Knowledge without Action: The Silent Killer of Success

Acquiring knowledge has never been easier than it is today. With the vast amount of information readily available at our fingertips, we have access to almost anything we could possibly want to learn. From online courses to podcasts to social media, it seems as if we can learn just about anything without ever leaving the comfort of our homes.

According to Publishers Weekly, sales of print books rose 8.9% in 2021, selling 825.7 million units, up from 757.9 million in 2020. This is the second year in a row to see a similar sales jump; in 2020, sales were up 8.2% from 2019, in which 693.7 million units were sold.

But while books sales are up dramatically, reading is down according to a Gallup poll.

To sum it up, knowledge acquisition is up, reading is down and by association, application of knowledge is down.

My LinkedIn feed is filled with book recommendations, tallies of how many books people have read in a month or year, speed reading and other vanity metrics that have nothing to do with actually applying knowledge.

We've become a society obsessed with acquiring knowledge for its own sake, without considering the importance of applying that knowledge. We're so focused on accumulating knowledge that we forget that it means nothing without action.

As the Zen Proverb says, "Knowing and not doing is not knowing." In other words, if we don't apply what we learn, we haven't truly learned anything at all. So, how can we move from knowing to doing?

Set goals

The first step in moving from knowing to doing is setting clear goals for yourself. What do you want to achieve? What knowledge do you need to acquire in order to achieve those goals? By setting goals, you give yourself a roadmap to follow and a reason to apply the knowledge you acquire. And while I always enjoy a book recommendation, if that book doesn’t align with my current goals, I just keep it on the list to consider down the road.

Break it down

Once you've set your goals, it's important to break them down into smaller, manageable steps. This will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and give you a clear plan of action. For example, if you want to improve your overall physical performance, break it down into smaller goals like improving your sleep, replacing processed foods with whole foods and hitting a daily exercise target.

Take action

Now that you have your goals and a plan of action, it's time to take action. This is where most people get stuck. They have the knowledge, they have the plan, but they never actually do anything with it. Taking action is the key to moving from knowing to doing. Follow the mantra of “something > nothing” and do something every day that moves you towards your goal. This builds the habit of consistency.

Track your progress

It's important to track your progress along the way. This will help you stay motivated and see how far you've come. Keep a journal, create a checklist, or use a habit tracker app to keep track of your progress and celebrate your accomplishments. Supercharge this process by having an accountability partner and sharing your progress (and encourage them to “bust your chops” if you get off track).

Embrace failure

It's important to embrace failure as part of the learning process. Nobody is perfect, and we all make mistakes. Don't let the fear of failure hold you back from taking action. Instead, embrace it as an opportunity to learn and grow. It’s not win or lose, it’s win or learn. Treat each failure or mistake as an input to improving your process.

Celebrate progress

Finally, it's important to celebrate our progress along the way. Celebrating small wins can help us stay motivated and reinforce the positive habits we're developing. It's easy to get discouraged when progress is slow, but celebrating even small achievements can help us stay on track and build momentum towards our larger goals. We end our day with a “victory lap” where we list our wins and celebrate the day’s accomplishments. It’s a way to stay in the gain and avoid the gap.

In conclusion, acquiring knowledge means nothing without applying it. To move from knowing to doing, set clear goals, break them down into smaller steps, take action, track your progress, embrace failure as part of the learning process and celebrate your progress. With these action steps, you can turn knowledge into action and achieve your goals.

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