Practice. 1. If I'm learning a new language, I pick a topic I know well and try to apply it in the language. Typically the first pass is nonidomatic, and I ite

Practice. 1. If I'm learning a new language, I pick a topic I know well and try to apply it in the language. Typically the first pass is nonidomatic, and I iterate as I learn more about the language. 2. If I'm learning a new algorithm, I use a language I know really well. 3. If I'm learning a new framework, I pick a smallish project and dive in. Most of it is throw away, and I've found that takes a lot of pressure off.