Knowledge Becomes Powerful Only When Applied

The answers you're looking for are hiding in the work you're avoiding.

In this week's topic, I wanted to show you a familiar yet often overlooked perspective that has not only worked for me but what has worked for pro athlete Kobe Bryant to actively convert new learnings into tangible results in real life.

To walk with you down today’s learning path, I’d like to provide a little context…

What does it tell us about learners if only 8% of courses bought are actually ever finished? Most folks will go to learn something new (usually to solve a problem they are experiencing) but their learning process never goes deeper than just writing a page of notes and then throwing them into the abyss of discarded learnings.

Remember: Knowledge becomes powerful only when applied. To see real-world changes, it's crucial to act on what you've learned.

A perspective called Brain to mouth will show you exactly how we can make this change from passive consumption to active transformation.

In order to see thoughts and learnings become reality they must go from brain to mouth. Most people just do brain… and that doesn’t make any sense verbally and metaphorically. Let me explain.

Just knowing stuff will never be enough. We all already know a vast majority of the content we consume. The big difference between seeing results and not, however, is that we need to actually do something with that knowledge.

Everyone wants to get better fast. But real improvement doesn't happen overnight… right?

Quick shout out to Kobe Bryant, a legendary basketball player known for his incredible work ethic. Kobe was famous for his early morning and late-night practice sessions, often being the first to arrive and the last to leave the gym. He knew that understanding the game's strategies and techniques wasn't enough; he had to apply them, again and again, pushing through failures and setbacks.

So, if Kobe was here helping all of us hit our goals faster, he’d probably agree to the following…

• Practice like you mean it. Practice what you learn with intention. (Brain to mouth: What you learn you must try and implement instantaneously. The sooner the better.) Pretend or act it out as if you're in the game. It's training your new skills without the high stakes.
• Get and use feedback. Team up with a buddy or a coach who can point out where you need to improve and help you stay focused, much like a coach would do for Kobe during his practice sessions.
• Keep using what you learn and avoid letting your notes gather dust. Revisit them, keep them in a visible and commonly looked at location and apply their lessons in real time. (Review the game footage and refine the skills)
• It's okay to mess up because failure is the number one fear that stalls progress and is exactly why most folks will fail to take their first step with new ideas. This is the biggest but most impactful barrier to break for all of us. Nothing bad ever happened to those who built the courage and willingness to fail and learn in a safe environment.
• Do it over and over. Mastery comes from repetition and Kobe didn't become a legend overnight. It was the result of consistent, dedicated practice.

In short, new insights can be a powerful tool for growth, but only if you actively engage with the material and apply it in your life. It's about changing your actions, not just accumulating more knowledge. Quick fixes might be enticing, but they're rarely effective. Embrace the process, put in the work, and let the story of legends like Kobe Bryant inspire you to turn your learned knowledge into lived experience.