Six general steps towards skill acquisition

These are six general steps to acquire any particular skill. This is a snapshot of the core patterns I've found in books that deal in skill acquisition across a wide range of subject matter.

1. Observe the skill to be learned as a whole
2. Break the skill down into very small chunks and compress practices into a small amount of time
3. Connect the bits together
4. Get external feedback
5. Revisit #2
6. Take the incremental training and practice and combine into a whole

Some further notes:

Don't waste time doing aimless practice. You must be totally into the moment of learning the skill. The skill learning needs to be short, intense and repetitive in order to have your brain reinforce the correct pathways. You will lose the skill if you don't lose it--your brain will treat the skill as being less valued and reinforce those areas with something else.

Seven more tips for blogging success

In continuation of the eight tips for blogging success, here are a handful more in a handy list fashion.

One core tip or thought:

1. The success principles of a website apply to blogs.

Six general tips:

1. I've clearly articulated my blog's purpose.
2. I've made a list of other bloggers and participate on their sites ("Join the crowd")
3. I keep a list of what I do like about the other blogs
4. I keep a list of what I don't like about the other blogs
5. I read mainstream books on the subject of blogging and social media
6. I don't overdo the social network connection ("Gluttony doesn't care for company")

Eight general tips for blogging success

1. Define what "success" means to you.

These general tips are the seven patterns I've found in researching "generally successful" blogs. Note any of these can be short circuited by either changing the definition of success or by breaking a content article that the world cannot live without.

Seven general tips:

1. Identify the general theme that others can identify with
2. Read other blogs regularly that deal with that theme
3. Comment on those blogs, as well as your own.
4. Network with other bloggers in this same domain (take conversations beyond the blog)
5. Recruit ghost writers to help advance your cause
6. Avoid obvious attempts at marketing, salesmanship, or poor promotion.
7. Write frequently and often. Remember: The web rewards the novel, prolific and interesting, while the market rewards problem solvers.