22 years ago I teased the valedictorian of our graduating class about trying to boil water in an electric kettle with a plug, by putting it on the stove.
She was exceptionally smart when it came to school, but struggled with what I called common sense.
As an adult I’m finding a chasm between what I “know” and how much I apply what I know to my own life.
Learning is the easy part. The application is the hard part.
My marketing seminar is starting to wind down, and I’m beginning to feel anxious about applying what I’ve learned.
I’m beginning to grasp the concepts, but as soon as I try to apply it… my brain shuts down.
The more I thought about this, the more I could see ways in which we all struggle with it.
You might know how to eat healthier, but does that mean you always do it?
I think everyone who smokes knows cigarettes are bad for your health, yet they keep smoking.
You might know to drink 3 litres of water everyday, but are you doing it?
I remember my piano teacher telling me that if I went home and practiced what I had learned in my lesson, I would retain 75% of what I had learned. The longer I waited, the less I could retain. If I waited 3 days most of it would be gone.
It’s important to always be trying to apply what we learn, in order to become what we are seeking to become.
If we don’t, it will be lost and our growth will be minuscule to what it could have been.
Learn first, then seek to apply.
That is how we become.
We are in an age where information is everywhere and at our fingertips.
“Finding out” isn’t the problem, applying it is.
What is hard for you to apply to your life?
“The essence of acquiring knowledge is not just to have it, but to consistently apply it in your day to day life.”
― Edmond Mbiaka