This is a scene you see almost every day on the New York subway.
A coffee in one hand, a phone in the other. On the screen, a video titled “5 Habits That Will Change Your Life.” There’s a nod. Maybe even a tap on the save button. Then the train arrives, and they step off as if nothing happened.
You see a similar scene at work. During lunch, a junior colleague says, “I’ve been watching a lot of self-improvement videos lately. They really help.” “Yeah? What’s been the most useful?” “Morning routines. All successful people wake up early.” You nod. The next morning, he still rush into the office just before being late.
It’s not that strange. Most of us probably live like this. We read books. We watch videos. We collect good ideas. And yet, our lives stay the same.
So here’s a slightly uncomfortable question for you. Is it really a lack of information that’s holding us back? Probably not. Right now, in the device you’re holding, there are answers people spent entire lifetimes discovering, like How to exercise. How to make money. How to build relationships. Even how to be happy. We live in a time where “I don’t know” is rarely a valid excuse. So why don’t things change?
I once heard this, “Information doesn’t exist to be read. It exists to be used.” It’s simple when you think about it. Knowing how to work out is not the same as working out. Reading advice about relationships is not the same as reaching out to someone. That’s what I’ve been mistaken.
We often confuse
knowing with doing.
What’s more interesting is that we already know that. That’s why thoughts like this appear sometimes. “I can’t keep living like this.” “Something needs to change.” So we buy another book. Watch another video. Collect more “good advice.” And still, nothing changes.
Maybe the problem isn’t a lack of information. Maybe it’s too much of it. Too many options. Too many methods. Too many “right answers.” So in the end, we choose nothing.
Some people will say, “The problem is useless content.”. Others will say, “The problem is people who don’t take action.” Neither is completely wrong. But if we step back just a little, a different question appears.
It’s not about how much you know. It’s about this
Of everything you already know, what are you actually using?
You don’t need to answer it out loud. That one question is enough.
TK
