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What if you already know enough?

Andy Black

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Tony Tong

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The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer.

A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free” content.)

You probably knew this right?


But here’s something I’ve noticed from PMs with a couple of thousand forum members:

Many of you don’t think you know enough to get started.

Many of you are constantly looking for something else to consume so you can finally become a producer.



I think the more insidious, hidden, danger of consuming is that it makes you think you don’t already know enough to start.



I always imagine a young lad knocking on the door with a lawnmower in tow.

“Hey mister. Do you need your grass cut?”

“Not today thanks.”

“No thanks. Maybe another time.”

“Oh wow. I was just thinking of finding someone to cut my grass. Yes please.”

(I live in a very polite little world.)



You know what that lad didn’t do?

He didn’t think:

“I better get a logo.”

“I better get a website.”

“I don’t know enough about cold calling.”

“I better go to the library and get a heap of books out on how to start a business.”

Here in this forum we’d call all of the above “action faking.”

Many of us know to give ourselves a stern talking to when we catch ourselves action faking.


But did you know the super dangerous rabbit-hole awaiting you if you set foot in the library?

“Oh boy. I didn’t realise I needed to know about marketing as well as just starting a business.”

“Uh-oh... I didn’t even know I needed to create avatars of my ideal customers before I go knocking on doors. What if I go round the wrong estate?”

“USP?! Whoa. I’m glad I came into the library today. I didn’t even know that I didn’t know about USPs.”

“Scaling? Growth? What’s that mean? Should I even try to start a grass cutting business?”

“OMG... look at all this stuff I didn’t know I needed to learn before I even step out of the house and speak to people this fine Saturday afternoon.”


I’m working with a career salesman at the moment. I’m hoping to onboard him so he can help me get more local service business clients.

He kept telling me of all the courses he’s been on and all the books he’s read.

That’s ok. I won’t hold that against him. He’s been a salesman over the course of 20 years, and been on the road most of that time.

“Dude. Don’t set “appointments”. Just meet for a chat over a coffee.”

“Dude. Don’t bring that hardback A4 book. Here, I got you a small black Moleskine.”


The best bit from one of our chats this week?

“Andy. This is great. I’m really enjoying just chatting to people. I love this word “chat”. I’m having to deprogramme myself from all that corporate bullshit I used to have to go through.”

Bingo!



Many of you are straight out of school or college.

You’ve been taught to consume and read your way out of problems.

You’ve been programmed whenever a new challenge comes up to instantly go searching for a book or course.

This is how deep the script has it’s claws in you. And the further you got into the education system the deeper those claws.

I get it. I was a good student. I got my degree. I worked a cubicle for nearly 2 decades. I took the courses. I Googled for “books on XYZ”. I took “evening classes on ABC”. I even decided I “needed” an MSc to get ahead.

I learned slowly that the lad with the lawnmower (who may very well have dropped out of school btw) was street-smart where I was book-smart.

And that he was streets ahead of me.



Then one day someone asked me a very simple question:

“Andy. What if you already know enough?”

Oh.


We all want to join team producer right? The best way is to produce more, not consume more.

What if you already know enough?



...

PS: This was all *produced* on my phone on a coach to the airport. It’s waaay easier than trying to do so on my phone on Facebook. Just saying.

PPS: I could have consumed a podcast for the hour, or I could have produced a post in that hour. I chose to gain clarity by producing, to help others by producing, and to not clutter up my head with yet more “knowledge”. I chose to clear my head not fill it.
This is ...GOLD.
 
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LiveEntrepreneur

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The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer.

A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free” content.)

You probably knew this right?


But here’s something I’ve noticed from PMs with a couple of thousand forum members:

Many of you don’t think you know enough to get started.

Many of you are constantly looking for something else to consume so you can finally become a producer.



I think the more insidious, hidden, danger of consuming is that it makes you think you don’t already know enough to start.



I always imagine a young lad knocking on the door with a lawnmower in tow.

“Hey mister. Do you need your grass cut?”

“Not today thanks.”

“No thanks. Maybe another time.”

“Oh wow. I was just thinking of finding someone to cut my grass. Yes please.”

