It arrives in your inbox in the dark of night. You open it. It’s an invitation to join a teleseminar. Your eyes light up. Your pulse quickens. Without th
inking, you reach for your credit card.
As business owners we need to keep on top of a changing business climate. Things change so quickly, there are internet marketers who’ve been in business five years who are considered veterans.
Whether it’s technology, marketing, finance or your particular industry, workshops – whether virtual or in-person – are a great way to learn the latest information.
Sure you could learn most of what you need from a book, but there’s nothing like attending a group. You meet new people, learn from each other, and are motivated in ways a book can never quite achieve.
So what’s wrong with workshops? If the instructors are knowledgeable and you’re learning new things, what’s wrong with taking new workshops?
Nothing, if you are actually implementing everything you’ve already learned. The problem begins when you start taking so many courses you never get a chance to actually put in place what you’re learning.
Recently it almost happened to me. I got an email for a virtual course I’d heard about before. I know people who’ve taken it and gotten great results. I’ve even got the live version of this course marked on my calendar for later this year.
So when I got this email, I became excited. I knew and trusted the presenter, liked previous material I’d purchased from them and I knew I’d learn something. But the price tag was pretty hefty; a little more than I could easily manage right now.
I mentioned I was considering this course to a colleague who asked if I really needed it. I paused. In September 2007 I had just completed a one-year, very pricey coaching program. I had just in January finished a less pricey six-month program. While I’ve learned a lot from each of these programs, I haven’t finished implementing everything I’ve learned from those two.
Why was I considering starting a new program when I still had work to do from the last two?
Hello, I’m Andrea and I’m a workshop junkie.
They say the first step to recovery is recognizing you have a problem.
So, here it is, I’m making it public. No more courses, workshops, coaching programs or teleseminars until I’ve actually completed the previous two.
Would I learn something new from the one I just passed up? Undoubtedly. Would I earn more money if I implemented what I learned? You betcha.
But truthfully, I will still earn considerably more money this year just by implementing what I’ve learned from the last two courses. And I won’t be out the hefty price of a new course.
Learning more is great – if we don’t keep up we can fall hopelessly behind. But implementation is the key. If you’re continually taking workshops but never using what you’ve learned, maybe you’re a workshop junkie too.
Andrea J. Stenberg
