Are you reading to know something or to understand it? There is a difference & I'm going to share 4 ways to help you go from just reading something to actually learning it!
Knowledge
Knowing something is great! You can recall information easily and give it back similar to the way it was presented. It's different from memorizing because you can apply it to similar examples within the original concept.
Ex. Think back to high school math. You could do the easy questions in the book, but as soon as they expanded the sample questions the new situations would throw you off.
Understanding
Going from knowing to understanding is slightly different but has a big impact. Understanding is when you can take the original awareness of information or a concept and apply it to seemingly different situations.
Ex. Not only can you do all the math questions in that chapter of the book, but you've applied it to real life! OMG, so proud!
The 4 Steps to Go From Reading to Understanding:
So, how do you go from knowing to understanding? These steps may be simple, but they take effort, self-awareness, and patience.
Discussion - Whether you process things on your own or with other people, getting feedback and insights from others helps round out your perspective of the topic.
Implementation - Just. Get. Started. Taking action on the things you're learning about helps you figure out what exactly you need to focus on that's right for you.
Practice - It's not enough to apply something once and then forget about it. To create new habits or standards, there needs to be consistency & skill development.
Teach - This is where you'll know how well you understand something. The areas you find difficult to explain or show another person, tend to be what you need to work on.
Check out the method in action at the end of a training module HERE.
Changing World
The world is changing. With information at our fingertips, there is no longer a big need to memorize things. The new focus is on how well you can apply & reapply information creatively, problem solve, and handle anything with human interactions.
Knowing is NOT understanding.
There's so much to read everywhere. Next week, let's chat about information overload.
Do YOU have a favourite way of learning? Share it by using the hashtag #BEDMASlife.
Learn, Love & keep your Momentum,
Laura Lake <3
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