Are you applying what you have learned?

Creating habits is known to many people. When you hear about it, it sounds so obvious! You might even be able to teach others about it as you have great advice that works. The question is, are you using this advice?

It's one thing to know about something but it's another to use the knowledge in our day to day life. Even if it feels like common sense, it doesn't mean that it's common practice.

It's easy to fall into a trap of getting new knowledge. [I'm guilty of it!]. 

When I ask a question, “how do you create new habits?” I often hear, "have you read this [title here] book"? Yet, does that mean that reading the book makes you a master of habit creation? I'm afraid it doesn't. It's putting the knowledge you gain from the book/podcast/course into practice that helps you master new habits.

There is a lot of great advice out there and it's very helpful to read it (or consume it in any other form you choose). I don't want you to stop reading the information, I want to encourage you to put it into practice too!

Image by Michael Bußmann from Pixabay

With changing behaviour there are many variables and what works for one might not work for another. In those books, you usually have many examples so you can pick and choose where to start from. Yet, it's trying it that gives you the most knowledge about what works FOR YOU. We might sometimes think that it's only reading new information that creates knowledge. I will argue that we can learn an awful lot from doing!

Treat it as an information-gathering process. Try what you heard is helping others and see how it works for you. If you don't see results that you thought you should, it's not a problem! You just learned something new. You can then dig deeper and ask why it isn't working? What can I change? Is there any other advice I could try? What am I missing? Again, there are many possibilities. When you see it as a learning process - learning what works for you, it can keep you going for longer. Look how many people fail in creating a new habit. Many of them gave up at the very first sign of difficulty. They took it as failure or as a once and for all information that "it doesn't work". They stop looking for more accurate answers. If while starting a new habit you say "I have to do it or I will never try any other habit again" you are setting yourself up for a failure. Creating habits is rarely a straight line. It has ups and downs and it's the downs where you learn the most!

Image by Merio from Pixabay

I want to leave you with these 2 things

1. Reading is not the same as applying knowledge. If you love learning just like me, please continue to read, listen to podcasts, watch videos and take courses. Just don't mistake the two.

2. You can see applying knowledge as an information gathering process and continue to learn from it! Changing your own behaviour is not a straight line and you learn a lot from the ups and downs it will bring. You can learn a lot about yourself and your own preferences. Don't take this knowledge for granted and don't treat it as unimportant! I see it as a “science of first-person” and I think it's fascinating!

Don't stop at talking about things! Start doing! :)

Relax time is necessary for learning - cats know it very well! Just make sure you're also doing things not only relaxing :D

Image by photosforyou from Pixabay