(I live in a very polite little world.)



You know what that lad didn’t do?

He didn’t think:

“I better get a logo.”

“I better get a website.”

“I don’t know enough about cold calling.”

“I better go to the library and get a heap of books out on how to start a business.”

Here in this forum we’d call all of the above “action faking.”

Many of us know to give ourselves a stern talking to when we catch ourselves action faking.


But did you know the super dangerous rabbit-hole awaiting you if you set foot in the library?

“Oh boy. I didn’t realise I needed to know about marketing as well as just starting a business.”

“Uh-oh... I didn’t even know I needed to create avatars of my ideal customers before I go knocking on doors. What if I go round the wrong estate?”

“USP?! Whoa. I’m glad I came into the library today. I didn’t even know that I didn’t know about USPs.”

“Scaling? Growth? What’s that mean? Should I even try to start a grass cutting business?”

“OMG... look at all this stuff I didn’t know I needed to learn before I even step out of the house and speak to people this fine Saturday afternoon.”


I’m working with a career salesman at the moment. I’m hoping to onboard him so he can help me get more local service business clients.

He kept telling me of all the courses he’s been on and all the books he’s read.

That’s ok. I won’t hold that against him. He’s been a salesman over the course of 20 years, and been on the road most of that time.

“Dude. Don’t set “appointments”. Just meet for a chat over a coffee.”

“Dude. Don’t bring that hardback A4 book. Here, I got you a small black Moleskine.”


The best bit from one of our chats this week?

“Andy. This is great. I’m really enjoying just chatting to people. I love this word “chat”. I’m having to deprogramme myself from all that corporate bullshit I used to have to go through.”

Bingo!



Many of you are straight out of school or college.

You’ve been taught to consume and read your way out of problems.

You’ve been programmed whenever a new challenge comes up to instantly go searching for a book or course.

This is how deep the script has it’s claws in you. And the further you got into the education system the deeper those claws.

I get it. I was a good student. I got my degree. I worked a cubicle for nearly 2 decades. I took the courses. I Googled for “books on XYZ”. I took “evening classes on ABC”. I even decided I “needed” an MSc to get ahead.

I learned slowly that the lad with the lawnmower (who may very well have dropped out of school btw) was street-smart where I was book-smart.

And that he was streets ahead of me.



Then one day someone asked me a very simple question:

“Andy. What if you already know enough?”

Oh.


We all want to join team producer right? The best way is to produce more, not consume more.

What if you already know enough?



...

PS: This was all *produced* on my phone on a coach to the airport. It’s waaay easier than trying to do so on my phone on Facebook. Just saying.

PPS: I could have consumed a podcast for the hour, or I could have produced a post in that hour. I chose to gain clarity by producing, to help others by producing, and to not clutter up my head with yet more “knowledge”. I chose to clear my head not fill it.

Holy shit Andy, great thread! This part really caught my eye:

“You’ve been taught to consume and read your way out of problems.

You’ve been programmed whenever a new challenge comes up to instantly go searching for a book or course."

I'm definitely guilty of this.

Though I don't see how this has anything to do with the script, in terms of reading your way out of problems. It does make sense to me in terms of consuming.
 

Andy Black

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I don't see how this has anything to do with the script
I think it’s a big part of the script.

You need a degree in business or entrepreneurship before you start a business.

You need to spend money on a course before you’re good enough to help someone.

You need a piece of paper before you should even compete.

Here, get training as part of your package when you come work for us. That training would be thousands if you were to pay for it yourself. You need that additional training to advance your career.

What do you need?
 

LiveEntrepreneur

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I think it’s a big part of the script.

You need a degree in business or entrepreneurship.

You need to spend money on a course before you’re good enough to help someone.

You need a piece of paper before you should even compete.

Here, get training as part of your package when you come work for us. That training would be thousands if you were to pay for it yourself. You need that additional training to advance your career.

What do you need?
Ah, that makes sense. Though I have a question to you, if you are stuck on a problem you need to use a resource to solve it right? Are you only recommending free solutions like google to avoid the consumer mentality? Though Google I find is full of rubbish most of the time.
 
