“It is possible to become world-class and enter the top 5% of performers in the world, in almost any subject within 6– 12 months, or even 6– 12 weeks.”

And just how does one enter the top 5% of performers in the world within 6-12 weeks?

“The recipe for learning any skill is encapsulated in a single acronym.”

DiSSS: Deconstruction, Selection, Sequencing and Stakes.

I have stared at this equation for some time now in disbelief. Several people have emailed me asking me to prove the equation. Can it really be this simple?

How to Use DiSSS to Tackle Any Problem

Lets pretend we have a problem that is made of many parts. In this case 26 parts represented by blocks A-Z. The blocks are in no particular order.

The Problem:

In other words we have a big problem with lots of component parts, or building blocks.

In the first step we are going to analyze our blocks and pick out the ones we think are the most important for our given problem.

We are going to narrow it down to what Tim calls the “Minimal Learnable Units.”

The Solution: DiSSS

Deconstruction: Find the Minimum Learnable Units! What are the blocks?	In the first step we went from 26 to 15 units.
Selection: Find the 20% of the blocks that are the most important.	In the second step we found the essential 20%.
Sequencing In what order should I learn the blocks? Take the 20% that you selected above and order it.	In the third step we got our “WIN!”
Stakes: How do I set up real stakes to guarantee follow-through? If I don’t reach this goal by X then Y will happen.	Go from this: to… by… Or…   X______________________ Fill in the line above.

Getting From Alphabet Soup to Minestrone

In my opinion the hardest part of tackling any problem is in the very first step.

In other words, taking 26 blocks and breaking them down to the most important 15 as we did in the first step above. And this is where most people stop. The very first step!

I was going to try to solve this problem in one post, but this topic is worthy of deeper analysis. I think it will be fun to tear this apart over several posts, just as Tim does in the 4-Hour Chef.

Is it possible “to become world-class and enter the top 5% of performers in the world, in almost any subject within 6– 12 months, or even 6– 12 weeks?”

Let’s find out, I just don’t know where to start…

How about cooking?

Stay tuned!

Resources/Recommended

1. I have began to construct a one page 4 Hour Chef Reference.
2. Downloadable alphabet blocks (surprisingly great for working out ideas)
3. The book Mastery by Robert Greene. Take meta-learning to the next level!

[note color=”#f5f8fa”]You can sign up to receive updates via RSS or email.  If any of this info helped and you are feeling generous please share with a like, it really helps!

[/note]