How to learn (and earn)

It’s not easy to figure everything out on your own.

You’re not supposed to, either.

Yet, most people - and this might be my confirmation bias talking - especially those who try to build their own profit streams and businesses, tend to try and figure it out all on their own.

[I might have a thought why that is. Since you’re self-reliant enough to even undertake something as huge as building a business (a lot of people never even think about that!)... it might be your preference to figure everything out on your own.]

But you’re making things too hard on yourself. Unnecessarily.

Here’s the thing.

Children learn by observing, listening, exploring, experimenting, and asking questions. It’s something they’re biologically programmed to do.

As adults, we need to continue that process. It’s been shown that it renews our self-motivation, helps us improve self confidence, improves our lives and careers, and lets us recognize our personal interests and goals.

And a lot of us do. For example, when given a choice, 46% of readers say they read mostly nonfiction books, compared to 35% who mostly read fiction, according to Gallup. (The remaining 17% say they partake in both genres equally).

As entrepreneurs, we might not have months and years to study obscure texts, read scientific papers… and traditional college might be too slow for us.

So what do you do instead?

After all, there are skills and habits that you need to succeed. How do you master those… as effectively as possible?

It’s a two-pronged approach.

First, learn on an “as needed” basis.

Instead of, let’s say, figuring out how you’re supposed to build an entire funnel online, chunk the task down.

Doesn’t even matter how you slice it - as long as you slice it up in a way that you can do each step separately and have a clear indication of when it’s done.

For example, if you need to build a funnel to add subscribers to your email list with a lead magnet, you could slice the task up like this:

1. Build a landing page
2. Create a lead magnet
3. Format the lead magnet for download
4. Integrate with autoresponder
5. Test

Now, even if you don’t have the slightest idea on how to do any of it, the next step is simple. Go and find a YouTube video that explains how to build a landing page. Watch it and do it. Same with creating a lead magnet. If you don’t know how to do it, learn that - and only that - and go back to taking action. And so on.

Now you might ask… what if I don’t have the faintest idea on how to slice the task up? Well then you look that up!

The main thing I want to get across here is that you need to take as much action as possible… and only learn on an as-needed basis - instead of spending all your time learning and no time taking action.

Now…

What if you don’t know that you need to build a funnel?

That’s what stops most people most of the time… it’s not that you can’t figure out how to build a funnel. It’s a simple technical process. Instead it’s being aware of the things you need.

Here’s how you learn that.

You find someone who has achieved the result you want to achieve. You start following them closely. Watch what they’re doing. Note it down. Try to model it.

Success leaves clues.

For example, if you want to launch a successful information product, find someone who’s doing it and watch them like a hawk. If you notice them selling a $1 product, you create and sell a $1 product. If you notice that they’re doing a webinar, well you do a webinar too - and by the way, it’s going to suck for the first few times you do it.  And so on.

If you apply both of these learning strategies starting tomorrow… you’ll be unstoppable in a year.

Model someone who already has achieved what you want… and learn on an as-needed basis whenever you, well, need to.

To Your Success!

Steve.

Master Online Entrepreneur