Are you taking advantage of all the knowledge you have? Not the academic knowledge and the information you were taught in school, but rather the things you have realized from all your experiences and the other lessons you have come across about life.
Let me tell you why it really, really matters.
First off, let’s give some credit where it is due … we know a lot. We have gone through life, had a lot of experiences and paid attention along the way. We have figured out what works well, what doesn’t work so well, the type of people we need to avoid, and the things we need to do to keep things going in the right direction.
There is always more to learn, but for the most part, we have things figured out (or at the very least we know what we still need to learn and focus on).
However, what are we doing with this knowledge? Is it playing out in our everyday life and positively impacting all of our actions?
If it is not, then there is a disconnect and we are missing out on a lot of the benefits we should be experiencing. What good is it to have knowledge if we aren’t putting it to good use?
There needs to be a direct connection between what we know and what we actually end up doing. The things we have learned and the knowledge we have needs to translate into our thoughts, actions and what we do in our daily lives.
And, let’s face it, that may not always be the case.
We get caught up in situations and end up reacting to whatever happened or doing things the way we always have (even though it may not be in line with the lessons we have learned and what we know to be the best way to handle a situation).
Think about some of the things you know versus what you actually do:
For example, we all know that in order to have a great life, we must have all the important aspects of life in balance.
Okay, it is great we know that, but haven’t you had those times in life where you know things are out of whack? Where one area of your life is overshadowing some other important areas?
Maybe you are working too hard and not spending enough time with your family or friends. Maybe you are taking too much leisure time to relax and not making enough progress in terms of accomplishing what you want.
If we are being honest with ourselves, the vast majority of us would have to admit we haven’t always had things in balance in our life.
Or, as another example :
We all know we need to be very motivated, and disciplined in order to accomplish what we desire. But, let’s be real, there have been those times when we just can’t seem to get motivated to do what we know we need to do.
These are both examples of disconnections we may experience in life between what we know to be the best course of action and what we actually end up doing.
However, if we really want to benefit from all the knowledge we have and accomplish what we are capable of, we need to make certain we don’t have these disconnections between what we know and what we actually do. We learn lessons for a reason and we need to put everything we know to good use.
So, how exactly do you make that happen? By making absolutely sure you have integrated the knowledge you have into your everyday life.
We have to identify those areas where there are disconnections and then do something about them. We can’t just sit back and do things the way we always have even though we know there is a better way. We need to be disciplined and committed to making changes every single day.
What to Start Doing Differently Today (if you haven’t already):
So, normally I would have a list, but today I have something even better for you. One of my friends, Steven Aitchison, has put together an amazing program that will help you make sure you don’t have any disconnections between what you know and what you actually do.
He will guide you through making the changes you want and need in your life. I got a sneak peak at what he has put together, and it is really, really good. It not only provides you with a process for integrating the knowledge you already have into your everyday life, but it also will help you integrate new knowledge.
I love the program because it takes you through every single thing you need to know and do in a month and of course offers you support and guidance along the way.
Life is all about making progress day after day and that is what makes this program so great. You will literally be a different person at the end of it. Click here to check it out. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Live Today Better than Yesterday.
I’m gonna sit on the fence here Sibyl. I hear what you’re saying and agree that we shouldn’t supress our brain power and intelligence but not everything that works or is uber successful is mental and from energising the mind. There are intuitive abilities and raw talent and fated lives which the mind would try to explain and take away perhaps never allowing to happen as they’re not logical. The key for me is to use what God gave you and the true skill is to know whether that lies in your head, your heart, or your spirit. Great article as ever and I love how you take a position always and make your stand – awesome attribute!
Hey John: I hear you and appreciate your comment. I do think there is more to be done than just energizing the mind. I think that is a great point you make. The most important thing is to stay true to yourself and follow your own truth … whatever that may mean for you at the time. Thanks for the comment again. Always appreciated.
Hi Sybil. I refer to this type of disconnect as incongruency. When we make sure that what we do and what we know is reflected in our actions, the results are amazing. Self improvement information doesn’t do much good when you simply learn it and sit on it for the rest of your life.
