Growth

Over the past six months, have you changed?

Are you any happier?

Has your life genuinely improved?

Have you applied any of the lessons you’ve learned?

If not, keep reading…

I want to explore a fundamental truth.

Why are we SO BAD at taking action on what we learn?

Let’s dive in.

Why We Fail to Make Progress

As someone who’s dyslexic, I’ve always admired the late scientist and philosopher Gregory Bateson’s perspective on learning.

Many of us were raised to believe that intelligence is something you’re either born with or not.

We associate being smart with memorising facts or acing equations.

I used to struggle through exams while my classmates breezed through.

I’d agonise over whether “C” was the answer or just my brain saying, “See ya later!”

But everything changed when I discovered Bateson’s secret to learning.

It transformed my thinking forever.

Here it is:

Learning = same condition, different behaviour.
Intelligence = the speed of behaviour change.

Let me unpack this.

We often think of learning as a mental process: reading books, listening to podcasts, sitting in lectures.

But real learning isn’t about soaking up information.

It’s about using that knowledge to change how you behave.

Here are some examples from my own life.

The Time I Learned (the Hard Way) About Coffee

I used to knock back five or more cups of coffee a day.

Every morning, I’d reach for another cup, convinced it was the only way to get through the day.

What it actually did was skyrocket my anxiety.

I knew it wasn’t good for me, yet I kept doing it—same condition, same behaviour.

I hadn’t learned anything.

The Time I Worked Myself to Exhaustion

I once spent months glued to my laptop, day and night, convinced that relentless grinding would eventually pay off.

I ignored every sign that my body needed rest.

My inner critic wouldn’t shut up: “It’s not enough,” “You’re not enough.”

Eventually, burnout slammed into me like a freight train. But even then, it took years for me to change.

Despite all the warning signs, I knew better but didn’t act – same condition, same behaviour.

The Time I Let My Phone Take Over My Life

There was a period when my phone swallowed hours of my time daily, and I barely noticed.

I’d check a quick message, only to find myself spiralling into endless social media scrolling.

I’d read articles on digital detoxing and staying present.

Yet there I was—same condition, same behaviour. I hadn’t learned.

The common theme?

I knew better. But it was the speed of my behaviour change that held me back.

Imagine if we could condense those years of struggle into weeks or even days.

I had the knowledge. I didn’t act on it.

Learning and intelligence aren’t about knowing; they’re about how fast you put what you know into action.

If your situation remains unchanged and your behaviour stays the same, you haven’t truly learned—you’ve only been entertained or distracted.

The Promised Land

We all want to grow, be happier, healthier, wealthier, and wiser.

The quicker you apply new insights and adapt, the smarter you become.

And here’s the exciting part: you have the power to change at any moment.

I genuinely believe that.

Life and learning aren’t spectator sports.

Growth doesn’t happen by passively observing others or hoarding knowledge you never use.

It happens when you act on that knowledge—whether it’s cutting back on caffeine, setting work boundaries, or changing how you speak to yourself.

We often hesitate to make changes because they’re uncomfortable.

But if we keep repeating the same behaviours, we’ll keep getting the same results.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of consuming information for the thrill or as a distraction.

Next time you read a book, listen to a podcast, or watch a YouTube video, ask yourself:

“Am I engaging with this just for entertainment, for instant gratification, or as a distraction?

So if you want to be smart, you got to learn.

If you want to learn, you got to change.