The Funnel

Every human has a gap between what they know and what they apply.

It's like a funnel.

We try to grow by pouring more knowledge in the top of the funnel.

We read books. Go to conferences. Spend time with mentors. Follow blogs. Get a degree from a top university. Read comic books.

But none of these will help us grow. Because we’re just pouring information into the top of a funnel. It isn't until until we force our knowledge out the bottom of the funnel by applying it that we see change.

It's a lot easier to learn new things than apply them. There is little accountability for results when we're learning. It's a lot more comfortable reading a book on our couch than doing what the book tells us we should do. We give ourselves bonus points for trying to improve our minds. We can even fool our friends into thinking we're smart by learning the lingo.

But we're not changing.

We might want to eat better. So we read blogs about healthy foods. But instead of eating better, which involves putting down the chips and cake and candy and coke, we go back to the blogs and keep searching for more ways to eat healthy.

We might want to live a life with meaning. So we read books on morality. We go to church. We talk over cappuccino with the friends we made in philosophy class about the origins of right and wrong. But when a friend is out of luck and needs a loan, we tell them we’ll pray for them and to not let the door hit them on the way out.

We might want to become a better painter. So we take classes from renowned artists. We study the greats. We go to art fairs. We spend a lot of time at the museum. But we’re too afraid to pick up a paint brush because someone might not like what we create.

Most of us already know what we need to do. Adding more information in the top of the funnel isn't going to help. We need to start forcing it out the bottom. We need to apply what we've already learned.

That's what separates the 1% from the 99%.

Because learning is easy. It's even fun. But it’s the application that’ll make us become the people we want to be.

What is one thing you want to change in yourself, and what do you already know that you’re not applying regarding that change? What are some successes you’ve had applying knowledge? How can you build on those successes? I’d love to know! Please leave a comment.

About the author

Justin Blaney is the #1 bestselling author of Evan Burl and the Falling. He’s a blogger at JustinBlaney.com and I4J.org, the creator of Isfits, and a film producer with Inkliss. He lives outside Seattle with his wife and three daughters. Connect with Justin on Facebook, Twitter or Youtube

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The Funnel - Guest Post from Author Justin Blaney