You will never know everything there is to know
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Free registration at the forum removes this block.This is ...GOLD.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.
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.
I think it’s a big part of the script.I don't see how this has anything to do with the script
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.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?
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.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.
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?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?
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
Mid twenties?
I hope it turns out to be worth it ~ Now back to work.
27 how'd you guess?
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.For those of you considering another course, another book or another podcast before you start:
What would you do if you already knew enough?
Don’t know who came up with it but “Just in time learning” is the concept.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.
I remember in Unscripted MJ referred to it as "Act, Assess, Adjust". I don't think I really grasped what that meant until I started on my idea.Don’t know who came up with it but “Just in time learning” is the concept.
Learn. Act. Learn. Act. Learn. Act.
Yep, it gets “trained” (beaten?) out of us.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?
For those of you considering another course, another book or another podcast before you start:
What would you do if you already knew enough?
Don’t know who came up with it but “Just in time learning” is the concept.
Learn. Act. Learn. Act. Learn. Act.
“I’m going to cold email businesses once I’ve read that book on cold emailing.”I guess a response would be how do you know when you know enough?
As Bruce Lee said "Boards don't hit back."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
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