Homework --- Learning = Behavior Change

[TJ Reeves]

I have a new idea to implement the "learning = behavior change" video. Whenever Leo give us a "homework" assignment, we can each keep ourselves accountable by posting it here on the forum under threads titled Homework and whatever video it is. This is a nice, small behavioral change to get us started with applying his concepts. But really, that is just the start - learning will only occur with our next action after doing the homework.  

Post what it is that you got from the latest video as he'd asked you to do in the middle of the Learning = Behavior Change video. 

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Here was my response:

Technically I haven’t learned anything from this latest video yet because I have yet to take 100% action. Doing this homework doesn’t count as taking action.

The fact that “Learning = behavior change” is NOT the lesson from the video.

The lesson is the new behavior that I take! Until I have exhibited some new behavior that incorporates that lesson, I cannot say I have learned anything.

So I will say that learning on this video has occurred only when I take exhibit a new behavior that occurs as a result of some other lesson.

See what I am saying?

Again, I can officially say I learned something from this video If-and-only-if upon the next thing I research or experience or contemplate I:

·      Actively look for what type of behavioral change may occur because of the lesson

·      And take action on that lesson.

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Let's get more specific to the homework itself:

• How will this information change my behavior?
  • I will become more focused on applying lessons through behavior by constantly asking whether information changes behavior.
  • From now on, I am not allowed to binge on lessons without writing direct action plans for each lesson and finding direct ways to implement through things like 30-day challenges or my hour-long Deep Work sessions. 
    • at least one direct action plan per lesson using the four questions.
    • no more just watching random youtube videos or reading random books without guidance for what's going on and what's getting applied. 
    • I want to write the following answer per lesson:
      • In situation X, I will do concrete thing Y to achieve subgoal Z now with self-compassion. 
    • This new paradigm is great because it shortens my notes
      • I used to write whole tomes that summarized the books i read
      • now I can just answer the 4 questions, the concrete sentence, and be done with it. 
        • this is especially useful For Sex, Ecology, and Spirituality by Ken Wilber. That summary was going to take forever. 
• what did I learn?
  • Learning = Behavior change
  • Disregard information that doesn't lead to behavior change. This takes out news, gossip, youtube junk, video games, etc.
• How did my behavior change?
  • We will see!
  • I think we could have a whole forum section called "Video homework" if @Leo Gura would make it so. 
• What did I learn about myself?
  • I actually do a pretty good job of this, but this lesson bears out what I had as an internal feel into what are now direct words to live by. 
  • When I get 'stuck' its because I haven't taken steps through a concrete action plan. 
• Best quote:
  • Real wisdom results in living a certain kind of life

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Sidenote --

Mark Manson released a very similar article on this topic just a two days ago. Here’s what he had to say in an article titled ‘how to be a better learner’:

Memory works based on relevance. We’re selfish creatures by nature and we only remember what our brain has deemed important to our own lives. You can learn the coolest thing in the world, but if you don’t find a way to make it relevant to you and your well-being in some way, your brain will conveniently forget it.

If you want to remember information, then you need to stop and take a second to ask yourself, “How is this relevant to me?” or “How can I apply this in my life?” You basically have to get personal with it. And if you’re not willing to get personal or think about your own life critically in that way, then most of the information you consume will just wash away.

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Post your homework below and the new behaviors that will result. 

Edited August 20, 2017 by TJ Reeves

[Joseph Maynor]

I'm going to do the 30-day challenge starting tomorrow.  I'm so glad Leo made this video.  This is the right medicine for me right now -- looking at things from a more pragmatic lens.  After all, how much do you actually recall from everything you were taught in school?  Almost nada.  Of course the journey was worth a lot.  But what concepts do you apply today from all that schooling?  Is it 20, 10, 5, 2, 1%?  

You can actually determine this by being mindful.  Maybe keep a journal and write down every instance where you actually used some information that you learned about in school.  You know what -- in spirit of this new video I'm gonna do this not just pose a great idea.  I'll add this to my 30 day challenge.  

I have a tendency to go -- I came up with a great idea folks -- and then I never take the next step of deep-diving that idea to get at any cash-value inside of it.  See?  I am a huge mental-masturbator.  Not to undervalue that entirely either.  Every context has its own unique set of conditions and proper response.  Sometimes mental-masturbation is good -- like when you're brainstorming.  And there's cash-value there because that's when you're receiving creative insights.  And you're then gonna use the sober-mind to organize that crazy, disjointed content to bring the sculpture out of the stone as it were. The madman becomes the architect on a dime.  This is one of the secrets to great artistry -- knowing when and where to shift the hats between madman and architect.  Now, how can you apply what I just said to writing your posts on here folks!  Milk this little madman/architect dichotomy for its cash-value next time you sit down to create.  Push the theory through practice and be mindful of the application/ utility or lack thereof.  This is fascinating!  Maybe it doesn't do shit for you, well but see you learned that!  If you took no action you learned squat -- zero takeaway.  And we do this all the time!  It's our default, lower-self position.  And that is true mental-masturbation.  It's on our radars now to be avoided.

Our personal development theories need to be deliberately and strategicallly milked by us, without getting too neurotic about this of course.  We all possess a glorious, unopened toolkit.  Let's open it up and actually use the tools inside of it instead of just looking at then through the packaging.  I'm excited!

Edited August 20, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[EugeneTheSage]

What did I learn from this episode?

• After this video I will go to my youtube history and analyze how many videos I've learned something from today. And if I haven't, so how can I change my behavior?"
• I will review some big events in my life, and I'll analize how my behavior has changed or if it hasn't how can I change it
• I will go to the forum and read insights of others about this topic
• I will keep "How will my behavior change?" journal for 30 days up to 28 of February 2019
• I will ask aforementioned questions in areas of application Leo gave me