Nea: So true … if you are just sitting on the information, you aren’t really doing anything good for yourself. It is all about aligning things and making sure you are living as you know you should. Thanks for the comment.
Hey Sibyl, a very thought-provoking read here.
I like to think that we could all be like ‘warriors’ as Paulo Coelho calls us, waiting for that cubic centimetre of opportunity to come, then taking full advantage of it. It would be an ideal world, but our current world is far from it. We are currently far from taking advantage of every possibility, and I do wonder whether it would be better if people took those cubic centimetres more often.
Do we need to be more random in life, trusting our heart more than thinking it through? I think so. Too many times, we look for answers in our heads rather than our hearts, and we try and think our way out of a problem. But our current state of thoughts is often not enough, and we need new thoughts to help us through. These are generated from the heart’s desires. The heart can help ‘lead’ us through our tough times, and into a more fulfilling life. One blessed with opportunity.
Perhaps that’s what we need to be more ‘warrior-like’ about
Stuart: Thanks for the comment and sharing such an interesting perspective. I do appreciate what you said about being more warrior like. I do think there is something to be said about trusting the unknown. Great point.
Sibyl,
I can attest to the fact that I don’t use all of my knowledge to my best potential and for that reason I have taken the same test over and over again for about 5 years straight. I know better now it is time for me to do better. There is a vast difference. Thanks for recommending Steve’s product I will definitely take a look at it.
This was very informative read. Thanks
Hey Frank: It may be 5 years, but at least you recognize it. That is one of the most biggest and important steps. So glad that you liked the post.
I think one of the tricks to using what we know is to know at a deeper level.
Bloom’s taxonomy says we learn at three levels … intellectual, emotional, and physical. It’s easy to learn a lot of information intellectually, but more difficult to take it to the emotional, or physical level where it really means something. For example, to have something at the emotional level usually means having first-hand experience. Learning something at the physical level means practicing it to the point it’s burned into our basal-ganglia or muscle memory.
I also find there is often a shortage of prescriptive guidance in terms of “how” to do something well. I find it’s usually easy to figure out “why” to do something, but then finding the proven practices, methods, or techniques to do it well, can lead to a lot of trial and error and quests.
To try and turn more insight into action, I’ve focused on a learning approach and I use project management skills to learn and apply new skills. Project management is probably the most important skill I learned to be able to use what I know more effectively and to improve my results as I go in a more sustainable way.
JD: Thanks for the great comment and adding so much information to this post. I really appreciated everything you said and what you said about the 3 different learning levels makes perfect sense. I think it is important to recognize the distinction between the 3 and then make certain you are really learning and incorporating things into your life. Great information. Thanks for sharing it.
Sibyl
I appreciate the honesty and compassion in which you gently take us by the hand and ask us to examine something that is potentially painful: the “disconnect.” You not only gave us compelling reasons to reflect on this but also gave us a starting point to do something about it. Many thanks!
Mark: So glad that you liked the post and appreciated it. Thanks so much for the comment and stopping by.
Hey Sibyl!
This article has incredible depth to it. It’s funny because I was just addressing this “disconnect” issue with a coaching client of mine and I must say I think J.D. has a very solid point. Having a better understanding of our motivations allows us to manage those disconnects more effectively. I also think they can be indicators as to whether or not we are operating in a way that is congruent with our true self. Lastly, I think it’s okay to experience a disconnect for a brief period of time. I’ve found that life is a constant cycle of “crisis” and progress. Sometimes that disconnect is the very thing you need to encounter before any more progress can be made.
Good stuff girly! Keep it coming.
Marlee: Thanks for the comment and you are so right. The disconnection definitely has a purpose. I am a believer in the process of living and learning and that usually means we have to realize things are not working and discover the reasons why. Thanks again for the insightful comment and sharing your wisdom.
Hi Sibyl,
Very nice! Many people don’t take advantage of what they know and many don’t apply what they learn to their lives. If we want positive change in our lives, then we have to got to apply what we learn. Success comes with the application of knowledge. Great post Sibyl! Thanks for sharing my friend
Dia: Thanks for the comment. I totally agree with what you said about the importance of taking advantage and applying what you learn. It is definitely something we need to focus on and make a priority. Thanks again for the comment.