That seems to be the optimal method! Sometimes it may feel a bit hypocritical at first, but if you're honest about the fact that you're learning too and at least occasionally direct others to your own sources of knowledge (though it may be tough to trace all of them back) -- you'll feel much better about this shared learning process.

Also: Making notes, reviewing them and iterating on that knowledge could improve your "hash power" :) Sometimes it's just a handy ways to accelerate the natural process of inductive reasoning, other times it's good backup for tiny mental bookmarks. When the brain catches a glimpse of a useful pattern in can't quite make out yet, the time spent twisting neurons 'till the head hurts can usually be spent more productively elsewhere. Our brains are a super incredible tool that we barely know how to use and worse yet incorrect methods of using 'em have been drilled into many of us in early childhood when the brain is at its peak learning performance. It's never late to take back learning -- that time is now!

...I say all that as I've not made a post for several days now, as I've been mostly commenting on the posts by others or reading up on various materials -- that's also a form of iteration though :)
(Makes a note to hash out something for the blog today)