We learn by doing things, not merely by thinking about them (unless the process of thought is itself the thing to be done).
Learning by doing refers to a theory of education expounded by American philosopher John Dewey. It's a hands-on approach to learning, meaning students must interact with their environment in order to adapt and learn
This has significant consequences for how we teach in the classroom. The time students learn is when they do the work, not when they listen to the teacher. Teaching should take the form of inspiration, activity and reflection.
What We Learn When We Learn by Doing
John Dewey remarked in 1916, in his book, Democracy and Education: "Why is it that, in spite of the fact that teaching by pouring in, learning by passive absorption, are universally condemned, that they are still so entrenched in practice? That education is not an affair of "telling" and being told, but an active constructive process, is a principle almost as generally violated in practice as conceded in theory. Is not this deplorable situation due to the fact that the doctrine is itself merely told? But its enactment in practice requires that the school environment be equipped with agencies for doing ... to an extent rarely attained."
Humans are natural learners. They learn from everything they do. When they watch television, they learn about the day's events. When they take a trip, they learn about how to get where they are going and what it is like to be there. This constant learning also takes place as one works. If you want an employee to learn his job, then, it stands to reason that the best way is to simply let him do his job. Motivation is not a problem in such situations since employees know that if they don't learn to do their job well, they won't keep it for long.
Whatever you want to learn, the best way to learn is to just begin. Writing, design, coding, teaching - do the thing more to do it better.
Want to speak French? Start speaking French. Practical apps like #Duolingo are one way to do this, but they are not a substitute for talking to people who speak to you in French.
Want to learn to write? Then write.
We do need to balance this by checking on our Intuition pumps, but this is to optimise what we are doing. Maintenace should not be the primary activity.