Don’t Just Learn… DO!

Learning versus doing. It’s a common misconception that before we can really master anything we must learn all about that particular subject. Billions of dollars are spent every year on training courses and consultants, as well as self-help books and courses. The problem is too often when you ask someone how they have improved six months after they finish a book or return home from a seminar they have made NO progress. Sound familiar? Don’t worry today is the perfect day to change from a learner to a doer!

Think about it. You can read all the books you want on exercise programs, but you will never actually get in shape until you start exercising. You can study for years on becoming a better salesperson, but you’ll never make a sell until you pick up the phone. The truth is we are always learning. But the most successful people are active learners, NOT passive learners.

“Learning is an active process. We learn by doing.
Only knowledge that is used sticks in your mind” ~ Dale Carnegie

So – how can YOU become an active learner? Here are a few tips:

Get Use to Feeling Uncomfortable

Not quite sure if you’re doing something right? Afraid you’re going to embarrass yourself. Good. Get use to feeling uncomfortable. People who always work from their comfort zone fail to move ahead of the pack. If the idea of trying something new makes you uncomfortable then you are just like every other person. Putting yourself out there by trying something new is uncomfortable. That is why most people choose to remain the same.
Successful people embrace the idea of being uncomfortable because it means they are progressing. You may fail, but even that failure is progress.

Begin To See Failure As Progress

People who are willing to fail actually move ahead faster. That may sound like a contradiction, but unsuccessful people are more likely to play it safe. At some point in life, you’ll have to go for it or you’ll live the rest of your life regretting not doing so. All people, especially entrepreneurs, should never be afraid of failure. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn.

In embracing failure, you understand that the best way to learn is not always found in books. I remember my kids first steps. There were falls – lots of falls. Yet I clapped and encouraged the next steps. Eventually, one baby step turned into two and they were off to the races.

Somewhere along the way we begin to see falls as failures when really they are teaching us how to run. Get up. Brush yourself off and try again.

Don’t Let Passive Learning Become a Crutch

Knowing something and actually doing something are two very different things. If you continue to spend time studying and learning ask yourself why you are not taking action. At the root of this is often one thing… FEAR.

James Clear teaches “in many cases, learning is actually a way to avoid taking action on the goals and interests that we say are important to us. For example, let’s say you want to learn a foreign language. Reading a book on how to learn a foreign language quickly allows you to feel like you are making progress (“Hey, I’m figuring out the best way to do this!”). Of course, you’re not actually practicing the action that would deliver your desired outcome (speaking the foreign language).

In situations like this one, we often claim that we are preparing or researching the best method, but these rationalizations allow us to feel like we are moving forward when we are merely spinning our wheels. We make the mistake of being in motion rather than taking action. Learning is valuable until it becomes a form of procrastination.”

 “Play is the highest form of research” ~Albert Einstein

Knowing something and actually doing something are two very different things. Become part of the small percentage of people who actively learn by doing.

When you begin to willingly do these three things you will see how doing makes things happen. Don’t waste time passively learning. Start doing and watch yourself progress as you change your life and business for the better. Remember, when you start doing what others are unwilling to do you gain the edge and your potential is unlimited.