The inter 'guru' net
This mornings blog comes from a frustration that I have had with many subjects and I see it pervading through WA. Now, the intent is good and noble and we all want to teach but as a relative 'newbie' I find myself lost in the guru-net quite often.
When I learned the guitar a while back I took an an on line course with a book, I soon found myself following links to web sites, then buying new books, then 2 new guitars and speakers. Soon I wondered if I wasn't getting it all. I am a sucker for knowledge and felt I was missing it all. In the end because I felt I was missing so much I slowed up and then gave up. I wonder now, how good I would have been now had I just followed my original course and my original book.
The same applied when I first became a dentist, I wanted to know it all, I wanted to go on all the best courses because I felt I was missing out on important knowledge. I built a practice, then wanted two. I purchased all the latest and greatest equipment, not good. I went on courses and attended the 2 most prestigious courses in the states only to be in debt to the tune of $120 000 dollars.
I see it here too. I was happily, slowly learning, then you follow a link maybe bookmark a course or two, follow another link which goes to a video which sends you an e-book, great, I will bookmark that for later. Somebody happily says something in chat and you think "hmmm I dont know that" so off you go on a search for new plug-ins or similar. before long you are lost in a sea of notes, courses and movies.
Now, all this is fine and knowledge is fantastic but be careful that you stay on track and keep learning the basics.
It is very tempting to leave the path and begin doing other things and learning this and learning that but stay true to your original reason. Build the website and write the articles and get it going.
Personally, I stalled because I was tempted to learn so much and the more you learn, the more you realise how much you don't know and therefore you tend to quit with 'overload syndrome'
Be careful of the inter-guru net, once in its web you may be lost forever and learn nothing and no-one will hear you scream!!!
God Bless
MikeyB
Recent Comments
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I know what you mean. I have been there and to some extent still am buying new information from time to time and it keeps me from acting on what I know. I have quit buying so much new things like I did for awhile. I can't afford to keep buying and then not earning anything, but I am determined that I will learn and earn here as this is a good place to learn and also to get help. I like your last line. How true.
How true, Mike - I've gathered more information on how to do all manner of things than I can poke a stick at. Retention rate? Action rate? Woeful, to say the least, on both counts. I've taken a leap without learning how to walk properly first - which hasn't landed me where I was hoping to be. If I was ever sure where that was! :) george
Very true indeed. We are trying to do two things at once, learn and do. We can't do till we have learned how but we can't just spend all our time learning. Not if you want to make some money anyway. You have to implement the learning. Tough balance to get right.
I would think that most of us here have gone through this phase at one time or another. I personally see nothing wrong with this as long as it runs parallel to the main task which is getting the web site up and writing articles. I still (after 18 months) spend time looking at new writings, and ideas because we all need to expand our knowledge base. Taking a self disciplined approach of setting targets to get the two key tasks of web site and articles done in a certain time will enable you to judge how much effect this extra work which you describe is having. If you don't take this approach of monitoring progress then you will inevitably reach the stage of achieving very little and wondering why?
Hudson
yes, shiny object syndrome, I know it well. I am the same, I always want to learn more and sometimes it becomes overwhelming.
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You must have been following me around this place. It's so easy to be side-tracked by someone's blog or a new training being announced. I'm the kind of person who wants to understand it all-------RIGHT NOW! Of course that's unrealistic, but there are many times that I must look like a spinning top in the middle of a myriad of tempting offers of information. I just don't know which one to follow next.
Then I wake up and get back to my certification lessons and realize that's where I need to focus until I finish getting my website structured and working for me.
Thanks for the re-focus, Mikey!
Pat