We all have goals that we want to achieve in our lives.
But there’s a point when you should probably stop planning these goals and start working towards them.
This post originally appeared onJames Clear’s blog.
We assume that if we knew about a better strategy, then we would get better results.
We believe that a new result requires new knowledge.
What Im starting to realize, however, is that new knowledge does not necessarily drive new results.
It all comes down to the difference between learning and practicing.
Here are some additional ways to think about the difference.
Passive learning creates knowledge.
Active practice creates skill.
Lets consider three more reasons to prioritize active practice over passive learning.
For example, lets say you want to learn a foreign language.
We make the mistake ofbeing in motion rather than taking action.
Learning is valuable until it becomes a form of procrastination.
Even more important, practice is the only way to make a meaningful contribution with your knowledge.
The Bottom Line
Is passive learning useless?
In many cases, learning for the sake of learning can be a beautiful thing.
That said, the main point of this article is that learning by itself does not lead to progress.
Spend less time passively learning and more time actively practicing.
Stop thinking and start doing.
Image byHand Draw(Shutterstock).
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