The notion that knowledge is power is a fallacy. It isn’t power unless you apply it. There are plenty of broke geniuses just as there are a multitude of rich guys who didn’t have the brain power of the genius, but they had the work ethic, and work ethic is what matters in life. Today we have a guest post that will delve into this topic. Read it. It’s an awesome article from a reader of the site. On that note, if you’re looking to grow your online business and want to get published on this site, write an awesome article, make sure it’s edited, then get in touch with me. I’ll be putting a “contribute” tab on the main menu. Enjoy.

When knowledge isn’t enough is a guest post by Gurjot Khera.

Knowledge is power, as the age old saying goes. But I’d somewhat disagree with that. Sure if you have knowledge on something it will theoretically give you a better chance of succeeding at said thing. However, here’s the kicker.

Only if you apply that knowledge, will you truly reap all the benefits.

So coming back to that saying, “Knowledge is power.” It’s far more appropriate and fitting to say, “Applied knowledge is power.” Most people nowadays, don’t succeed in their pursuits or endeavors, not because they lack the knowledge to do so, but more due to the fact that they fail to apply that knowledge to their efforts.

The take home point being made here is, that in order to succeed at something, merely having the knowledge isn’t enough. You have to use that knowledge and apply it to your situation. It’s also worth noting that in order to get maximal returns and success, you should only apply knowledge that is applicable or in some way related to your pursuit or goal.

As obvious as it sounds, you’ll be surprised how often people tend to ignore the simple things in life.

Maybe it just seems too easy. The bottom line is that as humans we like to make things more complicated than they need to be. (Sometimes unnecessarily).

Now you may be wondering how can I apply the knowledge I’ve learnt to achieve my goals?

Good question.

Lets first look at the word knowledge and break it down.

Knowledge is something that you’ve learnt, acquired and possess. In short it’s something that you know and are aware of. Knowledge can be absorbed through a variety of mediums.

It can be practical in nature or theoretical. History is an example of knowledge that tends more towards theoretical applications than it does to everyday life. It’s something you learn, so that you can be aware of that which transpired in the past and can take home important lessons e.g. learn from mistakes that were made, so that they aren’t made again. Etc. But it’s not something you would necessarily use in everyday life.

Learning to drive a car is an example of a practical form of knowledge. The result of which allows you to drive a car, travel from point A to B. etc. It’s safe to say you’d probably use this more frequently in your daily life.

Knowledge is a broad term. The real difference lies between merely knowing and actually applying that knowledge.

I find the best way to determine if the knowledge I’ve acquired is going to be useful to me is by utilising a two-part strategy.

Step 1: Try/Test/Apply

The first, most basic and obvious step is to implement the piece of knowledge, whatever form it maybe in. It might be something out of a book, in a video or from another person.

Knowledge at the end of the day can be acquired in many forms, but you have to try it out/test it to ascertain how or whether it works for you. If you ignore this step, never act on the knowledge you’ve gained, everything else in this article becomes a moot point.

So throw yourself into the deep end.

Step 2: Evaluate

Stage two is the evaluation.

This is important, so I’m going to reiterate it!! In order to evaluate, you have to first take the plunge and test the acquired knowledge. If it works well for you, great. Use it. If not, don’t fret. Just evaluate it and move on.

Remember, just because something doesn’t work in the intended way it’s not the end of the world. You just have to do a little more digging in the gold mine until you find the nugget you’re looking for.

The words, evaluate or evaluation sound complicated, but in reality they’re actually pretty darn simple. Evaluation is just assessing something to see if it worked, why it worked or if it didn’t why it didn’t. It’s really a learning curve, just like life is pretty much one constant form of education.

Evaluation is critical. By evaluating, you’ll find it easier to pinpoint the merits and flaws in particular ideas, concepts and info. Grab a pen and paper and ask yourself a few simple questions.

1) What worked well?

2) Why did it work?

3) How has it helped me?

4) What didn’t work?

5) Why didn’t it work effectively?

6) What could I do better in future?

So the next time you want to expand and further your knowledge, the time you invested into evaluating previously, will make it easier for you to identify the potential benefits and useless bits you could get out of that piece of knowledge.

That’s why I also find the late Bruce Lee’s approach an incredibly effective and viable option when it comes to determining the usefulness and effectiveness of something. The gist of it is, simply take that which works and discard the rest.

If you implement the above-mentioned tips, in the long run you’ll be ahead of the hordes of people that simply acquire knowledge, but never use it.

At the end of the day, knowledge gained, but never put into practice is essentially the same as having no knowledge at all. You might as well not waste time trying to acquire it if you have no intention of ever using it.

You’ve got to apply, use and test your knowledge to determine if it’s actually useful to you. Put the theory into practice. You never know where it could lead.

Tony Robbins summed it up nicely. “If you let your learning lead to knowledge, you become a fool. Your learning has to lead to ACTION.”

Gurjot Khera runs UNCAGE THE ANIMAL where he shares practical, no nonsense tips on escaping the cage of modern society. Living free, excelling in mind, body and spirit. Feel free to connect with him on Twitter