For many years I have thought that if I know something, it does me no good to redundantly read the same information over and over again. For example, budgeting and saving money, they are both very simple concepts, with only a few constructs to them. There is not a huge variation of ways and means to live by a budget and to save money. I never saw any reason to keep learning the same thing over and over again.
It turns out that I was incorrect in my thinking. In the sense that I am seeking the instruction about budgeting and saving so that I can change my behavior, learning and knowing is not enough to change my behavior. I have to do more.
One of the ways that behavior change can be successful is if the desired behavior is reinforced over and over again. This is where the redundant learning becomes desirable. Yes I know HOW to save money and yet I do not, now I need to change my spending behavior and actually save the money. To this end re-reading and re-learning will help me change my behavior. It may be redundant, but this isn’t about what I know, or how smart I am. This is about changing behavior and that takes commitment and redundant reminders.
One Comment
Lynette
Wow, I really neede to read this to internalize the lessons I know about addiction, as I have failed (for about the 4th time) to quit smoking. I always think, “I know how to quit smoking, I’ve counseled people on quitting an addiction 1000 times, and quit heroin…I can do this”. But I don’t!