I love learning. For some reason I find it fun and love nerding out on the stuff that I find interesting. But learning feels broken.

You want to grow. You want to lead. You want to stay ahead.

But things are moving fast and the traditional way of learning just takes too long.

Want to learn [insert skill here] Get a degree (2-3 years). Want to master a new skill? Read 50 books (maybe 6 months if you’re super fast). Want to pivot careers? Good luck — most people take years to build new expertise.

Meanwhile, the world moves faster. AI is rewriting industries. Your competitors are learning faster. Your skills have an expiration date.

You don’t have years. You need months. Maybe even weeks.

Here’s the good news: There’s a tool that changes the game. It’s free. It’s built by Google. And almost no one is using it the right way.

It’s called NotebookLM — and it’s the closest thing I’ve found to an AI-powered learning accelerator.

Let me show you how it works — and how you can use it to compress years of learning into a few weeks.

The Old Way vs. The New Way

Here’s how most people try to learn something new:

1. Google search → Find 10 articles
2. Buy books → Read slowly, take notes
3. Watch YouTube videos → Scroll endlessly
4. Repeat → Forget most of it

The problem? Your learning is scattered.

Notes in five places. Highlights in books you’ll never open again. YouTube videos you can’t reference. Articles buried in browser tabs.

Worse: You don’t know what you don’t know. So you waste time on the wrong material.

That’s the old way. Here’s the new way:

You use AI to:

• Identify your specific knowledge gaps
• Build a custom curriculum tailored to you
• Centralize everything in one learning engine (or your second brain)
• Interact with your material in multiple ways (audio, visual, text)
• Test yourself to ensure you actually retain it

This isn’t theoretical. I’ve done this. And it works.

Over the last few months, I’ve used NotebookLM to build a bespoke curriculum in leadership development — without formal training, without a degree, and without spending years reading.

I uploaded books, research papers, YouTube videos, and my own notes. Then I used AI to connect the dots, identify patterns, and fill my gaps.

The result? I went from scattered knowledge to structured expertise in a few weeks.

Here’s exactly how I did it—and how you can do the same.

*Note: the most important part of learning is action. I want to drop that here because I want to encourage you to become and expert and not just learn stuff.

Why NotebookLM Is Different (And Why It Matters)

NotebookLM isn’t just another AI tool. It’s built differently.

Closed System Design: It only uses sources you provide. No hallucinations. No made-up facts. Unlike ChatGPT or Claude that pull from their training data, NotebookLM works exclusively with your verified sources.

Massive Context Window: 25 million tokens = 20+ full books processed simultaneously. While other AI tools handle one book at a time, NotebookLM processes an entire library shelf worth of material.

Source-Grounded: Every answer includes citations. Click any claim to see exactly where it came from in your sources.

This means you can trust it for high-stakes learning — emotional intelligence, technical skills, career transitions — you name it. Where you need accuracy and can’t afford to learn the wrong thing.

It also gives you learning options for all the ways that you learn best. Audio, video, mind maps, flash cards, quizzes. It’s the ultimate modern learning tool.

Feature	NotebookLM Free	NotebookLM Pro (Google Workspace)
Number of Notebooks	100	500
Number of Sources per Notebook	50	300
Words per Source	500,000	500,000
Chat Queries per Day	50	500
Audio Summaries per Day	3	20
Video Summaries per Day	Not included	20
Custom Chat Styles	Limited/default only	Multiple selectable
Sharing Options	Full viewer sharing	Additional chat-only viewer access
Price	Free	Part of Google Workspace subscription

What You Can Actually Use This For

Before we dive into the how-to, here’s a little bit of what this system works for:

Career Development: Upload leadership books, coaching frameworks, and case studies to build expertise fast without spending years in formal programs.

Project Research: Combine company docs, competitor analysis, and industry reports for strategic insights that would take weeks to synthesize manually.

Skill Building: Learn anything — woodworking, photography, coding, AI — by feeding in tutorials, expert guides, and best practices from multiple sources.

Decision-Making: Upload options, pros/cons, expert opinions, then ask NotebookLM to synthesize recommendations based on your specific situation.

The system works because it removes the friction that slows down learning. You’re not managing scattered information anymore. You’re synthesizing it.

*If you think outside of the box you can use this for every day topics like uploading the manuals for all your appliances and electronics at home. Basic but powerful.

The 5-Step System to Learn Anything in 30 Days

This system works for any topic: leadership, marketing, sales, writing, woodworking, AI, whatever.

Here’s how to use it.

Step 1: Identify Your Knowledge Gaps (5 Minutes)

The Problem:

You don’t know what you don’t know. So you waste time learning the wrong things.

The Solution:

Use AI to analyze your current knowledge and identify the gaps.

How to Do It:

1. Open ChatGPT or Claude
2. Use the “Become an Expert” prompt:

I'm currently a [your role] with [X years] experience in [industry]. 

My key strengths include:
- [Strength 1]
- [Strength 2]
- [Strength 3]

I want to become an expert in [target topic].

Based on my background, what are my knowledge gaps? What should I focus on first?

