Don’t Fall into the Learning Trap
Here’s something that I used to do that hurt me.
Learning is a very, very important component of success, but too much acquisition of new knowledge over a short time span can be highly detrimental to your health and forward progress.
Learn what you need to know right now, then implement what you learned into action.
Don’t fall into the learning trap.
Falling into and running on the learning trap treadmill can deeply set you back, and lead to an inordinate wasting of weeks (and even months) of your precious time.
Don’t Follow Those Shiny Objects
We live in a world where we are bombarded by millions of shiny objects per second. Over 2 billion new You Tube videos are uploaded every day. There are over 500 million blogs. It’s an ever-expanding universe of content.
Today there is just too much cacophonous noise in the world. The distractions are endless.
Personally I know that I am a creative who has many diverse interests. This is both a blessing and a curse.
One of the most essential skills we all need to acquire is to develop a laser focused discernment for what are the most important skills we currently own we can take action on today that will move us forward.
In short, find your niche.
Here are the 6 most essential components of this decision-making process I have found to answer this most important question:
- Where do my true passions lie?
- What are emerging industries with the most demand in the current market?
- Is there a niche I can serve within this market that intersects these top 2 points?
- Do I currently own the skill sets to create a thriving business around this niche?
- Is it realistic that I can acquire such skill sets soon to compete in this industry?
- Is this even something I want to do?
There is one caveat however. For most of us, answering where to take action usually is driven by what will be making us money, but this is too narrow.
Advancement can mean many things to different people, not only the immediate actions that will earn us the most money. It can also mean personal quality of life, sublime satisfaction, and spiritual fulfilment for many. So I will not lay down any prejudgment. Nor should you.
Regardless what your mission happens to be, one thing stands clear. After you define the “what” the “where”, and the “why”, you will need to focus only on 3 things.
Find 3 Things to Focus on 80% of Your Time
This is all you will need.
Define your 3 Things that will most quickly get you to your end goal – and form a habit of taking action continually on these 3 things for 80% of the time.
Right now, my 3 things are our podcast, my You Tube channel, and my MMO website. Developing new content, curating content, promoting content, creating strategic partnerships, doing research, and uncovering new opportunities in these areas takes up over 80% of my time.
The balance of the 20% of your time should be spent focusing on your other long-term interests, continual learning, signing up for new programs, etc.
However as I mentioned, defining your “top 3” is the most difficult part, especially for those who have diverse talents and interests.
So let me end this post with a question to you.
Can anyone offer insights from their own personal experience as to what has been their most effective approach they have taken to defining their own “Top 3”?
Cheers,
Kaju
Recent Comments
34
hello Kanju
A great collective of super important aspects of a business and how to manage your key goals.
As requested i would say though my goals are far from reached, it is evolving and in fact changing like a branch of a tree,
the same roots but the diversity of branches are the creative characteristic of my persona
I would say firstly that i don't believe anyone really ever reaches their goals in whatever they aimed for, they adapt and make allowances that is a happy medium in that journey.
If money is your only goal then yes you reach a certain level of satisfaction. but it's never enough and we want more.so doesnt by that very measure change the Goal?
I personally have focussed for 7 years on ecommerce attained a high and moved on.
I have traveled and worked abroad as a teacher several years, crucial at that time!
What my point is that as time progresses, that goal changes or evolves
Here in WA as a entrepreneur ,blogger, marketer, is different again
My focus is on delivering to my readers, quality, real life situations, useful practical advice and information.
Whatever comes next is secondary and i believe it will come all through the applied efforts and honesty.
Writing passion and creativity
This my desire to bring value to the passion i hold so others can enjoy. so content and topic is key [varied]
Consistency
Pedigree content
A perspective Only
A lot of time is on procuring material from personal experience, and supported with other concepts out there in the ethers
Partnerships involvement
Promoting in its Niche' through all sources
Youtube- videos and awareness
maybe in a few weeks or months that may change priorities or be deffered?
lol
chris
Whether long or short term, I've been taught and I tend to agree that goals need to be specific, such as a teacher's goal for a lesson; "I want my students to be able to... by the end of the lesson".
They need to be assessable and have a time frame.
One great help here is setting goals in Google Analytics, which was the subject of Jay's last webinar (a recording of which can be found in "Live Events")
A long term goal can even be broken down to steps along a timeline.
This was a great tool I used at university to avoid last-minute panic.
I had a calendar blown up and put it on the wall in front of my desk.
Failure was not an option.
I hope this helps.
Garry.
Very well-stated Garry.
Break down a long-term goal into shorter steps, but take action on those shorter steps once you grasp what you need to know.
Provided you have studied the next step and think you understand it well enough, do not delay taking action on it.
You will only truly learn it by doing it.
Kaju
Yes Chris, very true. Anyone who strives for success and has a passion is always evolving. Once a goal is attained, a new goal is set. That's the way it should be, and this is perpetual.
Implementing tasks toward success requires learning then taking consistent action. Wishing you continued success on your journey:)
Kaju
kanju
precisely and it does seem a focused task..lol
you are doing pretty well i expect to keep on trucking man
Chris
Glad to see you back. We were worried about you for a while although I've been gone too.
Anyway, "I am a creative who has many diverse interests" fits me to a tee as well. It's hard to focus but you have provided some excellent advice here.
~Debbi
Great to see you Debbi, and happy you are safe and doing well. Go figure, now there are surges everywhere else EXCEPT in the Northeast, and Gov. Cuomo has just executed a 14 day mandatory quarantine for those coming to New York, from Fla, Tx, and Arizona.
This is a strategy I had to adapt to myself, because my over curious mind would stray in different directions. It's working, and I see tremendous progress.
It's hard, but its the best way to make progress.
Take Care,
Kaju
ONLY!! I never thought I would say this because my interests are so diverse, but its made a difference.:)
See more comments
Really great advice!
It's so true. Spending our time being an eternal student does not advance our action towards something useful. We must have the courage to take action and avoid watching the bandwagon pass. It is only in this way that our life can take a positive turn. So despite the troubles the world is going through right now, taking action is a good way to feel useful and alive.
Friendly!!
Ingrid
I NEVER could have said this better myself Ingrid.
Kudos and Blessings:)
Kaju