Why Leonardo da Vinci said, knowing is not enough; we must apply

What we know makes little difference in our lives. What we do with what we know has life-changing consequences.

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do,” is one of Leonardo da Vinci’s insightful quotes about doing something with what we learn.

Good knowledge alone is not enough to move you closer to what you want. You have to act, take action or execute your brilliant ideas. Unless you are interested in reading or knowing for pleasure, always aim to apply.

If you buy a book about changing habits or any behavior and read every chapter but fail to apply that new knowledge in your life, you will not be ahead of everyone else who isn’t investing in the same book.

The essence of actionable knowledge (information acquired to make change) is consistent practice.

If you take a course about personal investing but don’t go ahead and open an investment account, it’s probably a waste of time and money. “Atomic Habits” won’t change your life if you don’t practice what you learn from James Clear.

Knowledge acquisition in life is a process: ignorance→ basic knowledge/ deep knowledge → applying what you know

“Knowledge is power: You hear it all the time but knowledge is not power. It’s only potential power. It only becomes power when we apply it and use it.” — Jim Kwik

To become an expert, you have to go through all the processes. It takes time and a lot of attention to good knowledge.

If you are not aiming to become an expert but want to do something with what you learn quickly, you can easily go from ignorance to action.

Leonardo da Vinci was a polymath — his knowledge spanned a substantial number of subjects. He wasn’t just a learner. He was also an ultimate doer. He questioned almost everything and sought answers by experimenting with new knowledge.

Most of his inventions were experiments in progress. Art is never finished, only abandoned. Leonardo da Vinci once said.

Doing never exhaust the mind — it makes you an experienced doer. And the more you execute on what you know, the more you discover how things really work and, most notably, what ideas to abandon.

Action should always be the goal of intellectual curiosity. Learning and doing goes together. It’s a powerful way to move from ignorance to action.

“A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.” Kahlil Gibran said. If you aim to make real progress in any endeavour, don’t just acquire more knowledge; practice as you learn.

If you are reading a book, watching a video, listening to a podcast or reading an insightful essay online, and come across an idea, a routine, or habit you can apply in your life, note it down at that moment.

That deep sense of clarity we get in the process of knowledge acquisition doesn’t always last. The only way to overcome that feeling of inaction after any learning process is to note what you intend to do immediately after.

Applying what you know is a mindset game. Start any learning process with intent. Identify exactly what you want to do with it once it’s over. And get to work in no time. Aim to do more often.

Whether you seek wealth, health or wisdom, aim to apply what you find. Identify the many areas of your life that can benefit from the new knowledge and start applying what you learn daily.

Without application, you won’t make real progress. You probably have enough knowledge to change your life. Go ahead and start applying what you already know. By all means, invest in good knowledge, but take it a step further. Do more with what you know. Act on life-changing information.

Apply yourself — it’s the final process of the learning experience. Doing makes the difference you want.

Simply reading the words isn’t enough — you must engage with them, contemplate them, find connections, and look for ways you could apply it in your own life. The ability to actively engage with what you know can change your life for good.

This article first appeared on Medium.