Last week I wrote that knowing is not the same as becoming.
This week I want to explore a related idea: Most advice doesn't work.
Not because the advice is wrong. Because advice is often mistaken for practice.
When I learned to drive, nobody could explain me into becoming a better driver.
I needed time behind the wheel. I needed the experience.
When I started public speaking, I could read books about confidence, storytelling, and presentation skills.
But reading about speaking and speaking are different activities.
The same thing happened when I started teaching. I learned theories about learning, communication, and instruction.
Some of those ideas were useful.
But the biggest improvements came from repeatedly standing in front of students, trying things, making mistakes, and adjusting.
Experience gave meaning to the advice.
I think many of us assume the next piece of information will finally be the thing that changes everything.
The next book.
The next podcast.
The next course.
The next strategy.
But often we already know enough to begin.
What we lack is repetition.
Organizations often respond to problems by providing more information.
Creators often respond by creating more content. Individuals often respond by searching for more advice.
Yet the gap remains.
The gap is not always knowledge. The gap is often practice.
The interesting question is not: "What advice do I need?"
It might be: "What advice have I already received that I haven't practiced?"
Take a moment and think about that.
There may already be something you know that would change your life if you repeated it consistently.
— Greg