Break the competence you are after into component parts. Many times, reading a book about the subject gives you a sort of deconstruction of that subject. Other times, interviewing an expert gets you there faster. Keep breaking your intention until some parts are small enough to be tackled in 1-3 months.
PS: If you can’t deconstruct it easily, then you can consider that “deconstruction of X” is the first step in your learning journey and thus your focus.
Master this skill:
Tim Ferris – Deconstruction: Read the chapter on deconstruction from 4-Hour Chef,
where Tim Ferris shares his DiSSS learning process that starts with Deconstruction. Heart, Head and Hands…
Syntax of a domain
Part of the process of achieving autonomy with respect to a body of knowledge is coming to recognize the underlying structure or “syntax” of the domain.
Analogy: When one looks at an archipelago, it is often easy to loose sight of the fact that the islands are not, in fact, isolated entities; rather they are a submerged mountain range where only the tallest peaks are visible about the water. The same is frequently true of knowledge in a particular domain; what appears as isolated or unrelated facts, principles, or examples are often part of a larger topography, but the connections are hidden from view and accordingly are not immediately apparent.
