How To Integrate and Take Action on Knowledge From Courses, Events, and Retreats
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I recently attended a book festival. It was two very full days of workshops, author panels, and oodles of connections with other writers of all genres. Being in a space with so many other writers and potential writers was bliss.
I hadn’t gathered at a live, in-person, multi-day event in a few years, and it proved every bit as inspiring as I had hoped it would be. I’m making a note to myself to look for more events to speak at and attend. If you know of any that would satisfy my writing heart coming up in 2025, get in touch.
It was the first time I had my reMarkable tablet with me to take notes, and I'm glad I packed it because it made note-taking so easy and less fussy. There were no distracting page-flipping sounds or paper-ruffling, and there was no paper to lose or deal with when I returned home.
Going into the event, I knew I’d have lots to learn and people I’d want to connect with.
I used to return home from live experiences like this and jump right back into regular life without missing a beat. And that notebook filled with notes from the event sits unopened on my desk.
What’s the point of going to an event or taking a course if you’re not going to incorporate what you’ve learned and take action?
The same goes for any self-development book you read. Reading an inspiring book is great — but will you take action on it? If the book, course, or event changed nothing about your life, then it was worthless.
What you do before and after any learning experience is just as important as what you do there.
You can apply this advice to any learning situation where you want to truly integrate the wisdom — an online course, a one-day workshop, or a conference.
8 ways to prepare for a live learning experience:
Stay in communication.
Keep in touch with the organizers or course leaders and make sure you’re in the loop on events, changes, and any new opportunities. Are you getting emails? Do you need to sign into a membership portal?Connect with fellow participants in advance.
If there’s an opportunity to connect with people you’ll share the stage with, or if you’re an attendee, decide who you want to connect with. Make a list and start learning about these people. Follow them on social media and sign up for their newsletters. You can start reaching out in advance with a quick, “Hey, I’m excited to speak right after you at _____ event!”Block time on your calendar for the day after you return or finish the course.
Make space on your calendar to take at least one day off when you get home — certainly for logistical reasons like restocking the fridge, unpacking, laundry, and doing some batch cooking (I always come home and roast some potatoes).Carve out time for the week and a couple weeks after you finish.
Block a few hours on your calendar for the week you return home and another hour a week or two later to review your notes and follow up.Get to know the event schedule.
Review the event schedule and make sure you have time to reenergize at the start and end of each day (hermit and INFJ over here, so recharging alone is crucial for me).Make sure you’re well-nourished.
Since I eat plant-based and gluten-free and not a lot of processed crap, if I’m driving, I’ll often pack some food. It’s common to see me travel with my blender. I’ll also look for nearby grocery stores and juice bars to fuel my body with the extra nutrients. I often eat even healthier when I’m away from home because I know that all my systems will be challenged. If it’s an online learning experience (more likely the case for me), I make sure the house is well-stocked and my learning space is comfortable with everything I need within arms’ reach — notebooks, pens, candles, and hydration (electrolytes come in handy when you’re learning! I love this pina colada one from ReLyte).Move your body.
A stagnant body makes for a stagnant mind. Figure out where you can get some movement in — walking trails, time at lunch to walk around, hotel workouts, gyms — waking up to sit and listen to workshops and keynotes all day won’t support your optimal learning state. If you’re learning at home, keep some dumbbells and a rebounder nearby.Let the people you live with know what’s going on. Tell your family, partner, or roommates what you’ll be doing and for how long. Doing so sets firm boundaries about what you’ll be available for and what you won’t be available for. I love sharing what I’m up to with the kids so they can see that as a mom, wife, and business owner, I’m always learning and growing.
5 things to do during the learning experience to stay present
Write morning pages.
You’re going to be processing a lot — even as your conscious mind is trying to learn, your unconscious mind is doing much more — sifting through everything you’re experiencing to see what to keep and where to file that information. Morning pages give you a space to see what comes up, make sense of anything being illuminated, and clear out a cluttered mind to make way for new information and ideas.Rest.
Get as much rest as you can, knowing you’ll be more active and socializing more than usual. With this learning experience, is it more valuable to stay out late, get to know people, or go to bed early to recharge for the next day?Push your comfort zone.
You might notice that you gravitate toward the same handful of familiar faces each day. I get it. We want to feel safe, especially at an event away from home and stretched out of our comfort zone. Push yourself a little to get uncomfortable (that’s where the growth happens) and sit with some people you wouldn’t normally sit with. You never know where it will lead.Note important action items.
As you take notes, have a distinct way to record action items, like “look up book,” or “email that podcast host about being a guest.” I like to add a star to the action items so I can easily find them when I’m ready to take action.Put your phone away.
I get it; I can be socially awkward at times, and I value my quiet time. Rest assured, most people are also worried about being socially awkward, so they’re not focusing on you — but on themselves. Try simply saying “hi” or “we haven’t met yet” instead of hiding in your phone. Did you travel to this event to be on your phone or to meet people, make connections, and open your mind?
7 things to do after the learning event to make the most of the experience
Write morning pages.
Yes, keep writing them. You’re still processing a ton of new information and experiences. You might be surprised at what comes out on the page as you drop your filter. This is why we show up to the page — to process, see what’s in there for us, and dig up things we didn’t know were in there.Give yourself grace.
Even if you blocked time for integration and reviewing your notes when you returned, you might still be tired. Give yourself wide open space to do nothing. You’ll have more energy to review and take action later if you honor your need for rest now.Review your notes.
Read your notes with no other action planned — simply read them, then put them away. You can return to them later in the week or in a week or two for additional insights and to take action.Talk out your takeaways.
If you’re an external processor, talk out your takeaways into a transcription app. Then listen to the recording later or read your transcribed notes.Summarize your notes.
Write down your biggest takeaways in a new note in your notebook or create a document with that event name and move over only the notes you want to keep. You may have written things down in the moment that won’t mean anything later or are irrelevant. Here’s how to keep all those brilliant writing ideas organized.Write about a lesson to go deeper.
Many writers don’t know what they think about something until they write about it. Write a blog post, newsletter, or social media post about the event, summarizing your key lessons.Schedule your action steps.
Write your action steps, list people to connect with, emails to send, and books to order. Add them to your task list, 12-week plan, or calendar.
When you slow down your consumption rate, you might discover that you have a greater capacity for retaining information, creativity, and focus. If you’re only going to an event just to get out of the house, then skip all these steps. I’m guessing you’re reading this because you want to take inspired action. Leaving those notebooks you excitedly scribbled in to collect dust probably doesn’t appeal to you. Instead, take this advice with you for every conference you attend and course you take.
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