Babies don’t learn to walk by reading a book, and you didn’t learn to ride a bicycle by studying a manual. Read on — you don’t want to learn about learning the hard way.

The greatest teacher is “Mother Nature” herself. The best lessons aren’t found in textbooks but out in the open wilderness.

Except for humans, all other animals learn by doing it. They stumble, get back up, and keep trying until they get it right.

Is learning by doing truly the best approach? Let’s explore further.

Professor Jerry Uelsmann once set up a unique grading scheme: one option was to earn an A+ by producing a single perfect clay cup by the end of the term; the other was to earn an A+ by producing 100 clay cups of any quality.

So, which group do you think ended up with the perfect grades?

Interestingly, the highest-quality cups came from the "quantity" group. This group jumped in and started making clay cups immediately.

With each cup, they improved, refining their technique and learning through each iteration. By the 100th cup, they had mastered their craft.

Meanwhile, the "quality" group spent the term waiting for inspiration, reading, theorizing, and seeking perfection. In the end, they had little to show.

Reading or thinking won’t yield results unless you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and put ideas into action.

There is no point in “Doing” unless one understands the difference between Iteration and repetition.

Iteration results in a marginally better outcome than the previous one while repetition is doing the same thing over and over.

Take a moment to step back and think before jumping into action

Truth be told, I used to wait for the perfect moment to start writing, only to realize that there’s no such thing. The goal is to iterate and fail forward.

Note: My blogs are “Notes to Self”—a way to bookmark inspirations, learning, and random ponderings.

Read all my “Notes to Self” at view all blogs.