The Learning Style That School Never Taught
How I Stopped Fighting My Brain and Started Using Itle to Success
For most of my life, learning didn't come easy—not because I couldn't grasp concepts, but because of how they were presented.
In middle and high school, I struggled. Lectures blurred together, and pages of dense text left me restless. I wasn't "bad" at school, but I looked like I was, because my brain simply couldn't lock in through that format.
But when I had the chance to learn by doing, something flipped.
In music class, home economics, or science labs, I thrived. Give me trial and error, let me touch and test and fail and try again—that's when my mind lit up.
College was a little better. Different styles of learning meant I could find my way through. But I still hit the same wall in lecture-heavy courses. My focus drifted, my grades showed it, and underneath it all was a constant thought: maybe something's wrong with me.
That belief stuck for a long time—until recently.
What I've come to realize is that this story isn't unique to me. It's the story of every entrepreneur, creator, or business owner who's ever felt like traditional learning methods don't fit their brain. We've been carrying around this belief that we're somehow deficient when really, we're just different.
What Your Learning Struggles Really Mean (It's Not What You Think)
Here's what I realized was actually happening: the issue wasn't my capacity to learn. It was the assumption that there's only one "right" way to absorb information.
Traditional education systems are built around passive consumption:
Sit still and listen quietly
Read lengthy texts without interaction
Absorb information in predetermined formats
Hope your brain magically retains everything
"But here's the thing about that approach: it only works for a specific type of learner."
The rest of us get labeled as distracted, difficult, or simply not smart enough. We internalize that message and carry it into our adult lives, where we continue to force ourselves through learning methods that drain our energy instead of amplifying our natural abilities.
The real problem isn't that some of us can't learn—it's that we've been trying to force our square-peg brains into round-hole systems.
In a world where staying current with industry knowledge, new tools, and evolving strategies is essential for business success, this mismatch isn't just frustrating. It's actively limiting our potential in ways we don't even realize.
Most people are fighting the wrong battle entirely. They're trying to fix themselves instead of finding the right tools.
How I Used AI to Transform My Learning Process (Step-by-Step)
Now, with AI in the mix, I've realized it wasn't me that was broken. It was the one-size-fits-all way I'd been taught to learn.
When I face a 20-minute lecture or a long article, I don't have to force myself through it anymore. I can drop it into an AI tool and ask for the key takeaways. From there, I can build: asking follow-up questions, creating quizzes, and testing myself in ways that feel active.
Watch me demonstrate exactly how I use ChatGPT to transform complex content into formats that match different learning styles - from visual diagrams to interactive quizzes to hands-on exercises. You'll see the actual prompts and responses that turn passive content into active learning.
Instead of battling my way through dense material, I realized I already had everything I needed—curiosity, the ability to ask good questions, and a preference for interactive learning. The missing piece was simply a bridge between how information was presented and how my brain wanted to process it.
I started with one small experiment: taking a business article I'd been avoiding and feeding it to ChatGPT with a simple prompt. What worked was immediate—I understood the content better in two minutes than I had in twenty minutes of forcing myself to read.
Here's what surprised me: this approach actually deepened my understanding. Because I could ask follow-up questions and test my comprehension in real-time, I retained more than I ever had with passive reading.
The breakthrough moment came when I stopped seeing AI as a shortcut and started seeing it as a translator—converting information from formats that drain me into formats that energize me.
My next move was to stop apologizing for how my brain works and start designing my learning around it, rather than against it.
AI Learning Prompts That Work for Every Learning Style
Here's the exact prompt I use when I'm stuck with dense content:
"I learn best through interaction and application. Please break this [article/video/concept] down into:
1) The core idea in one sentence
2) Three key points with real-world examples
3) Two questions I should ask myself to apply this"
This aligns with what Tiago Forte writes about in Building a Second Brain—that our minds are designed to connect new information to existing knowledge through active engagement, not passive absorption.
For your specific learning style, try these variations:
Visual learners: "Create a simple diagram, flowchart, or visual representation of this concept"
Kinesthetic learners: "Give me three hands-on exercises or activities to practice this skill"
Auditory learners: "Rewrite this as a conversation or dialogue between two people discussing the topic"
Reading/writing learners: "Create a structured summary with headers, bullet points, and action items"
My Complete Learning Toolkit:
Information Processing: Paste dense content + ask for breakdown in my preferred format
Comprehension Testing: "Quiz me on this material" or "Give me a scenario to apply this concept"
Retention Building: "Help me create analogies for this concept using [topic I'm already familiar with]"
Application Focus: "What are three ways I could apply this in my business this week?"
Visual Creation: "Turn this into a simple infographic or step-by-step visual guide"
The tool that made the difference: ChatGPT as a learning translator. Instead of fighting the original format, I use AI to convert information into the style my brain actually craves.
Key insight: These aren't crutches. They're amplifiers. I'm not avoiding learning—I'm optimizing it.
Why Learning Style Adaptation Matters for Business Success
This isn't just about individual learning struggles—it's about recognizing that adaptation is a strength, not a weakness.
According to research from the National Center for Education Statistics, over 40% of adults struggle with traditional learning formats, yet most business education still relies on lecture-heavy, passive consumption models. This explains why so many capable entrepreneurs and creators feel behind when it comes to staying current with industry knowledge.
The same principle applies to:
Staying current with industry trends without information overwhelm
Learning new tools and technologies at your own pace
Processing client feedback and market research in actionable ways
Absorbing business education that actually sticks
Onboarding team members with different learning preferences
"In a rapidly changing business landscape, the ability to quickly translate new information into actionable insights isn't just helpful—it's essential."
Many successful entrepreneurs I know have similar stories. They struggled in traditional educational settings but excel when they can customize their approach to match their thinking style. The difference now is that technology has democratized this customization.
Consider how this applies to your business growth. Instead of forcing yourself through every industry report or sitting through webinars that don't match your learning style, you can use AI to transform that information into formats that actually stick.
The broader pattern here: when we stop trying to fit into systems and start building systems that fit us, everything changes.
30-Minute AI Learning Experiment You Can Try Today
Pick one piece of content you've been avoiding—maybe it's an industry report, a training video, or even a book chapter that's been sitting in your "someday" pile.
Here's your 30-minute experiment:
Identify your learning preference (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or reading/writing)
Open ChatGPT and paste your content with this prompt: "I learn best through [your preference]. Please help me understand this material by [specific request: creating examples, breaking it into questions and answers, making it actionable, etc.]"
Spend 15 minutes engaging with the AI's response—ask follow-up questions, request clarification, or have it quiz you on the material
Create one actionable item from what you learned to implement in your business this week
Notice the difference in your comprehension and retention compared to your usual approach
Pay attention to:
How engaged your brain feels during the process
How much you retain without forcing yourself to focus
Whether you feel energized or drained by the experience
How quickly you can move from understanding to application
This isn't about replacing deep thinking with shortcuts—it's about removing barriers so your natural thinking can happen.
From Learning Struggle to Learning Success: Your Next Steps
That constant thought that maybe something was wrong with me? It's gone.
Not because I changed how my brain works, but because I stopped trying to force it into systems that never fit.
The real shift isn't just about technology—it's about permission. Permission to learn the way that actually works for you, rather than the way you think you should. Permission to see your learning differences as strengths, not deficits.
Here's what I'm curious about: what would change in your work or business if you stopped fighting your natural learning style and started designing around it instead?
The tools are here. The question is whether we're ready to let go of the idea that there's only one "right" way to absorb and apply new information.
If this resonates and you're ready to stop fighting your brain's natural learning style, let's explore what's possible when you start working with it instead of against it.