Richard Feynman, one of the great physicists of the 20th Century, had a simple method for understanding new concepts.
When someone is explaining something: keep creating examples.
When we create examples, we get to test how well we understand a topic. And if the first example doesn’t make sense, create more.
Without examples, we risk only having a superficial understanding; which can lead to poor decisions, and wasted work.
So how does this work in practice?
I used to work at Bulb, a renewable energy company in the UK. Energy is complicated. Kilowatt hours, standing charges, and location-based tariffs can be confusing.
So when I joined the company, I tried to take abstract energy concepts and understand what they meant for a single customer.
For example, instead of thinking about energy consumption fluctuating throughout the year in kilowatt hours, I created the example of a family using more energy in the winter to heat their home, and less energy in the summer when the weather is warmer. Through this method, I developed a better understanding for how energy consumption changes throughout the year.
Give it a try. Next time you need to understand something new, be willing to step out and create many examples.