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Andy Black

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Ah, that makes sense. Though I have a question to you, if you are stuck on a problem you need to use a resource to solve it right? Are you only recommending free solutions like google to avoid the consumer mentality? Though Google I find is full of rubbish most of the time.
Do what you have to do to get over that hurdle. It could well mean paying someone to teach you, do it with you, or do it for you.
 

LiveEntrepreneur

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Do what you have to do to get over that hurdle. It could well mean paying someone to teach you, do it with you, or do it for you.
Ok thanks. I am struggling to uderstand it a bit but i think what you are trying to say is. When u have a problem u dont to go out and buy entire courses or books for that one problem. But sometimes it may require it? Is this right?
 

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Ok thanks. I am struggling to uderstand it a bit but i think what you are trying to say is. When u have a problem u dont to go out and buy entire courses or books for that one problem. But sometimes it may require it? Is this right?

Here's my opinion.
Yes sometimes you do need to self-educate and get a course or book, but instead of going chapter-by-chapter you jump straight to your specific problem and just focus on executing it, instead of reading the entire book and "revising old concepts" and get trapped in the joy of reading (which can feel more pleasurable than actually doing)
 
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Good post.

I love how you said you could have consumed for 1hr but you decide to produce.

I came back this forum like a week ago to ask my lead gen question, and I was so happy with the value exchange that I've just been going on a rampage trying to answer/help on any posts I can

I find that I gain MUCH more clarity through posting than I could ever gain from reading

I end up backspacing my sentences, sitting and questioning myself, asking "why am I advising this" or "is this the right way to explain this?" or "how could I make this more clear?" etc.

Same with working - you can read all you want but it's only until you start working that you start going "ohhhhhh....."

Anyways, yeah - get started ASAP - but also be careful.

I got my first SEO client when I didn't know ANYTHING, I read for maybe 1 week, and never had an SEO client ever lol.

So I put a man's business - a man's livelihood - at risk. It all worked out but I still kinda feel a little bad for the risk. That's how he feeds his kids, yanno?

But when the pressure is on, you kinda learn really fast so...

I don't really know what to advise. Just find the balance between "I gotta read 3873873 books" and "I'm gonna rearrange this mans business strategy with no knowledge at all!"

There's a way to ease into these things. Especially with the internet. If you're a new copywriter, you don't have to take up a client right away. You can write 10 sales letters and post them on here to see what we think of them and where we can help.

If you do paid ads, you can take $100-500 and mess around selling a service in your area (even if you don't have a service) - just make a landing page and put your personal number on it. Then when people call for a plumber just get their address then connect them with a good plumber. Or tell them sorry wrong number - whatever

Or if you have an idea for a product or something - do the same thing. Say you wanna sell slippers that look like dog feet or something... Make a landing page and set up a checkout and everything, complete with your pictures and copy and blahblah

But when they put in CC info and go to buy, it's out of stock "Sorry, we'll have em in soon!"

Basically I'm saying to stop making ginormous plans unless you have experience making/conquering medium plans. And don't make medium plans unless you have experience making/conquering small plans.

Whatever big goal you have - there's a small version of it that you can start RIGHT NOW

Wanna open up a carpet cleaning company?

Ok just buy some secondhand cleaning equipment and some carpet tiles from home depot, then throw wine and shit on the carpet and start F*cking around and finding out how shit works, how various type of stains react with the carpet blahblah

Just spitballing ideas but you get the point

There's ALWAYS something you can do RIGHT NOW

Put down the book and pull out a blank piece of paper and be uncomfortable until you come up with an actual, actionable task you can do. Screw theory

Also don't get caught up in planning - that's mental masturbation too

Write ACTIONABLE tasks and do them

Be the boss and employee

Write instructions like a boss and follow them like an employee - that's how I've found to get shit done
 

Real Deal Denver

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Good post.

I love how you said you could have consumed for 1hr but you decide to produce.

I came back this forum like a week ago to ask my lead gen question, and I was so happy with the value exchange that I've just been going on a rampage trying to answer/help on any posts I can

I find that I gain MUCH more clarity through posting than I could ever gain from reading

I end up backspacing my sentences, sitting and questioning myself, asking "why am I advising this" or "is this the right way to explain this?" or "how could I make this more clear?" etc.

