When you implement as you learn, you don’t give the courses you purchase time to gather digital dust.
We’ve talked before about using the courses and bundles you buy when you get them, and how important it is not to let them gather digital dust.
But there’s another kind of dust that can gather when it comes to using what you buy. And that’s in the implementation of what you’re learning. If you spend all of your time learning and none of it actually doing what you learn, you’re filling your brain with what I’m going to call “mental dust” and that can lead to feelings of overwhelm and frustration.
Here’s the thing… whether you learn best by seeing, hearing, or touching new material, there are universal practices that help all of us absorb material and benefit from it right away. Acting on what you learn and using the material in practical ways helps your brain internalize the content. If you apply this to the courses you buy and take for your business, implementing it as quickly as possible makes it easier to connect the content to your business and make it work for you.
Here are 4 reasons why you might want to implement as you learn:
Reason #1: Overwhelm is Real
If you try to do all the learning at once, you can end up both overwhelmed and in a perpetual state of analysis paralysis. How many times have you walked away or gotten frustrated because you just don’t know where to start?
Starting a course at the beginning and implementing as you go is a healthier and better way to take on a course. Start from the beginning and absorb the information one step at a time and translate what you’ve learned to your business. When you feel like you have a good handle on what you’ve learned so far, then add more information or take on another step in the course. The more you use the material the more normal it will feel, and you’ll see the benefits in your business.
Resource: If you need help tackling overwhelm in your business check out my friend Jan’s course – Freedom from Overwhelm*
Reason #2: Evaluate as You Go
When it comes to courses, there is no one size fits all. And each person who uses a course is going to apply it in different ways to their own business. And, dare I say, that not all of the courses you buy are going to be a good fit for your business.
When you act on and implement as you learn new material it can help you to see rather quickly how well a particular lesson is working for you. Making time to evaluate the data from implementing the material helps you make important decisions.
Taking action quickly can help you reach your goals quicker and see the progress you desired when you purchased or signed up for the course. By the same token, it can also let you know when you need to tweak things a little to fit your particular business model.
Reason #3: You can take what you need and leave the rest
This is something I’ve learned from experience and that a lot of course providers won’t tell you. Do not be afraid to take what you need out of a course, tweak what you can, and leave the rest behind. Only you know how well something is working for your business, and I don’t know about you, but I’m not into doing things for negative results just because someone else says you should!
When you implement as you learn, it makes it much easier to see exactly what works for your business and what you should be leaving behind.
Reason #4: Break the Cycle of Learning without Implementing
Too many people (me included) get stuck in the cycle of taking class after class and never doing anything with them. It’s almost like the learning itself becomes a hobby or form of entertainment rather than a business tool. Getting into the habit of taking a course and implementing it quickly can break the cycle of learning and leaving the content on the table.
The bottom line is, if you are spending time to learn something new, the best thing you can do is implement as you learn the material. Taking small steps as a course unfolds allows you to get comfortable with new material and apply it to your business. Rather than feeling overwhelmed with the whole thing or even forgetting what you’ve learned, taking consistent action will help you get the most out of the training you’ve invested in.