Want to hear a statement that holds many of us back?  It’s simple.  “I already know that.”  That statement holds us back because there is so much to learn by re-learning.  When we re-visit material that we read or listened to previously it can have so many powerful benefits.

For example, I recommend the book E-myth when I talk to new entrepreneurs.  It’s a powerful book that helps you understand how to set up your business for success.  In the course of my business life, I have probably read that book 7 or 8 times.  Each time I read it, I find that, as an entrepreneur, I am in a different part of the journey.  I take away different insights by reading the same book.

Here are a few things that happen when you re-learn.

You solidify your knowledge.

The most basic power of going over material that you already learned is that solidifies your knowledge.  To be honest, this is the worst thing that can happen.  You get a stronger grasp on the subject matter.  A great example of this is a new language.  I have an audiobook about learning Spanish.  While I have listened to it a couple of times, I am hardly a fluent speaker.  So each time I want to travel, it helps to go over the book and remind myself what I have already learned.

You remind yourself of things you should be doing.

One of my favorite quotes is “The greatest distance in the world is the distance between ‘I know’ and ‘I do.”  Why?  Because nearly all of us have things we know we should be doing…but we are not.  Re-learning is a great way to get that reminder again.

You get re-motivated to get back to basics.

Once you have that powerful reminder, I often find it motivates me to get put that knowledge to work.  It’s funny.  I already knew that I should be doing it (working out, sending thank you notes, making calls, whatever), but reconnecting with older principles it helped get me fired up to do it.  Sometimes we all need a reminder.  And often, that reminder can serve as motivation to get back after it.

You get new insights from old material

As I mentioned, sometimes when you reconnect the things you learned before, you find you are in a different place.  You have grown and changed…and that is a good thing.  But an interesting thing happens then.  You often see those teachings from a new and powerful perspective.  While the lesson might be old, your growth might be very new.

So don’t discount the power of re-learning.  When we keep ourselves open in those moments, we might be pleasantly surprised by what we learn…or re-learn.

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Kirby Hasseman is the CEO of Hasseman Marketing, a full-service marketing agency located in Ohio.  Learn more about Hasseman Marketing here.  And if you are interested in having him speak at your next event, you can learn more here.