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Have you ever said, “I’ve already taken that course,” or “I’ve already read that book”? I used to think that way too—until a recent drive back from Martha’s Vineyard changed how I look at learning. Somewhere between the ferry and getting stuck in New York traffic, I listened to a course about something called repeatable intellectual property. It’s a fancy phrase, but what it really means is this: when you revisit something valuable, you pull new meaning from it every single time. That hit me hard.
Most of us take a “one and done” approach to learning, including me. We check the box, move on, and assume we’ve mastered it. But that’s not how real growth works.
Repetition Isn’t the Enemy
The first time we engage with an idea, we only scratch the surface. We catch the basics, maybe even feel inspired. But the next time? That’s when we start connecting dots we didn’t even know were there. That’s what makes something repeatable instead of repetitive. Repetitive feels like busywork—doing the same thing over and over with no change. Repeatable means each round deepens your understanding. When I listened to that course again, I realized how much I’d missed the first time. Each pass peeled back a new layer, added nuance, and made the concept stick in a different way.
Lessons from the Court
If you know me, you know I always come back to sports. In volleyball, we don’t practice a skill once and call it done. We hit hundreds of balls in the same drill—not because we love doing the same thing, but because that’s how you make it repeatable. By the time it’s game day, your body knows what to do. That muscle memory is what shows up when it counts. The same thing happens in learning. You revisit the content, the conversation, the idea, and it starts to live in you differently. It becomes instinctive, not just intellectual.
Why It Matters for Identity and Inclusion
This idea is especially powerful when we’re talking about identity, equity, or inclusion. These aren’t one-time lessons. They’re lifelong practices. Each time you revisit a workshop, a conversation, or even your own experiences, you notice new patterns. You see yourself and others differently. You realize the first layer of understanding was just that—the first. Growth doesn’t happen in the checkbox phase. It happens when we come back and do the work again, and again, and again.
The Invitation
So here’s what I want you to take away: stop treating learning like a to-do list. Revisit that course. Re-listen to that podcast. Re-read that book. Not because you didn’t get it the first time—but because now, you’re ready to get more. Every time you return, you’ll peel back another layer. You’ll find new insight. You’ll see new connections. That’s what makes growth repeatable.
Listen to this episode of Five with Fry wherever you get your podcasts, and let’s talk about what happens when you stop checking boxes and start learning for real.
