Changing behavior is the measure of learning

I enjoy reading and learning.

I read books, articles, listen to podcasts.. I try gaining knowledge everywhere. Heck, we even sold our TV recently to buy a Kindle.

The topics are far ranging too. From medicine and health to business advice, architecture, philosophy, psychology, futurism, history and the list goes on.

Part of the reason why is because I find it fun. But another reason is because I want to improve myself and my life. I think many people wish to learn and improve themselves throughout life. So I suspect that what I'm about to describe isn't unique to me.

I've been noticing a problem lately. I'm constantly taking in more information and knowledge. But when I look at my life, not much has changed. At least not nearly as much as I would expect, given the amount of information I'm consuming. So it leads me to the question; If I'm learning so much, why is my life not that much different?

The answer is surprisingly simple and obvious now that I've found it:

The measure of learning is changing behavior.

It is a simple answer. And a very empowering answer, because it makes things clear.

After ingesting a new piece of information, has my behavior changed?

• If yes, then I've learned.
• If no, then I have not learned.

I may feel like I'm doing useful things, but until my behavior changes, it remains just a feeling. I have to take the lessons and convert them into actions. Into actions I can measure and track. Then, when I have a list of trackable actions, it becomes easy and obvious to see what I have to do and to see if I'm doing it.

This clarity is empowering. Instead of a vague feeling of what should I do, the question is just did I do the thing or not? The problem is not What to do, it is Did I do it? And if I didn't do it, then How do I do it?

Doing the thing is the measure of success. My job is to get myself to perform these very clear actions in a reliable and consistent way.

There's nothing wrong with reading for entertainment or exploration. Not everything has to be effective and efficient. And some of the greatest changes in my life have come from the most exotic of explorations.

But if I'm reading with the goal of learning and changing something in my life, then the standard of success is now very clear - After learning this new piece of information, has my behavior changed? If yes, then good. If not, how can I convert the information I've consumed into actions I can take?

“If more information was the answer, then we'd all be billionaires with perfect abs.”― Derek Sivers