After posting Bridging the Great Stagnation: Why Taking an Extra Decade to Master the Fundamentals Matters, I got wind from my dedicated social contact who braves Twitter that some are interested in a book list alongside. I posted that in Taking an extra decade to read the classics.

I also had a commenter reach out directly with the following request

I would suggest writing a tactical follow-up on specific steps people may take who are in different positions who would like to follow up on your advice.

My original post and reading list assumed starting on a quest for a general education in high school. This post assumes you are starting from some other point.

To reiterate my thesis on a general education:

• great books (Taking an extra decade to read the classics)
• great courses (Mastering the fundamentals)

The first thing I’ll note is that there is no reason why great books or great courses need to take a defined amount of time, or happen during a particular life stage. I think sometimes folks advise doing things in a life stage, or confined to a particular timing (e.g. within 4 years) not because the achievement inherently takes that long or is enhanced by a deadline, but because they come from a point of concern that it will not be achieved unless timeboxed. If you embark on this journey, you are exceptional, so there is no reason why you wouldn’t be the exception to this folk wisdom if you put your mind to it.

With the thought that this can take an extended amount of time outside of the traditional path, where one can dedicate a full-time equivalent number of hours per week to study, anyone can embark on the journey at any point in their life. I would recommend setting a reasonable pace and a reasonable set of goals, as well as emphasize practicing the skills developed in projects or assignments along the way. You can’t learn to paint solely by studying books about watercolors; you can’t learn to program solely by watching lectures; and you can’t learn an instrument by listening to Spotify recordings. You must also practice.

As quickly as possible, I recommend using your education to pivot into an enjoyable, beneficial, and monetizable field if you weren’t already working in one. Skills like mathematics, computer science, strategic thinking, and physics are highly marketable and address some of the world’s most pressing problems. This would fund a lot of the recommendations, but if a career outside of highly rewarded fields is preferred, I think this path is still doable.

I occasionally went off the beaten path myself. Before entering graduate school, I worked for a year as a programmer, and during that year I took Arabic courses and mathematics courses at Harvard Extension School (a community college with a fancy name). Later, I taught myself cryptography by attending an taking the assignments seriously of Dan Boneh’s Cryptography 101 course online. If there are local community college courses, or coursera courses, or MIT Open Course Ware courses and you can build in time to attend them and do the assignments, this could be a good approach, and is financially affordable on the side of work. The courses typically cost anywhere from nothing to a few hundred dollars. I would typically do homework Friday nights and attend class Saturday mornings. This can be a great way to chip away at learning subjects that are best accompanied by solid deadlines and steady progress.

During graduate school, I took cello lessons from a music student, and for years I have had a weekly Chinese tutor. You can find private tutors on a variety of subjects online or in person, and especially in the global talent market potentially find a mentor or tutor to keep you accountable or on track on your goals. If you embark on a general education quest, I’d also recommend starting a blog about it and talking widely about it. You may meet a community of like minded folks in the best case scenario, and in any case talking publicly about your goals will keep you on track.

Eventually, I would recommend a formal undergraduate education if you haven’t experienced one, for at least a few years, or a focused Master’s in an area of weakness (be it technical or cultural) if you already do have an undergraduate degree. That would give you several years to focus as well as a community to keep accountable. If you are in a highly sought after job, your employer might pay full or part time. If not, it could be something to save up for, or even take a loan out for. I would recommend no more than $30,000 spent on this portion.

In summary:

• you can start reading right away
• there is no set years this needs to take, if you are determined to make steady progress, so it can be done alongside any other life commitment
• take advantage of coursera, online courses, and community college offerings
• share your progress and find your community
• if you have a monetizable job, you can use it to fund a few years of an undergraduate or a graduate course of study. If you don’t, take your time and chip away at things.

Think about your why for doing all this. For me it was always about being able to think about almost anything and do almost anything with confidence, ultimately making a difference in the world and enjoying the world more in all its complexity. There is no one forcing you to do this. In fact it is not the societal norm. Think about your why, figure out your how, and go forth! Keep me updated and good luck.