Understanding Ultralearning with Scott H. Young

🚨 The Forge Your Future Challenge is back – August 7–9, 2025! Join yours truly, Mike Vardy, for this free 3-day experience to reconnect with what matters, regain control of your time, and set your future in motion. Just two hours a day for three days—no fluff, just focus. Save your spot now: https://mikevardy.com/forgeyourfuture On this episode of the podcast, I’m joined by fellow Canadian and author of the book Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition and Accelerate Your Career, Scott H. Young. Scott is a writer, programmer, traveler and avid reader of interesting things. His blog is one of my personal “must reads” and over its lifespan it has asked the compelling question: What’s the best way to learn? On this episode of the podcast, I wanted to talk to Scott about the answers to that question his blog (and writing) has been pondering since its beginnings. I also wanted to explore the idea of “ultra learning,” why striving to be an “ultralearner” is a worthwhile pursuit, and plenty of other productivity-related questions that I’ve wanted to ask him ever since I started following his work years ago. Talking Points What is ultralearning? The differences between “just in time learning” and ultralearning and how they can work together What the first thing Scott “ultralearned” was and how it went for him What you can do to get past the misconception that you don’t have time to spend on ultralearning These are the principles of ultralearning that people tend to “mess up” the most Why Scott had to explain the principles of ultra learning and offer tactics that may work in conjunction with those principles The best principle that offers a springboard to ultralearning The role that focus plays in ultralearning Is there a point when you tend to find it’s time to abandon ultralearning a particular subject or area? How spending time ultralearning can lead towards a pivot Why does this book matter now? Quote “The ultralearner is the person who is going to do that hard thing even if it’s a little bit more uncomfortable and get that result rather than someone who is going to do that easy thing that isn’t going to make much progress.” Relevant Links Get Ultralearning by Scott H. Young Episode 226: How to Build a Company of One with Paul Jarvis The MIT Challenge Episode 211: Hyperfocus with Chris Bailey Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength Episode 201: Willpower Doesn’t Work with Benjamin Hardy Scott Young’s Blog By the time you’re done listening to this episode you’ll have a sense not only what ultra learning is and how it can work for you, but that it’s something you can certainly do if you decide it’s important enough to make happen. That’s the key. (FYI: Scott’s book will help you with that decision.) Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 📘 Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive Potential If you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.