“The difference between reading and studying is intensity, focus, and a willingness to act on what you have learned.” -Jeff Gitomer

Gitomer is a sales trainer. His comment reminded me of a conversation I had recently with a friend.

He had taken on new responsibilities at work and expressed frustrations about how hard it was to get up to speed. He described it as overwhelming.

We probed a bit at his process. He was putting in the time. Immersing himself in information. But, we discovered there had been very little effort toward study and retention. Thus, he was getting his hands on more information every day, but the amount was overwhelming. Nothing was sticking.

When you feel overwhelmed, it’s important to pause and change the pace.

If you don’t study, a great deal can be lost in the process. When trying something new, consider a couple questions.

1. How does what I’ve been exposed to help me perform my responsibilities?

2. What will I do as a result of learning this information?

You’ve got to make learning practical by putting new information and knowledge to work. Once you’ve tried out new information in the work environment, it will stick better.

Knowledge that does not manifest in creative output is useless. If you feel overwhelmed, slow down. Learn a little bit by trying new things out. Add daily to your tool bag. You’ll be amazed with the progress.