Stop Thinking and Start Doing: the Power of Practicing More
We all have goals that we want to achieve in life. These goals can include learning a new language, eating healthier and losing weight, improving parenting quality, saving money, etc. But there is a point when you need to stop planning these goals and start working towards achieving them.
This post originally appeared on James Clear’s blog .
It’s easy to assume that the gap between where you are now and where you want to be in the future is due to a lack of knowledge. That is why we buy courses on how to start a business or how to lose weight quickly or how to learn a new language in three months. We assume that if we knew about the best strategy, we would get better results. We believe that a new result requires new knowledge.
However, I am beginning to realize that new knowledge does not necessarily lead to new results. In fact, learning new things can be a waste of time if your goal is to make progress rather than just gaining additional knowledge. It all comes down to the difference between learning and practice.
Difference between teaching and practice
In Thomas Sterner’s The Practicing Mind ( audiobook ), he explains the key difference between practice and learning.
“When we practice something, we deliberately repeat the process with the intention of achieving a specific goal. The words “intentional” and “intention” are key here because they define the difference between actively practicing something and passively studying it. “ – Thomas Sterner, Practitioner of the Mind
Learning something new and practicing something new may seem very similar, but the two methods can have completely different results. Here are a few more ways to think about the difference.
- Let’s say your goal is to get stronger and better. You can learn the best bench press instructions, but the only way to develop strength is to practice lifting weights.
- Let’s say your goal is to grow your startup. You may learn about the best way to place a sale request, but the only way to attract customers is to practice making sales calls.
- Let’s say your goal is to write a book. You can talk to a bestselling author about writing, but the only way to become a better writer is to practice publishing consistently.
Passive learning creates knowledge. Active practice builds skills.
Let’s look at three more reasons why active practice is more important than passive learning.
1. Learning can be a crutch to support inaction
In many cases, learning is actually a way to avoid taking action to achieve goals and interests that we believe are important to us. For example, you want to learn a foreign language. Reading a book on how to learn a foreign language quickly makes you feel like you are making progress (“Hey, I figured out a better way to do this!”). Of course, you are not actually practicing an action that would lead to the desired result (speaking in a foreign language).
In situations like this, we often claim that we are preparing or researching the best method, but these rationalizations make us feel like we are moving forward when we are just spinning the wheels . We make the mistake of being on the move instead of acting . Learning is valuable until it becomes a form of procrastination.
2. Practice is learning, but learning is not practice.
Passive learning is not a form of practice because although you gain new knowledge, you don’t understand how to apply it. In the meantime, active practice is one of the greatest forms of learning, because the mistakes you make during practice open up important ideas.
More importantly, practice is the only way to make a meaningful contribution with your knowledge. You can watch an online course on how to build a business, or read an article on a terrible disaster in a developing country, but this knowledge is counterproductive unless you really start your own business or donate to those in need. Learning itself can be beneficial to you, but if you want to be of value to others, you must express your knowledge in some way.
3. Practice focuses your energy on the process.
“Progress is the natural result of focusing on doing something.” – Thomas Sterner, Practitioner of the Mind
The state of your life right now is the result of the habits and beliefs that you practice every day. When you become aware of this and begin to focus your attention on your daily and daily practice, the logical result will be constant progress. Our results determine not what we learn or the dreams we imagine, but the habits we practice every day. Fall in love with boredom and focus on the process, not the product.
Bottom line
Is passive learning useless? Of course not. In many cases, learning for the sake of learning can be wonderful. Not to mention, getting new information can help you make better decisions when you do decide to act.
However, the main point of this article is that learning alone does not lead to progress. We often hide behind information and use learning as an excuse to put off the more difficult and more important choice – to actually do something. Spend less time learning passively and more active practice. Stop thinking and start doing.
Stop Thinking and Start Taking Action: The Power of Practicing More | James Clear