Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Elon Musk learn faster than 95% of the population. Why? They teach what they learn. Explanation Effect 101:
You might think learning is about taking in information: • Reading a book • Watching a video • Listening to a podcast But the fastest way to learn something new is by teaching what you learn.
Peter Drucker once said: “No one learns as much about a subject as one who is forced to teach it.” When we learn with the intention to teach, we learn more deeply and efficiently. • Chatting with a friend • Explaining to yourself • Conversing with a colleague
Teaching reveals gaps in your knowledge and understanding. It forces you to think, fill in those gaps and apply what you learn. Even better– you get valuable feedback from others to help refine what you learn.
Harvard Business School ran a study in 2016. They found that: "employees who spent the last 15 minutes of each day of their training period writing and reflecting on what they had learned did 23% better in the final training test than other employees."
Spending only 15 minutes reflecting on what you learn drives 20% of the learning gain. Imagine if you were to build a daily habit spending 15 minutes reflecting. Do that for a year and your learning retention will skyrocket.
So at the end of each day, start spending time reflecting on your learnings. You'll gain a competitive advantage over your competition. Follow me @thealexbanks for more threads to help you in business and life.
