One of the biggest misconceptions in education is that understanding something means you'll do it.
For example, most people already know they should:
exercise more
save money
sleep more
study consistently
The problem is rarely information.
My parents and I were born in Jamaica and now live in Canada.
Over the years, I have learned a lot about money. I know that buying a five- or ten-year-old car is often the better financial decision. I know the difference between a depreciating asset and an appreciating investment.
Yet if given the choice, I would still be tempted to buy the newer car.
Why?
Because understanding something and wanting something are different.
And understanding something and practicing something are different too.
The same thing happens in organizations.
Organizations often want people to adopt new ideas, processes, or values.
So they provide more information.
Creators often respond by creating more content.
Educators often respond by explaining harder.
Yet behaviours often stay the same.
The gap is usually not understanding. The gap is repeated practice.
If I wanted to improve my financial future, I would need to repeatedly make long-term decisions, not simply understand them.
Recognizing what needs to happen is one thing.
Doing it consistently is something else.
Knowing is not the same as becoming.
So here is a question I've been thinking about lately:
What do you already know that would improve your life if you practiced it consistently?
The question isn't:
"What do I need to learn?"
The question might be:
"What do I need to practice?"
— Greg