"Learn a hard skill. Just have something you're doing that forces you to actually have to concentrate. I'm trying to learn how to play a song on the guitar. You need an activity that keeps your mind moving in ways that you otherwise might avoid."
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