Self-improvement is all about learning and then implementing what you’ve learned, getting feedback from what you’ve implemented, and then adjusting as needed, then retesting. Just like the scientific method. We form a hypothesis based on the data we have. We test that hypothesis, then we adjust our hypothesis based on the feedback we got, then we test the new hypothesis and so on and so forth. Not a perfect method but one that serves as a good fundamental to reaching higher and higher levels of living.
One man can accomplish little on his own. When we look at how to get ahead in life and accomplish the goals that we have, we need the help of other people. No man is an island and a lone wolf is a dead wolf. We do this through teachers, mentors, and those wiser or more knowledgeable than us.
This is not always a flesh and blood person we know. It’s rare to have a mentor around you that can help you with every facet of your life. But fortunately we don’t have to have a person right next to us. We can even learn from those who have long passed. With books, videos, audiotapes, courses, and the like we can learn from those who we will never meet. We can glean their knowledge and wisdom and use it to improve our own lives.
Reading, Watching, Listening
Whenever you set out to master a subject there are a few things I always recommend. First off I recommend that you go about learning the subject in a myriad of different ways. So for example let’s say you want to sell cars and just got hired onto the floor but you know nothing about sales? What do you do?
Well what most people do, and this helps to explain the high burn out rate of car salesmen, is listen to their trainer and then just go from there. And while dealership training can be decent if that’s all that you do you’ll never reach the higher ranks to which you likely want to ascend. No you need to learn on your own time as well. You need to read books on the subject, listen to audiobooks/tapes, takes sales courses, and watch videos on YouTube or other sites about how to learn and master sales/car sales.
You need to have knowledge coming at you from every which direction. You need to saturate your mind and your subconscious with it, so it becomes a deep core of what you know. You want to permeate your mind with the knowledge. You want to not just learn but also to master the subject. This is something that takes time but is drastically sped up by learning through different modalities.
You need to hear the same things multiple times and in multiple ways. Audio, visual, kinesthetic, and more learning. Which brings me to my next point.
Active Vs. Passive Learning
What is the difference between watching a movie and reading a book? What is the difference between writing something down with a pen on a piece of paper or dictating it into your phone? Why do we remember what we wrote down but forget what we say? Why do you get more from a paperback book than a kindle book? All this has to do with how much of your brain is engaged in making meaning from the thing being used.
So first off, all learning is good learning. Passive learning is 100x better than no learning. And passive learning is not a “bad” thing. Just something that has to be used some times. Active learning is where your brain is actively making meaning from the learning and engaged with the subject matter. And therefore it gets embedded deeper into your mind. So for example when reading a book you are actively engaged with the text and making meaning from it. But when that same book is read to you on audiobook you are still making meaning but it is not as strong.
Likewise when you are reading a paperback book and you have the physical sensation of the book in your hand and turning the pages it leaves a stronger imprint than if reading the same book on kindle. Does this mean that you should never listen to audiobooks or read kindle books? No of course not. You can’t do much active learning when driving to work nor can you just whip out a book during a few seconds of spare time at work. Remember passive learning is 100x better than no learning.
But to get the most from your learning you want to make sure you are actively learning as much as possible.
The Power Of YouTube & Doing This
Listening/watching videos is passive learning. You are sitting there while someone spouts facts at you. This is passive learning. Very useful and I’ve gotten a ton from videos before doing what I’m about to talk to you about in this essay. I’ve listened to plenty of people on YouTube and thought “Man, I really wish they had a book.” and by book I mean paperback book I can hold in my hands as opposed to a PDF online which is not the same thing. Physical books are what I learn best from and part of that has to do with how my brain works and part with the active nature of the learning.
But recently I’ve found a way to make the videos just as good as the physical book. I’ll rewatch a video I’ve watched a dozen times, use this method, and new insights are popping up left and right. It changes things completely. So what is this method? Well, it’s nothing fancy or nothing you haven’t heard about before. It’s simply this.
Taking notes.
Now before you roll your eyes or exit out of this screen as fast as you can, let me explain. By note taking I mean actively making meaning from what is said in the video. You don’t write down a summary like you did in school. This is self-learning and the test is life. You already know what information you don’t know and what is important. So you don’t need to write everything down hoping it sticks. You listen to what is critical for you personally. You write it down. This requires you to listen closely, pause the videos, and write down key points.
Nothing fancy but try it and see if it doesn’t work wonders for you. I think you’ll be surprised.
Thanks for reading
-Charles Sledge
