The 4 Factors of Learning – Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, and Habits (KASH)

Each individual has a set of unique characteristics and habits of learning that have taken them to where they are in their life. People often refer to KASH which is an abbreviation of knowledge, attitude, skills, and habits. These factors go hand-and-hand with how well we succeed in our personal and professional lives. However, we tend to confuse and use these phrases interchangeably.


Why should you care about these factors of learning? These factors of learning have a direct influence on your success and performance, so it’s important that we develop an understanding of the differences between these 4 factors of learning and how we can better cultivate them.



Knowledge are the things you know. Knowledge is different from skills in that it consists of the facts, information, or theoretical understanding of subjects. By acquiring knowledge your level of intelligence, wisdom and overall ability to understand social, economic and other various concepts improves. Building knowledge is a lifetime pursuit. Knowledge consists of everything you’ve managed to absorb from school, work, friends, and your environment.




  • Maintain a running document of what you have learned in your career and in life.
  • You can try posting about your discoveries on social media, record them in a journal, or a run a catalog of what you know and how it might improve your life.



quoteThis definition is the most nuanced and broad in its application. An important factor to consider when thinking about your attitude is that it isn’t necessarily about having a “good” or “bad” attitude, but how your awareness of your own outlook and state-of-mind on a given task influences your performance.

Attitude is one of the most important factors of learning because while knowledge and skills go a long way, attitude is what keeps you going. Attitude can also determine your level of enthusiasm, which is another key factor in staying motivated to expand your knowledge, attitude, skills, and habits.



Related Article: Techniques To Help You With Positive Thinking So You Can STD (Seize The Day)


  • Stay aware of your thoughts and your mental attitude.
  • Cultivate a positive mental attitude, by practicing activities that boost your self-esteem and promote your well-being.You can try meditation, exercise, healthy eating, or you can donate your time to a good cause.
  • Create relaxing spaces for you to work in and surround yourself with positive influences.



Skills are your ability to perform tasks. An individual acquires their skillsets through training, experience or natural abilities. Skills are different from knowledge because knowledge is a prerequisite to skills.

Skills and knowledge work together to create the overall excellence in your performance.

You must have the knowledge to perform skilled work, and you can’t perform skilled work without knowledge.


After you become proficient with the skills you have chosen to develop, you are now becoming your own master of success. You have become the teacher and not the student. Whether it’s the interpersonal skills you need to communicate with teammates, the skills needed to close a sale, or the time management skills required to complete your objectives and goals for a project, your skill sets help you execute actions to further your success.




  • Similar to knowledge, ask yourself what skills you have, what you might want to learn, and what skills you would like to improve.
  • The difference between talent and skills is hard work. Dedicate yourself to practicing your skills and improving them because hard work beats talent when talent refuses to work hard.
  • Don’t be shy. Look for a mentor or instructor that is willing to help you. They will access your skills, provide valuable feedback and ultimately improve your skills.






Habits consist of the tiny individual choices and behaviors we act out and repeatedly do with little to no effort. Great habits drive great performance. When combined with a positive mental attitude, the skills we practice eventually develop into habits. Positive habits are an important factor to develop because the personal payoff to your career and success are determined by your daily habits.

Related Article: 16 Things You Can Do To Stay Motivated


  • Set realistic practical goals that will help you build momentum towards accomplishing your short and long-term goals.
  • Think of these life goals as small daily, weekly and monthly steps. Don’t get overwhelmed by the end goal or objective. Focus on taking care of what needs to be done next. Chop your projects and workloads into smaller more manageable chunks. Discover what needs to be done next every day to help bring your goal a reality.
  • Celebrate your achievements. Accomplishing goals should not go unrewarded.
  • If you are having trouble changing or developing your habits. Start small, brush your teeth three times a day for 3-minutes. This sense of accomplishment, even though it is small, will help you retrain your brain to develop other habits in the future.


Generating More KASH


Knowledge and skills are mostly associated with learning. These two factors of learning are typically developed through teaching or experience. Whereas attitude and habits are factors associated with execution. These two are cultivated through good coaching.

Often times an individual’s success is dependent upon asking him or herself if acquiring new knowledge and skills is more vital to their success. You either lack knowledge and skills or you have poor habits and attitudes. Learning how to learn is an invaluable skill that will take you to new places and allow you to experience a more fulfilling life.





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