Learning in Sips, Not Gulps

My husband and I are in the market for a second car. After test-driving several, we've narrowed our choice down to one.

And now I am seeing it everywhere.

I am sure you know the feeling.

It's not that there are any more of the cars on the road, it's just that my brain is attuned to the car, so I am noticing it more often.

All thanks to our reticular activation system in our brains -- also known as the RAS.

This phenomenon is exactly why I structure my work into sips, rather than gulps, and definitely not drinking straight from the fire hose.

Most book circles are composed of 8 hours of virtual time together, spread out over 3 months.

It's an intentional design decision that relies on our RAS for unknowing support.

The more touchpoints you have with the book and it's ideas, the more often your RAS starts attuning to how and where these ideas can be implemented into your work.

There's reading the book.
There's our virtual sessions together.
There's the reflection questions to journal or discuss.
There's the visual sketches to summarize the ideas.
There's your learning partner to engage.

Over the course of 3 months together, you end up with way more than 8 hours of time focused on the book at hand.

In a traditional training setting you may have one 8 hour slot together, or 2 half days, spread out over time.

As so much information comes at you, you gulp like mad, but much of the water dribbles down the front of your shirt.

With a book circle, you get drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, until you're fully satiated with the material, allowing you to use it more consistently, and easily.

👉 Wouldn't you rather sip, than gulp?

As I like to say, "Read deeper, not faster."

Originally posted on LinkedIn with comments.

Read Deeper not Faster