“Learn how to properly merge onto the highway. Afterwards, there will be a multiple choice test.”

Or …

“Learn how to properly merge onto the highway. Afterwards, you’ll get behind the wheel and demonstrate what you’ve learned.”

The two are quite different.

Theory and practice. Paper tests and road tests. Learning to know and learning to do.

When we’re training in anticipation of imminent events, our motivation peaks and our focus sharpens.

In practice: when we really want to learn, it can help to put something on the calendar that gives us an opportunity to test our knowledge.

We can’t stay in the pages of the book; we have to get out onto the road.