<h3>Betty's Little Story</h3> <p>Once, Betty was once a high school dropout. Years later, she revolutionized the paper industry with her billion-dollar company. What likely drove Betty to change for the better?</p> <ul> <li>a) Betty gained some new insights.</li> <li>b) Betty acted on what she already knew.</li> </ul> <p>Research points to (b). <span class="highlight"><strong>That is, people likelier change when they use concepts they've learned/experienced/previously-used.</strong></span></p> <h2>Change Within</h2> <p>Ask yo-self:</p> <ol> <li>"What do I already know?"</li> <li>"How can I apply what I already know?"</li> <li>"Most important, when will I apply what I know?"</li> </ol> <p><span class="highlight">They don't need new books, new consultants, or new insights to drive improvement.</span> <span class="highlight">Instead, change most often happens when you apply what you've already learned.</span></p> <h2>"So, why do people rarely change?"</h2> <p>It's what Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton calls the <strong>"knowing-doing" gap</strong>. That is:</p> <ol> <li>Johnny learns X.</li> <li>Johnny never applies X.</li> <li>Johnny renders X useless.</li> </ol> <p>Like Johnny, the people all over the wonderful world rarely apply what they learn/know. <span class="highlight">That's why they're continually buying new books, hiring new consultants, creating new "strategic" missions -- thinking that next new "spark" will change their lives forever.</span> That's akin to them running the streets looking for their next high, when the biggest high they could ever get lies at home -- with their families. (Deep.)</p> <h2>You = Smarter Than You Think</h2> <ol> <li><span class="highlight">You've stored a ridiculous amount of super-very-very useful knowledge already.</span></li> <li><strong>You probably apply 10% of it.</strong></li> </ol> <p><span class="highlight"><strong>Rock the other 90%.</strong></span> <span class="highlight">(When you've done so, gain new insights to empower yo-self <span style="font-style: italic">further</span>. That prevents you from chasing high-after-high.)</span> Win.</p> <h2>Rock the 90.</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> 2007-11-06T22:28:00-08:00 true 586 how-to-change-yourself 0 2009-11-06T21:45:46-08:00