Why We Struggle to Apply Concepts We Learn (2024)

Many of us have experienced the frustration of learning a new concept or skill, only to struggle to apply it in real life. Whether it's a new language, a new software program, or a new leadership strategy, we often find ourselves drawing a blank when looking to make the connections between what we learn and how we can use it in our daily lives.

If this has happened to you (it’s definitely happened to me), check if any of the below are at work:

Lack of Contextualization: One of the most common reasons why we struggle to apply concepts we learn is that the learning material is not contextualized enough. This means that the concepts are presented in a vacuum, without any examples or connections to real-world situations (or your real-world situations).

Overreliance on Knowing by Heart: When we learn through knowing by heart rather than true understanding, we are able to successfully recall the information when needed but may not necessarily be able to apply it in real-life situations (this approach can also can hinder our efforts towards an in depth understanding of a concept by creating the belief that we know how to go about it, when in reality we only know the information).

Limited Exposure: Sometimes, we simply do not have enough exposure to real-life situations in which we can apply what we learn. This can be particularly true for academic subjects, where the focus is often on theory rather than practice (use your imagination, give that brain a little hypothetical puzzle to solve).

Fear of Failure: Finally, fear of failure can also hold us back from applying what we learn in real life. We may worry that we will not be able to execute the concept correctly, leading to embarrassment or even negative consequences (there are books by stalwarts in the field around this but to add my 2 cents for now, it may be better to fail and re-learn/learn to apply it right, than never apply what you’ve learnt).

While there are many reasons why we struggle to apply concepts we learn, there are also many ways to overcome these barriers:

• One of the most effective strategies is to seek out opportunities to practice and apply what we learn, to real-world situations. By doing so, we can question what we know and develop a deeper understanding of the concepts to then build confidence in our ability to execute them effectively.
• Another approach to adopt is to ask yourself how you intend to apply the concept you are about to learn, why are you even learning it? It will help focus on how you’re consuming the incoming information for starters.

While you arm yourself with this titbit of information, I want to remind you that applying concepts to real life is a process that takes time, practice, and patience.