Same with working - you can read all you want but it's only until you start working that you start going "ohhhhhh....."

Anyways, yeah - get started ASAP - but also be careful.

I got my first SEO client when I didn't know ANYTHING, I read for maybe 1 week, and never had an SEO client ever lol.

So I put a man's business - a man's livelihood - at risk. It all worked out but I still kinda feel a little bad for the risk. That's how he feeds his kids, yanno?

But when the pressure is on, you kinda learn really fast so...

I don't really know what to advise. Just find the balance between "I gotta read 3873873 books" and "I'm gonna rearrange this mans business strategy with no knowledge at all!"

There's a way to ease into these things. Especially with the internet. If you're a new copywriter, you don't have to take up a client right away. You can write 10 sales letters and post them on here to see what we think of them and where we can help.

If you do paid ads, you can take $100-500 and mess around selling a service in your area (even if you don't have a service) - just make a landing page and put your personal number on it. Then when people call for a plumber just get their address then connect them with a good plumber. Or tell them sorry wrong number - whatever

Or if you have an idea for a product or something - do the same thing. Say you wanna sell slippers that look like dog feet or something... Make a landing page and set up a checkout and everything, complete with your pictures and copy and blahblah

But when they put in CC info and go to buy, it's out of stock "Sorry, we'll have em in soon!"

Basically I'm saying to stop making ginormous plans unless you have experience making/conquering medium plans. And don't make medium plans unless you have experience making/conquering small plans.

Whatever big goal you have - there's a small version of it that you can start RIGHT NOW

Wanna open up a carpet cleaning company?

Ok just buy some secondhand cleaning equipment and some carpet tiles from home depot, then throw wine and sh*t on the carpet and start f*cking around and finding out how sh*t works, how various type of stains react with the carpet blahblah

Just spitballing ideas but you get the point

There's ALWAYS something you can do RIGHT NOW

Put down the book and pull out a blank piece of paper and be uncomfortable until you come up with an actual, actionable task you can do. Screw theory

Also don't get caught up in planning - that's mental masturbation too

Write ACTIONABLE tasks and do them

Be the boss and employee

Write instructions like a boss and follow them like an employee - that's how I've found to get sh*t done

Love your posts @whiz. I'm guessing you're young. Mid twenties?

I've been slaving over a digital marketing plan for 3 months. By three months, I mean 10 hours a day minimum, 7 days a week. Yeah, I'd sure like to "jump in" and get it done. Doesn't work that way.

To summarize the work, it included learning how to create world class printed materials (flyers, etc.) creating logos (closely related), mastering photo and publishing software to make custom graphics, creating websites, integrating them with CRM software, creating custom emails (graphic), copy writing, learning SEO, learning keyword research, AdWords, Social Media - - - and combining ALL of this together as a marketing machine - WHILE creating the actual content/message/sales techniques along the way. One side (the methods) cannot exist without the other side (the product/service) and they have to mesh together at multiple levels. Oh, and better track it all the while, and do some A/B testing too. I also embed hidden codes in everything so I know what is most effective and thus where to concentrate my resources. I'm not saying I'm good at this. I am acceptable. I am a mere beginner, I'm sure, to many people here. In my industry, however, I'm a giant. It's all relative - I'm both a peon and a super hero.

The reason I mention all of this is this... there is no way on Earth anyone is going to jump into that and learn it as they go.

I recently finished my first phase. A phase is I have a product/service and the means to launch it full force. A ton of work. But guess what? Now that it's done, I have cloned it six times. It's targeted to six distinct audiences, tailored to fit key search words/phrases exactly. Within 24 hours I will modify it to approach a different market, and clone it again six times. After the third time, I'm going to focus one one segment out of my six markets and really work to boost that up. Then the next, etc.

Although it took me 3 long agonizing months (actually 6, if consider a work week to be 40 hours) I have now reached the finish line. For the first "phase" of the relay race. Or the first "inning." From here on out, it's divide and conquer.

Just wanted to show you a different perspective.

