Knowledge - Accumulation versus Application
Posted on July 28, 2006
Have you ever talked with people who seem to know something about nearly any subject you want to discuss, yet they have little in the way of accomplishment to show for their knowledge? Why? Logic tells us that education should automatically translate into greater success, but too often it doesn’t. Unfortunately, our education system places so much emphasis on the accumulation of knowledge and so little on its application, that it often turns out people who know everything and can do nothing.
If this statement offends those in the education bureaucracy, I’m sorry. Like any blanket statement, it doesn’t apply to everyone. There are many good teachers struggling with mounds of paperwork, rules, regulations and discipline problems that make it hard to teach, yet they are able to turn out quality students in spite of these encumbrances. These teachers are to be congratulated.
Please don’t get the impression that this article is about our education system. It’s not! As the title indicates, it’s not what you know, but how you apply it and that’s where personal responsibility enters the picture. I’ve talked with numerous young people with college degrees who are working menial jobs not even related to their field of study. When I ask them why, they invariable say that they aren’t sure what they want to do. It never ceases to amaze me at the number of people who end up in careers that have nothing to do with their formal education. I once hired a man for a manual labor job that I later discovered had a doctorate degree in geology.
I’ve never understood why anyone would waste time accumulating a vast store of knowledge and then fail to apply it. I guess that some people just don’t understand that having the finest set of tools does not make you a good carpenter. Its marketable skills, applied knowledge and wise investments that bring financial success and these are characteristics you develop from within. They come from applying what you learn, making mistakes and gaining experience, from overcoming obstacles, honing skills and from practice, practice, practice. Most employers would rather have employees with limited knowledge exceptionally applied than ones with exceptional knowledge limitedly applied.
If you want more successful financially than you have today, then you have to get better than you are today. When you finished school and entered the workplace, your degree or diploma may have gotten you a job, but how you applied your knowledge is what enabled you to keep it and hopefully increase your income. What many people fail to understand is that it’s not how much you make, rather what you do with it that brings financial security.
Here’s a tip! Whatever your chosen field, you can probably find dozens of seminars, books, audio and video programs that teach you how to practically apply your knowledge in ways that will produce better results. There is an extraordinary abundance of these type programs in the area of self help and wealth building. I am a strong believer that the best investment you can make is to invest in yourself; invest in gaining more knowledge and it learning new and better ways to apply your existing knowledge. This tip is to urge you to commit a small portion of each paycheck to personal growth and development. I’ve been doing this my entire adult life and here’s a little secret I’d like to share.
It’s a simple and unscientific way to get started. Each time you get paid, take a few dollars and put them aside in a place where you won’t be prone to spend them. It doesn’t have to be a lot, $2, $5, or $10, whatever you can afford. Think of this as the start of a habit to improve your life. You become well rounded and get stronger by strengthening your weaknesses than you do by increasing your strengths. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link. Begin by identifying a part of your life that you would like to improve. It doesn’t have to be limited to financial; it could be job related, relationship related, or fall into any other area. What’s important is that you start by choosing what’s most important to you.
Now, take some time this weekend and visit a local bookstore or go online to check out websites related to the area you want to improve. You’ll find dozens of products about your chosen topic. Do some research and select an item you feel will be the most beneficial. When your stash of cash is adequate, purchase this item and start putting it to work. Keep in mind that merely buying a self-help product is a total waste of money unless you actually read or listen to it. Here’s the secret! Whether it’s a book, audio or video program, look for one idea in it that you can put to work immediately and then start doing it.
As you study the material in this first purchase, continue putting aside the few dollars you will need to make your next purchase. If you only get one thought or idea from each purchase, you will start seeing gradual self improvement and life will begin to get better. These books and tapes will become your personal growth and development library and will not only improve your knowledge, but teach you how to apply it and create a better life. It won’t happen overnight, but as the old Chinese proverb goes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Try it! See if it doesn’t work for you.
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