Why Habits Kill Learning

The Smartest People Relearn Constantly

Hi, this is Ray. Today, I want to talk to you about one of the most common mistakes smart people make when they try to learn something new.

They confuse habit with learning.

This confusion feels small, but it creates a massive gap between people who grow continuously and those who plateau quickly.

Let me show you how it works and how to avoid it.

Your Brain Wants Easy Wins

Your brain is smart, but also lazy. That’s not an insult. It’s by design. The human brain is wired to conserve energy. So once it detects a pattern it can repeat without much effort, it automates it.

That’s a habit.

Habits are useful in daily life. You don’t want to spend 10 minutes thinking about how to tie your shoes. You just do it.

But when you’re trying to learn, this tendency becomes a trap. The brain tricks you into thinking, “I’ve got this,” when really, you’ve just memorized a surface-level routine.

This is especially dangerous for professionals. You read a new business strategy, implement it once, and because it felt smooth or familiar, you move on. But smooth often means shallow.

Real learning is messy. It’s uncomfortable. It slows you down.

And that discomfort is actually a signal that your brain is building new connections.

When Practice Stops Working

You’ve probably heard that practice makes perfect. But that’s not always true. If your practice is too comfortable, it stops producing results.

Let’s say you’re learning Spanish using flashcards. You run through the same deck every day. At first, you struggle. After a few days, you feel confident.

But what’s really happening is your brain is memorizing the order of the cards, not the words themselves. You’re not learning. You’re running a habit loop.

This is called fluency illusion. You feel like you know the material because it’s familiar, but you can’t apply it outside of that narrow context.

To break this cycle, you need variation. You need friction. You need to force your brain to work.

The 3-Part Learning Filter

Here’s a simple test to make sure you’re actually learning something.

1. Can you explain it to someone else without notes?

2. Can you apply it in a new context or situation?

3. Can you do it when it’s hard, inconvenient, or noisy?

If you can’t do all three, go back and work on it again. Shift the format. Add stress. Remove the support tools. Do something that forces your brain to reprocess the information.

This is called active recall, and it’s one of the most effective learning techniques we know.

Use Information That Challenges You

One of the biggest mistakes I see is people consuming content that confirms what they already know. That’s not learning. That’s ego-padding.

You need sources that make you stop and think. That throw a wrench in your current understanding.

That’s one of the reasons I recommend Morning Brew. It’s a free daily business newsletter that’s actually worth your time. It’s sharp, it’s fast, and it introduces ideas you didn’t know you needed to consider.

Each edition gives you something useful, whether you’re building a business or just trying to stay sharp.

I read it every morning to make sure I’m not slipping into autopilot. You should too.

Come for the news, stay for the laughs

Morning Brew isn’t just any newsletter—it’s your free shortcut to business news that actually matters. Fast, fun, and—dare we say—enjoyable.

No fluff, no jargon, and it takes less time to read than it does to brew your coffee (unless you’ve got a Keurig—then you might get to enjoy your Morning Brew with your actual brew).

Join over 4 million professionals who read it daily. Delivered bright and early, it’s news on your time—whether you read it when you wake up, over lunch, or before bed.

Try Morning Brew for free

How to Replace Habits with Learning

Here are five ways to make sure you’re learning instead of just reinforcing habits:

1. Switch your format. If you usually read, try listening or speaking aloud. Force your brain to translate across formats.

2. Add stress. Try learning or explaining the material under a small time limit, or in a public setting.

3. Ask questions. Don’t just absorb. Interact with the material. Ask what’s missing, what’s wrong, and what’s next.

4. Test yourself. Don’t re-read your notes. Hide them. Then explain what you remember. This shows you the gaps.

5. Apply immediately. The faster you use what you learn, the more likely it will stick.

One More Thing About Being Wrong

Most people hate being wrong. But the best learners are wrong all the time. Not because they’re careless, but because they’re testing, pushing, and rethinking constantly.

Learning isn’t about collecting facts. It’s about changing how you think.

The more often you’re willing to update your understanding, the faster you grow.

This is what separates lifelong learners from people who just sound smart at parties.

Your Brain Needs Better Input

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably serious about learning. So make sure you’re giving your brain better input.

Here’s your learning checklist for this week:

• Interrupt one habit. Change how you normally consume or review something.

• Explain one new idea to someone else. No notes.

• Subscribe to one high-quality input source. Morning Brew is a good start.

• Test yourself. Don’t just rewatch or reread. Test what you remember.

• Track your friction. If something feels hard, lean into it. That’s where the learning is.

That’s it. Make one small change today, and your brain will thank you tomorrow.

Talk soon,
Ray

Citations

1. Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. https://www.belmont.edu/academics/_files/make-it-stick.pdf

2. Duhigg, C. (2014). The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. https://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/

3. Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Romer, C. (1993). The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance. Psychological Review. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.100.3.363