It's like learning Chinese. Sure I can do it. Anyone can. But it isn't going to happen within a month or two. Maybe a good year to have an acceptable level. Not good, but perhaps acceptable at least.

Here's one TINY thing, just as an example of what I have to wrestle with. I just found the answer tonight, actually. You can't embed short code text into a button that links to a URL. That seems stupid to me, but my tech support says it can't be done. Programmers can figure out things, but they can't think too broadly. This should be an easy function to implement. It would be a great feature for the SAAS crowd out there to figure out. If you don't know what I'm talking about, skip it and consider yourself lucky. It's crap like that which I've been studying for months.

This has been the most frustrating thing I've ever done. Certainly the most concentrated. I hope it turns out to be worth it ~ Now back to work.
 

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Mid twenties?

27 how'd you guess?

I hope it turns out to be worth it ~ Now back to work.

Hopefully it will be worth it.

When I'm saying "jump right in" I mean to verify things on a small scale before spending a crazy amount of resources (time, money) on an idea.

I think some people call it the MVP idea (minimum viable product)

You make the smallest feasible prototype of a product or service and try to sell it, and if you can, then you know you can scale it once you actually have a fully-fleshed product

I'm just saying I favor action because I see a lot of people planning out things, scrutinizing over every detail, and worrying about problems that they don't yet have...

Then they launch and no one buys, and they give up a week later

I'm talking about people new to entrepreneurial stuff - if you're experienced then go ahead and plan out something big

But I think if you're a noob, you should just stop being afraid of trying to be perfect - you should just get yourself out there and fail

Then once you've been around the block a couple times, then try a big product

But if you've never sold anything to anyone or made a dollar outside of a job, its important that you get that feeling ASAP so you know how it feels. You have to let your brain register it
 
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Real Deal Denver

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27 how'd you guess?

You have 27 written all over you!

That's a very good thing, by the way!

I started my first company when I was 25. Over the years, I've noticed that 25-35 are the peak years for most men as far as drive and focus. After that, the drive decreases, but is compensated in other ways.

But at 27? Whoa - you're a wild mustang full of vigor! Enjoy that, because it won't last forever. Since I'm so much smarter now, one of my projects is a time machine. Yeah, those late 20's/early 30's are a great time in your life!

Thanks for the additional insight, by the way. Your posts are always at the top of my list to read.
 

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Hit the nail on the head Andy.

There comes a point where you must put down the books and stop salivating over online forums and the success of others. IMO 3-5 books is enough. Browsing the forums for 2 months is enough.

It becomes a distraction. All of a sudden yours days are spent on books/forums rather than taking action. I believe the best examples on this forum are not regulars, because they get it, why add one more thing to the daily list when I could be producing for my ventures?

I frown every time I see a post asking "what wordpress theme should I use" or "I don't have a logo yet so I can't make a sale" or "I need a website, that's priority #1". None of this matters......This just shows the OP has not yet woken up.

If you don't know how to do something.....google it
If you need recommendations........google it
If you need to learn an industry........google it
If you need anything..........google it

It's an interesting time we're living in.
 

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For those of you considering another course, another book or another podcast before you start:

What would you do if you already knew enough?
 
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D

Deleted50669

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For those of you considering another course, another book or another podcast before you start:

What would you do if you already knew enough?
You cannot know what you need to know until you begin on a path to do something. Along the path you discover what you need to learn, and you learn as you go. You cannot know enough, because you cannot anticipate what knowledge is required until the next problem presents itself.
 

Ernman

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Great thread Andy - thanks for kicking it off. For what little it's worth, I agree with your position. Research is important, but at some point one must do something to really learn. For instance, I recently started a YouTube channel. First it was watching various types of YouTube channels, then how to vids, then a YouTube for dummies, then...ok just start the channel and really learn. That forced me to learn how to use Camtasia and Snagit. Turns out there's was a lot more I could do with my Adobe photoshop that I wasn't aware of. And each post is - I believe - better than the last one. As human we are experiential, so we need to get out and experience things.
 

