Putting learning into practice: 7 ways to implement what you learn

“Knowledge isn’t power until it is applied.” – Dale Carnegie

Learning never stops. It doesn’t matter whether you are a manager taking online courses or a student reading books, the information you absorb has the power to take you to newer heights. But learning is only useful when you apply it in your day-to-day life. If you don’t put into practice what you learn, then learning loses most of its value. Keep in mind that a new skill isn’t learned until it is practised and implemented successfully. Otherwise, you’ll just be wasting your precious time.

Let’s say, you learn that exercising every day makes one happy and increases life span. Both are goals that you greatly desire. But if you don’t make the effort to get up in the morning to work out, what’s the point of acquiring that information in the first place? The importance of applying what you learn cannot be understated.

Moreover, if you don’t implement what you learn, you tend to forget it. Here are a few tips that teach you how to implement what you learn in your daily life.

Take notes while you’re learning

It is highly unlikely that you’ll retain all the information you’ve learned in the seminar or while reading something for more than 24 hours. According to a research , people forget more than 70 percent of what was taught in training after one day. Therefore, it is always a good idea to write down what was said or shared. Just ensure that you can understand what you wrote at that moment. Re-read all your notes within the day and summarise all the key points you picked.

Now, focus on the things that you value the most and find how to implement them in your daily routine. For example, if you read that meditating every morning can help improve your concentration and you want to boost that ability, carve out a time for this activity in your schedule. Set an alarm in the morning so you can wake up and meditate.

Find a feedback buddy

Feedback isn’t just about someone telling you what you did right or wrong. It’s a process in which you reflect on your past performances so you can take measures to improve in the future. When you have someone who gives you honest feedback and holds you accountable if you don’t perform as you should, you learn a lot and grow as a person. They can help you identify what you are good at and what you need to work on.

Further, when you have someone who encourages you to do better, you aren’t afraid to take action. Even if you get lost along the way, they put you back on the right path. You trust their assessment because they are honest. Yes, accepting criticism of any kind can be hard at first, but with time, you learn to take it in your stride.

Take every opportunity to practice

The more you do something, the better you get at it. It’s about bringing consistency to your routine. For example, you could learn how to make a sales call by reading a book or taking a workshop. But to be good at it, you actually have to do something—like make a sales call, send emails to potential customers, and attend networking events. Expecting someone will come and buy things from you is just wishful thinking. So be willing to take action. If things don’t work out the first time, think of it as a learning experience and try again. This is the only way to grow in life.

Do some honest self-reflection

To check if you are implementing what you’ve newly learned, you need to check the outcome you’re getting. If you are getting the same results as before, some honest self-reflection will let you know that you are not practising what you learned. This kind of self-reflection also comes in handy to figure out where the problems lie.

Cultivate new habits

An effective way to implement what you learn is by making it a habit. Habits matter because they hold great influence over how you think, act and feel—which covers every aspect of your life. For instance, to read regularly, you need to create an action plan like setting a time for it—doing so can help make it a habit. This way, you won’t have to worry about not following through because this activity will become a part of your daily routine.

Track your progress

Learning takes place when you notice changes in your behaviour for the good. Track how far you’ve come from where you started. Is there a change in the result? Noticing these things will provide you with the motivation to keep going. You will naturally become more purposeful about the work you do, creating the kind of meaning that people often search for in life.

Tracking your progress will give you more insight into what you do and how you can make necessary changes to achieve the desired results.

Focus on one thing at a time

Learning is a never-ending process. Every day you learn something new that can help improve your life, both personally and professionally. But if you want to be good at something, you need to give that activity your full attention. When you are fully focused on something, you take every measure to do your best. You take note of even the tiniest of details.

It means implementing everything you’ve read in a book or learned in a workshop so you can get better at it.

These tips teach how to implement what you learn on a daily basis. Once you make these a habit, learning will become an enriching journey!