Sharpening the Axe: Efficient Learning Strategies for Maximum Results

In this post I’m going to go through a few core ideas that have drastically improved how I learn — whether it’s for university, work, or life in general.

For most of my life, I was freestyling the whole learning thing. Essentially brute-forcing my way through new skills, hobbies and academic challenges. Whether it was studying for a test in school or picking up a new skill in my free time, I relied on trial and error without a clear strategy.

Fast forward to beginning of 2024, when I decided to return to formal education by enrolling in a computer science program at university. At the time, I was already working full-time as a developer, and I had no intentions of cutting back on my professional commitments. I knew balancing work and studies would be a challenge, but I was determined to not just survive but to grow and excel in both roles.

So to prepare, I adopted a mindset inspired by a quote often attributed to Abraham Lincoln:

“If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

I realized I had to learn how to learn.

Why This Matters

Most people never learn how to learn. And that’s a huge problem.

Most people never stop to think about this. They rely on the same ineffective strategies they used in school — strategies that science has proven don’t actually work.

In a world where attention is the ultimate currency and time is scarce, especially if you’re balancing work, school, fitness, hobbies (or all at once), learning more efficiently is one of the highest ROI skills you can develop.

If you’re putting in the hours and not seeing results, it’s probably not your fault. You’re likely just learning the wrong way.

Why Most People Fail at Learning

It’s not a lack of motivation.
It’s not intelligence.

It’s just bad technique.

Here’s the secret:

Most people are taught to study in ways that simply don’t work.

We were told to read, reread, and highlight like crazy. But modern learning science says otherwise.

In fact, these are the least effective learning methods.

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Learning is a Skill. Master It, and Everything Else Gets Easier.

Here’s the shortlist of the methods that actually work:

• Active Recall: Pull the answer out of your own brain.

• Spaced Repetition: Review info at exactly the right time.

• Effort = Retention: The harder it is to remember, the more it sticks.

• Anki: The best free tool for automating the above.

Let’s break it down.

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1. Active Recall: Learning That Actually Sticks

Active recall means testing yourself instead of just re-reading.

Imagine you’re trying to learn a new concept. Instead of rereading your notes five times, you close the book and try to recall the concept from memory.

It feels harder. That’s the point.

“The more effort your brain puts into remembering something, the stronger the memory becomes.”

It’s not as fun as mindless highlighting, but it works. Learning research shows that active recall consistently outperforms every other method.

A few simple ways to implement it:

• Write down questions instead of summaries.

• Quiz yourself before you feel “ready.”

• Use tools like Anki (more on that later).

It feels uncomfortable. That’s your brain actually learning.

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2. Spaced Repetition: The Secret to Long-Term Retention

Your brain forgets. Fast.

Without review, most of what you learn fades within days.

Spaced repetition combats that by timing your reviews to when you're just about to forget.

The better you recall something, the longer you wait until you see it again.

Spaced repetition helps you review information at increasing intervals—right before you’re about to forget it. The harder it is to recall,the better the learning.

The forgetting curve in action:

• Day 1: Learn a new fact.

• Day 3: Review when it’s a little hazy.

• Day 7: Review again—now it's clearer.

• Day 20: Review again—you’ll never forget it.

Repeat that process for everything you care to master. That’s spaced repetition.

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3. Anki: The Tool That Changed the Game for Me

Anki is a free, open-source flashcard app that automates spaced repetition and active recall for you.

You create “cards” with questions on one side and answers on the other. You quiz yourself daily, and Anki decides when to show each card again based on how easy or hard it was to recall.

Think of it as your personal memory coach.

Why it’s effective:

• It enforces active recall (you must think before revealing).

• It adapts to your memory strength.

• It scales from 2 minutes a day to how much time you want to allocate to it.

I use it to study Japanese vocab, computer science theory, and even concepts from books I read. But you could use it for any kind of knowledge you want to retain.

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4. Effortful Learning = Better Learning

This is the one principle that ties everything together:

The more effort you put into learning, the deeper it sticks.

Passive learners overestimate their competence because things feel easy. Active learners underestimate themselves because it's hard—and that’s exactly why it works.

Hard recall leads to strong memory traces. Easy recall is a sign you’re not stretching yourself enough.

If it feels difficult, you're on the right path.

Effective learning doesn’t happen when you see the answer. It happens when you struggle to recall it.

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My Results Using This System

Honestly, balancing a full-time dev job and a CS degree isn’t easy. Add gym, social life, languages, and other projects—and it becomes impossible unless you find leverage.

There is a book I strongly recommend, that goes over all of these concepts in detail. It’s called Make It Stick by Peter C. Brown.

Once I read Make It Stick, I applied these principles ruthlessly. I study for less overall time than most people. I built my own study system using active recall, spaced repetition, and Anki.

The result?

✅ 29/30 average across my university exams despite full-time work.
✅ 100% self-study. I do not attend any lectures.
✅ Less time, more retention, zero burnout.
✅ Able to pursue different interests other than work and university (this newsletter for example 😉)

This approach saved me hundreds of hours—and probably years of trial and error.

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Bonus: Applying This to Reasoning Subjects and Problem Solving

You might be thinking: "Okay, but what about math? You can’t Anki your way through calculus."

True. But the principle still holds.

For math-heavy subjects or similar:

• I study exclusively with problem set questions.

• I treat every problem as a mini active recall session, trying to come up with an answer / reasoning way.

• I solve from scratch, compare my answer, and reflect on mistakes.

It’s not about memorizing formulas. It’s about doing the work with effort. Rinse and repeat.

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Final Thoughts

If I had learned this stuff earlier, it would’ve changed everything. So if you’re reading this, I hope it sparks a shift for you.

You don’t need more motivation. You don’t need more time.

You need better strategy.

Start by sharpening the axe—before you try cutting down the tree.

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TL;DR: How to Learn Like a Pro

• Ditch highlighting and rereading.

• Use active recall to test yourself.

• Use spaced repetition to time your reviews.

• Use Anki to automate it all.

• Embrace effort—it’s the cost of mastery.

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Hit reply or comment—I'd love to hear what you think.
And if you’ve read this far, thanks for sticking around :)

One day I might do a follow up post for a deep dive on my exact system and the tools I employ.

—I’m always happy to hear feedback, suggestions, or your own study stories.

Until next time,
– Tobi

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Further Reading & Tools:

• Make It Stick by Peter C. Brown

• Anki (Free App)

• The Forgetting Curve – Hermann Ebbinghaus