Fierce Encouragement

Stop Collecting Wisdom, Start Living It

• Mark Walker • Season 2 • Episode 38

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Why we keep buying books... and still feel stuck.

Ever found yourself knee-deep in new ideas—but no closer to living them?
 In this episode, Mark pulls back the curtain on our obsession with learning more… and the quiet art of doing something with what we already know.

We explore:

  • The neuroscience of anticipation and why it’s more addictive than actual results
  • Why our messy minds crave more tabs instead of more traction
  • The simple, bold framework for turning knowledge into momentum: the 7-Day Application Sprint

You’ll also get a short breathing practice to anchor one idea—and a challenge to finally ship something you’ve been sitting on.

“Learning is potential energy.
 Application is kinetic.”
 — Coach Mark Walker


Listen in and take the first breath toward action.
Then grab your free checklist here! (No sign up required.)

Speaker 1:

Hey there, this is Mark. This is the podcast called Fierce Encouragement. It's great to have you with us and if you're new here, this is the podcast where we talk about how to be a little more compassionate with ourselves, a little more courageous in how we show up in our day to day, especially how we talk to ourselves, because I've found in my journey that that's the hardest thing that I've had to deal with that inner voice, that inner language, and then learning from it and growing from it. So Fierce Encouragement is about that helping you take those next steps, feeling more plugged in, balanced in your life. Today, I wanted to invite you to picture me at the Madison Public Library again. Invite you to picture me at the Madison Public Library again.

Speaker 1:

And here I was sliding a hardback across the scanner as I purchased a few books that were on sale from the library. And I was thinking to myself while I was buying the book yep, this is the one that'll change everything. This cover I love this cover this book on productivity is going to be the one that's going to alter my summer. But by the time I reached the exit, I already felt it. I felt that hangover that comes from buying more information, more learning, instead of just living with it and putting it into practice. Why do we hoard ideas? Well, nobel laureate Herbert Simon warned us years ago, quote a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention. Unquote. I've been a little bit spiritually poor this week. There's been courses in my inbox, lots of tasks that I have to get done, multiple tabs open and almost multiplying like rabbits on my screen. You know too many tabs open on that browser and get this. I'm not sure if you heard of the study from Queens University, but they clocked the human mind at about 6,200 thoughts per day, 6,200 thoughts we have in our brains every day. I don't know how they measure that, maybe it's still electric signals or something, but it's no wonder that our inner mind, our inner feed of information, feels so jam-packed. But here's a really big kicker those dopamine spikes that we crave. Well, they hit harder during the anticipation part of the whole process than the reward itself. So when I buy another book, that feels like progress for me and that's a creepy place to be, as I consider it for me, the science of anticipation I think it's cool to nerd out here for a few seconds. Mid-brain dopamine neurons they fire the most intensely right before the cookie touches your tongue, right when your brain predicts that the pleasure is imminent. What's the translation there for us? We get chemically high on that future Mark. Then present Mark has to do all the reps, and sometimes he's tired. Then present Mark has to do all the reps, and sometimes he's tired.

Speaker 1:

Cal Newport called this out in his great book Deep Work. He said, quote to learn hard things quickly, you must focus intensely, without distraction. Unquote. And Tim Ferriss shared something similar as well. He said, quote being busy is a form of laziness, lazy thinking and indiscriminate action unquote.

Speaker 1:

Here's a tool I wanted to share. I think it's the two-to-one tool that really applies for me, especially as it goes with creating and consuming. So here's the tool For every two hours you consume content, spend one hour shipping something. Get that writing post done and pushed published on. Get the podcast episode out, mark. Get a sales call in. Get a messy live stream going on.

Speaker 1:

Anything that uh could help us leave uh that hurt and encourage ourself a little bit more and hits the world in a positive way. Let's lock it in with a 60 second meditation right now. To begin with, I want you to exhale everything. When you inhale, I want you to label it taking in. I want you to feel the expansion in your belly when you exhale. Label it giving out. Picture your idea of landing in someone's life with a positive effect. Now repeat this for a few more breaths.

Speaker 1:

Research shows mindfulness amplifies our follow-through on our healthy behaviors and it helps tune. But what if you miss that ratio? I want you to cue up those shame gremlins that are so easy and come into our minds so quickly. Dr Kristen Neff offers an antidote Quote. At the most basic level, self-compassion simply requires being a good friend to ourselves. Unquote Self-compassion research says more and more is a proven shield against chronic shame that can overpower our mind and our life. So if you slip from an application or practicing mode back into your Amazon shopping cart mode, catch it, take a few breaths and talk friendly to yourself, like you would a young child or a dear, dear friend.

Speaker 1:

So your challenge, your task this week or today or in this next few minutes, is to take one book or one course, one podcast, one article that you've half digested and spend a good 50 or 60 minutes shipping something that inspired you in it. What could you give and create and share? And being inspired as a creator to give to others, then DM me, shoot me back a text, let me know the result, or just get in touch with me. I would love to hear how your experiment went and I can spotlight a few of those on the next show when we get into more about our messy mind and how we can make each messy day a masterpiece day. So I would love to hear back from you and if you need a template on how to get really good at applying a seven-day application style sprint checklist, check out the show notes in the email and you can sign up and grab that there.

Speaker 1:

But until then, I want you to remember learning is potential energy. Application is that kinetic, felt energy, and then it's our responsibility to keep it moving and keep it going and to encourage ourselves fiercely. Especially when we feel doubt and hesitation and that nagging inner voice telling us we're not good enough. It's so important to fiercely encourage ourselves and know that you're not alone. So keep it moving, keep learning, keep applying it. Friends, and I really appreciate you wherever you're at. Have a good day, a good evening, and we'll see you next time on Fierce Encouragement.