Categorize gaps as:
- Critical (must-have for credibility)
- Important (should-have for effectiveness)
- Nice-to-have (helpful but not essential)

Prioritize which gaps to address first based on market importance and learning complexity.

Example:

“I’m a marketing leader with 10 years of experience in the technology industry. My key strengths include marketing strategy, team leadership, and data analysis. I want to become an expert in leadership development coaching. Based on my background, what are my knowledge gaps?”

What AI Will Tell You:

Critical Gaps:

• Coaching frameworks (e.g., GROW model, cognitive behavioral coaching)
• Learning theory (e.g., spaced repetition, metacognition)
• Adult learning principles

Important Gaps:

• Behavioral psychology
• Leadership assessment tools
• Feedback delivery techniques

Nice-to-Have:

• Neuroscience of learning
• Advanced facilitation skills

5-Minute Action:

Write down the top 3 critical gaps. These become your focus areas.

Step 2: Build Your Custom Curriculum (10 Minutes)

The Problem:

There are thousands of books on any topic. You don’t have time to read them all.

The Solution:

Let AI curate the best material based on your specific gaps.

How to Do It:

1. Take your list of gaps from Step 1
2. Ask AI: “What are the top 5 books, research papers, and videos I should study to address these gaps?”

Example:

“I need to learn coaching frameworks, learning theory, and behavioral psychology. What are the top 5 resources for each?”

What AI Will Give You:

• Books: Make It Stick, Atomic Habits, The Coaching Habit. Coaching for Performance
• Research Papers: Research on metacognition, spaced repetition, growth mindset
• Videos: YouTube channels, TED talks, expert interviews

Pro Tip:

Ask AI to prioritize by:

• Impact (What will teach me the most?)
• Efficiency (What can I learn fastest?)
• Application (What can I use immediately?)

5-Minute Action:

Create a reading/watching list. Start with 3-5 resources.

Step 3: Build Your Learning Context Engine (15 Minutes)

The Problem:

Your learning is scattered across books, videos, and notes. You can’t connect the dots.

The Solution:

Centralize everything in NotebookLM — your AI-powered learning hub.

What Is NotebookLM?

Like we covered above, NotebookLM is a free AI tool from Google that can act like your personal research assistant. You upload sources (PDFs, Google Docs, YouTube videos, websites), and it helps you:

• Summarize key ideas
• Generate Q&As
• Create study guides
• Build mind maps
• Make audio and video overviews

How to Use It:

1. Go to notebooklm.google.com
2. Create a new notebook (e.g., “Leadership Development Curriculum”)
3. Upload your sources:
   • PDFs of books (or key chapters)
   • Research papers
   • YouTube videos (paste the link)
   • Your own notes (Google Docs)
   • Websites and articles

Pro Tip:

You can upload up to 50 sources per notebook. NotebookLM’s context window is 25 million tokens — that’s the equivalent of 20+ full-length books.

Unlike other AI tools that forget context after a few messages, NotebookLM keeps everything active. Ask about connections between different sources, and it’ll synthesize across your entire knowledge base.

5-Minute Action:

Upload your first 3 sources and ask NotebookLM: “What are the 3 most important ideas from these sources?”

Step 4: Learn at AI Speed (Ongoing – 10-30 Minutes Per Day)

The Problem:

Reading is slow. And you don’t retain everything you read.

The Solution:

Use NotebookLM’s AI features to interact with your material in multiple ways.

A. Audio Overviews (Learn While You Move)

Here’s where NotebookLM gets crazy: It turns your learning into a podcast.

Not a robotic text-to-speech podcast. A real conversation between two AI hosts discussing your material — with natural pauses, questions, and insights. (I’m hoping that they expand this in the future to have maybe a single voice and potentially allow you to choose the voices that you like as well.)

How It Works:

• Click “Generate Audio Overview”
• Choose format: Deep Dive, Brief, Critique, Debate
• Choose length: Short (5 min), Medium (10 min), Long (20 min)
• Listen on your commute, at the gym, or while cooking

The Interactive Mode:

Here’s the kicker: You can interrupt and ask questions while listening.

I uploaded leadership development materials before a run. Instead of music, I listened to two AI hosts debating coaching frameworks. When confused, I asked for clarification through my earbuds. By the end of my run, I’d exercised AND learned.

Why This Works:

You absorb information faster when you hear it explained conversationally. Your brain processes spoken discussion differently than written text—it’s more engaging, more memorable.

5-Minute Action:

Generate an audio overview of your first 3 sources. Listen during your next commute.

B. Mind Maps (See the Big Picture)

NotebookLM creates interactive mind maps that show connections between ideas.

How to Use It:

• Click “Create Mind Map”
• Explore subtopics
• Click on any node to dive deeper
• Ask NotebookLM questions about specific connections

Why This Works:

Mind maps help you see patterns and relationships you’d miss reading linearly. They give you the big picture before you dive into details.

Example:

You’re studying leadership development. The mind map shows connections between:

• Coaching frameworks
• Behavioral psychology
• Learning theory
• Communication skills

You realize: “Wait—metacognition shows up in all of these. I need to go deeper on that.”

