Knowing Is Not Enough

Have you ever heard the quote, “Knowing is half the battle.” While knowing something is important, there is another step that must be taken to accomplish a goal. It just so happens the second step is the place where so many of my clients get tripped up. I am a firm believer in providing helpful resources to my clients to help them understand the “why” behind self-improvements. Personally, I am the kind of person who does not like to be told to do something because I should or because it would be good for me. I first must know why it is good for me specifically. After knowing why then the second part of knowing is knowing how. Helping my clients with these two things is generally not very difficult and most people are eager and ready to learn and ready to improve at this stage. It is the next stage in the coaching process where so many lose ground. The other “half” of the battle is taking knowledge and applying it. Turning it into action. Everyone I have ever coached had very little struggle with learning why and how they need to do whatever to accomplish their goal. But to take that knowledge and turn it into action is a whole different matter. Why is it so hard for people to do something when they know why and how they should do it? For example, I have coached people in weight loss. They all knew why they should not have doughnuts, Pop Tarts, Fruit Loops etc. for breakfast EVERYDAY. They also knew what would be considered a healthier breakfast choice. However, to actually apply that knowledge and eat a healthier breakfast was not accomplished consistently enough on many occasions. I have analyzed the psychology behind this, which, is a whole separate article. However, I wanted to share a tip that has helped several of my clients achieve their goals. If you are someone who has been trying to achieve something and you believe you have adequate knowledge on the topic, ask yourself a couple questions. First, “Have I really tried applying what I know for at least one week wholeheartedly?”. Then, “Was I being realistic with myself.” I have found that the #1 and #2 reasons of failure to achieve a goal is due to inconsistent attempts and overzealous/unrealistic expectations. The key to making progress is consistent small steps. If you have a goal in mind, focus on accomplishing that goal one day at a time. That’s it. You’ll find that you can then break it down even further each day and realized, it’s all about the choices you make. Based on your knowledge, do your choices get you closer to your goal or further away? Then act!