[colmvp]

> Immersion means 100% focus. If possible, no friends, no drinking, no TV, just reading and writing code. If you take five minutes off to read the news, be aware you are breaking the mental state of immersion. Stay focused, be patient, your mind will adapt. Eliminate all distractions, of which you may find doubt to be the loudest. Immersion is the difference between success and failure.

Certainly, I think Deep Work require full concentration. So when in the mode of learning, I find keeping focus instead of going to a website to read news, or checking e-mail/messages to be incredibly important in maximizing the incremental process of grasping concepts.

That being said, whereas the author seems to prefer taking a few months to go deep into it, I prefer to immerse myself over a long period of time by learning and practicing a few hours per day (just like an instrument), letting my mind stew in the knowledge during diffuse thinking periods, and then come back to it the next day.

[bradcrispin]

I agree that for rapid learning, focus and repetition are essential. I don't think you have to quit your job in order to change careers into coding, but for me it took a very full year of effort.

[x2f10]

Hi, Brad. I'm now embarking on a non-programming learning crusade. I agree with your comments on immersion, but I find it quite difficult to become immersed. I am often distracted or don't have the "energy" to do the serious work I need to to learn.

Do you have any tips I can steal from you?

Great article BTW!