Click on the metacognition node, and NotebookLM pulls up every reference to it across all your sources.

5-Minute Action:

Create a mind map. Click on 1-2 subtopics that surprise you.

C. Study Guides & Flashcards (Test Your Knowledge)

NotebookLM can generate:

• Study guides with key concepts
• Flashcards for spaced repetition
• Quizzes to test retention

How to Use It:

• Ask NotebookLM: “Create a study guide for the key concepts in these sources.”
• Or: “Generate 20 flashcards to help me memorize the most important ideas.”

Why This Works:

Testing yourself is one of the most effective ways to retain information (see: Make It Stick).

Passive reading creates the illusion of learning. Active recall—forcing yourself to remember—creates actual learning.

5-Minute Action:

Generate 10 flashcards. Test yourself before bed.

D. Chat with Your Sources

Just like talking with ChatGPT or Claude, you can ask NotebookLM anything related to your uploaded materials.

Example Questions:

• “What do all these sources say about spaced repetition?”
• “Compare the coaching frameworks mentioned across these books”
• “What are the main disagreements between these authors?”
• “Give me 3 real-world examples of metacognition in practice”

Why This Works:

Instead of searching through books and notes, you have a conversation. NotebookLM becomes your study partner who’s read everything and can answer questions instantly.

Step 5: Dive Deeper (Ongoing – 5-10 Minutes Per Session)

The Problem:

You discover new concepts (like metacognition) that you want to explore further.

The Solution:

Use NotebookLM to go deeper — without starting from scratch.

How It Works:

1. Highlight a concept in your mind map or study guide
2. Ask NotebookLM: “Tell me more about metacognition. What are the key research findings?”
3. Add new sources (research papers, videos) to your notebook
4. Generate a new audio overview or study guide

Why This Works:

Traditional learning is linear (finish Book 1, start Book 2). AI learning is iterative — you can go deeper as you discover new connections.

Example:

You’re reading Make It Stick. It mentions metacognition (thinking about thinking).

Old way:

• Highlight it
• Google it
• Find 5 articles
• Lose momentum

New way:

• Ask NotebookLM to explain it
• Add 2 research papers on metacognition to your notebook
• Generate an audio overview
• Keep learning

The learning compounds. Each session builds on the previous one.

5-Minute Action:

Pick 1 concept from your mind map. Ask NotebookLM to explain it in 200 words.

Your 30-Day Learning Roadmap

Here’s what this looks like in practice:

Week 1:

• Identify gaps (leadership development, coaching frameworks) – 5 minutes
• Build curriculum (5 books, 3 papers, 10 videos) – 10 minutes
• Upload everything to NotebookLM – 15 minutes

Week 2:

• Generate audio overviews (listen on commute) – 10 min/day
• Create mind maps (spot connections) – 15 minutes
• Generate flashcards (test retention) – 10 minutes

Week 3:

• Dive deeper (metacognition, behavioral psychology) – 15 min/day
• Add new sources
• Generate new audio overviews

Week 4:

• Test yourself (quizzes, real-world application)
• Teach someone else (best way to solidify learning)

Result:

You’ve compressed months of learning into 30 days.

Total time investment: 30 minutes setup + 15-30 minutes daily learning.

Why AI Learning Works (And Traditional Methods Don’t)

Traditional learning is:

• Slow (linear reading)
• Scattered (notes everywhere)
• Passive (no testing)

AI-powered learning is:

• Fast (audio/video, summaries, targeted focus)
• Centralized (one learning hub)
• Active (testing, quizzes, iteration)

You’re not just consuming information. You’re synthesizing it—connecting dots, spotting patterns, and applying it immediately.

The difference isn’t just speed. It’s depth.

When you can ask questions across 20 books simultaneously, you spot patterns that authors missed. When you can generate custom quizzes, you retain more. When you can learn while running, you integrate learning into life instead of choosing between them.

Final Thoughts

This isn’t about replacing deep thinking. It’s about accelerating it.

You still need to read. You still need to reflect. You still need to apply what you learn.

But AI removes the friction. It helps you:

• Find the right material faster
• Connect ideas across sources
• Test yourself to ensure retention
• Dive deeper without losing momentum

The result?

You learn faster. You retain more. You apply it immediately.

And that’s the competitive advantage.

The learning game has changed. You don’t need years to build expertise anymore. You need the right system.

The AI. The tools. The process. It’s all here. Free. Ready to use.

Start Your 30-Day Learning Sprint Today

Here’s how to get started today:

1. Pick a topic you want to master (leadership, AI, sales, etc.)
2. Identify your gaps (use the “Become an Expert” prompt above)
3. Build your curriculum (top 5 books, papers, videos)
4. Upload everything to NotebookLM (notebooklm.google.com)
5. Generate your first audio overview (listen today)

Time commitment: 30 minutes to set up. 15 minutes/day to learn.

Expected result: Noticeable progress in 30 days.

The only question left is: What are you going to learn next?

Reply and let me know—I’d love to hear what you’re learning.

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