Month 1: Foundation - Learn How to Learn
Related Phases
First Month Detailed Schedule
Weeks 1-4: Your MBA Journey Begins
This schedule breaks down exactly what to do each day during your first 4 weeks. Designed for flexibility with life interruptions.
How to Use This Schedule
Daily Time Commitment: 30-60 minutes
- Morning option: During baby’s first nap
- Evening option: After baby’s bedtime
- Split option: 15 min morning + 15-30 min evening
Flexibility Rules:
- Miss a day? Just continue where you left off
- Behind schedule? Skip optional items (marked with *)
- Ahead? Move to next day or go deeper on current material
Week 1: The Science of Learning
Goal: Complete ~50% of “Learning How to Learn” course + start “Make It Stick”
Day 1 (Monday)
| Time | Activity | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Create Coursera account (free) | 5 min |
| Video | Enroll in “Learning How to Learn” | 2 min |
| Video | Week 1 videos: Focused vs. Diffuse Thinking | 30 min |
| Write | Write down: What surprised you? | 5 min |
Key concept: Your brain has two modes - focused (concentrated) and diffuse (relaxed, creative). Both are essential.
Day 2 (Tuesday)
| Time | Activity | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Video | Week 1 videos: Procrastination intro | 30 min |
| Practice | Try one Pomodoro (25 min focus) on any task | 25 min |
Key concept: Pomodoro Technique - 25 min focus, 5 min break. You’re training your brain.
Day 3 (Wednesday)
| Time | Activity | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Video | Week 2 videos: Chunking | 25 min |
| Read | Start “Make It Stick” - Introduction + Ch. 1 | 30 min |
Key concept: Chunking = breaking complex info into small, connected pieces your brain can handle.
Day 4 (Thursday)
| Time | Activity | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Video | Week 2 videos: Overlearning, Einstellung | 25 min |
| Read | ”Make It Stick” - Chapter 2 (Testing yourself) | 30 min |
Key insight: Testing yourself > re-reading. This changes everything.
Day 5 (Friday)
| Time | Activity | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Video | Week 2 videos: Complete remaining | 30 min |
| Write | Create 10 flashcards on Week 1-2 concepts | 15 min |
Your first flashcards:
- What is focused thinking?
- What is diffuse thinking?
- What is chunking?
- What is the Pomodoro Technique?
- Why is testing yourself better than re-reading?
Day 6 (Saturday) - Lighter Day
| Time | Activity | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Quick | Watch: Josh Kaufman - How to Learn Anything Fast | 20 min |
| Audio* | “Make It Stick” Chapter 3 (audiobook while walking) | 30 min |
TED Talk: The First 20 Hours
Day 7 (Sunday) - Catch-up & Review
| Time | Activity | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Review | Review Week 1 flashcards | 10 min |
| Write | Write: What’s the #1 thing changing how I’ll study? | 10 min |
| Catchup* | Catch up on any missed videos/reading | As needed |
Week 1 Checkpoint
Before moving to Week 2, you should have:
- Completed ~50% of Learning How to Learn (Weeks 1-2)
- Read Chapters 1-3 of Make It Stick
- Created 10+ flashcards
- Watched 1 TED Talk
- Tried at least 1 Pomodoro session
Week 2: Apply the Techniques
Goal: Finish course + set up your learning system
Day 8-14
Continue with course completion, tool setup (spaced repetition, note-taking, Pomodoro timer), and finishing “Make It Stick.”
Key milestones:
- Complete “Learning How to Learn” course
- Set up Anki/Quizlet for spaced repetition
- Set up Obsidian/Notion for notes
- Create 20+ flashcards
Week 3: AI Learning Partners + Phase 0 Complete
Goal: Configure AI tools + complete Phase 0 + write Learning Manifesto
Days 15-21
- Set up Claude and/or ChatGPT
- Practice AI-assisted learning (Socratic method)
- Write your Learning Manifesto
- Complete Phase 0 reflection questions
- Watch remaining TED Talks (Carol Dweck - Growth Mindset)
Phase 0 Complete! You’ve built your learning foundation.
Week 4: Begin Phase 1A - Personal Psychology
Goal: Start understanding your own thinking patterns
Days 22-28
- Start “Thinking, Fast and Slow” (Chapters 1-12)
- Learn System 1 vs System 2 thinking
- Watch TED Talks (Susan Cain, Dan Ariely, Daniel Pink)
- Create cognitive bias flashcards
- Identify biases in your own decisions
Research Note: Chapter 4 priming research has replication issues. Core System 1/2 concepts remain valid and foundational.
Month 1 Complete!
What You’ve Accomplished
Phase 0 (Weeks 1-3):
- Completed “Learning How to Learn” course (15 hours)
- Read “Make It Stick” (7 hours)
- Set up complete learning system
- Learned AI-assisted learning
- Wrote your Learning Manifesto
Phase 1A Start (Week 4):
- Started “Thinking, Fast and Slow”
- Learned System 1 vs System 2
- Identified cognitive biases in yourself
Time Invested
- Total: ~25-30 hours
- Daily average: ~45 minutes
Troubleshooting
”I missed several days”
No problem! This curriculum is designed for real life with interruptions.
- Skip optional items (marked with *)
- Compress: Do 2 days of content in 1 day
- Extend: Take 5 weeks instead of 4
”The book is too dense”
- Switch to audiobook at 1.25x speed
- Read summaries first (Blinkist, YouTube)
- Use AI to explain difficult passages
”I don’t understand something”
Use Claude or ChatGPT:
I'm reading [book] and don't understand [concept].
Explain it like I'm 10, then quiz me to check understanding.Next: Month 2 Schedule