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You cannot know what you need to know until you begin on a path to do something. Along the path you discover what you need to learn, and you learn as you go. You cannot know enough, because you cannot anticipate what knowledge is required until the next problem presents itself.
Don’t know who came up with it but “Just in time learning” is the concept.

Learn. Act. Learn. Act. Learn. Act.
 
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Agreed. Take action first and learn as you go - that way you know what you need to learn.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk
 

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This thread got me to thinking. Why are so many people afraid to try? When we were really young we'd dive right in to trying new things. Did school take that out of us? Did an education system that rewards "right" answers and shames "wrong" answers make us afraid to try? Does our school system foster a life time of being afraid to try? In effect, giving us an excuses for making excuses and not taking action?
 
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Andy Black

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This thread got me to thinking. Why are so many people afraid to try? When we were really young we'd dive right in to trying new things. Did school take that out of us? Did an education system that rewards "right" answers and shames "wrong" answers make us afraid to try? Does our school system foster a life time of being afraid to try? In effect, giving us an excuses for making excuses and not taking action?
Yep, it gets “trained” (beaten?) out of us.

We started by repeatedly getting up every time we fell over, till we eventually could stand and walk.


I did a video somewhere of the kids doing some painting. They just got a brush, water, paper, and started painting.

They didn’t worry what it would turn out like or if anyone would judge or laugh. They didn’t think they’d better do a painting course before they darkened the page.

They did it for the joy of doing it.
 

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Zcott

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For those of you considering another course, another book or another podcast before you start:

What would you do if you already knew enough?

This thread title initially made me think of the quote 'I don't know what I don't know,' but once again, @Andy Black posses a blunt question that immediately makes you stop and question your actions.

Really excellent question. I guess a response would be how do you know when you know enough?
 
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Thinh

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Don’t know who came up with it but “Just in time learning” is the concept.

Learn. Act. Learn. Act. Learn. Act.

First time I heard it was in Tim Ferris The 4 hour work week. "Just in case learning" (bad) vs. "Just in time learning" (good).

And I would reverse the order: Act first, then learn, then act, learn, etc.
 

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What if you already knew enough?
I guess a response would be how do you know when you know enough?
“I’m going to cold email businesses once I’ve read that book on cold emailing.”

If you already knew enough you’d be cold emailing businesses.


“I’m going to create some Google Ads after I’ve got my Google Certifications.”

If you already knew enough you’d just create the ads.


When you sit down to write the cold email or create the Google Ad you’re going to get stuck immediately with some question.

“Should I cold email from my personal gmail address?”

“What do all theses settings for a Google Ads campaign mean?”


So you answer the question and move onto the next problem (step).

You take action, encounter a problem, learn what you need to solve it, then move onto the next.

Now you’re in motion.

Now if you picked up a book you’ll skim through it and things will resonate and you’ll get aha moments - because you’ve now got a coat-hanger of experience to hang the learning from.


“You don’t learn until you launch.” (Dan Norris)

“You can’t steer a parked car.” (James Shramko)


Pick a direction. Get started. Keep going.
 

ericaung

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I have colleagues who are still studying/taking Master degrees or certifications based on their current industry in order to get increment or jump into higher salary.

Let me calculate the costs of Masters and certifications :

MSc in cyber = $50K

certifications:
GPEN = $6K usd
CISSP = $4K plus trainings

In the end, office slave is always slave. Like MJ said casino players are always gonna be losers. A J.O.B is a job.
 
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So then what if you’re just 19 and don’t know literally anything about business besides what I’ve read in mj’s books, it seems dumb to just start without knowing anything, or am I just subconsciously using that as an excuse? I have no idea where to start, I’d figure I’d read a bunch of books and study business/entrepreneurship/economics/finance but you guys are basically saying that’s worthless? This is confusing the hell out of me
 

The Abundant Man

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So then what if you’re just 19 and don’t know literally anything about business besides what I’ve read in mj’s books, it seems dumb to just start without knowing anything, or am I just subconsciously using that as an excuse? I have no idea where to start, I’d figure I’d read a bunch of books and study business/entrepreneurship/economics/finance but you guys are basically saying that’s worthless? This is confusing the hell out of me
As Bruce Lee said "Boards don't hit back."

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

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