Zero to Hero, Building Skills From The Ground Up
Do you have NO EXPERIENCE OR SKILLS and want to make a difference in the world or get ahead in life?
We’ve all been there. It sucks. Feeling that you are not educated or equipped enough to do a task. Teachers and friends telling you, “you’re never gonna be a….. doctor, entrepreneur, engineer, or superhero” The last one might be true unless you are in MARVEL.
However, we have had many people doubt our ability to achieve greatness. Yes, we might not be capable at the present moment but nothing is stopping us from learning, developing our craft and utilising our skills to create something amazing. Whether that is a service to help the elderly not feel lonely or building a service in your community to promote social skills and develop a network.
Take for example the lesson from my hypothetical friend, Jeff. Jeff is a very good public speaker and talks about issues he is passionate about such as making a difference in the community through volunteering at charity shops and giving back.
However, Jeff’s friend James is also a very passionate individual when it comes to reducing pollution in the environment but is a nervous speaker to preach his concerns. Some of us might be a James. But the good news for James’ public speaking skills just like any skill, you can develop them through learning information and applying the information through different books, courses online, workshops and tutorials.
Books such as
- “Atomic Habits” by James Clear
- “Show Your Work!: 10 Ways To Share Your Creativity And Get Discovered” by Austin Kleon
- “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman
Online courses
- edX offers variety of courses and some from universities like Harvard and MIT
- Codecademy: has a free course plan for coding
- Khan Academy: variety of subjects, including math and science
If you are going to take anything from this article, remember to apply the information that you learn, if not then it won’t be beneficial knowledge.
What does online resource offer and how does it benefit us in learning?
The fact that information online provides flexibility within your working schedule, at a more convenient pace and your own pace. This is extremely ideal for people who have a busy lifestyle and other commitments. The likes of Bill Gates and Elon Musk can take some time to read to learn something new, then the question is why can you take some time to learn a new skill?
The application of quizzes and tests in online courses can provide an opportunity to consolidate what you have learned and find gaps within your knowledge.
The fact that online courses range from a variety of different topics and subjects they can teach offers something that can interest you. In addition, there are free courses that can be attractive however they may not always provide the same quality or depth as paid courses. As Paid courses can offer instructor feedback and support, course certification, and access to more materials and resources. That is something to be cautious about.
NO more excuses of “I don’t know where to learn”. NO more “I don’t have time”, NO more “I’m too old to learn”. Make that first step.
Where to start and begin your learning journey online
If I got you interested to start learning online, let’s find ways to start. So, It can be difficult to choose what particular skill you want to learn whether that is marketing, digital design, coding or playing chess.
Start by being reflective on what you want to improve. What do I mean by that?
People sometimes claim that they were born with a lack of confidence, are not good at math or not smart enough. Even though you might not be talented at those skills naturally, there isn’t any reason why you can’t practice them to get better. You can learn literally anything online, you just need to start with something.
Once you decided what you want to improve whether that is your vocabulary, online marketing, confidence or acquiring high-income skills such as copywriting and sales.
BUILDING THE GOAL
- Set a clear and specific goal that will keep you motivated and focused.
[ DO NOT WRITE]
- I want to get better at reading
- I am going to start reading everyday
[DO WRITE]
- I will read 10 books on productivity within 6 months, spending at least 30 minutes reading every day
- I will learn 10 new vocabulary words every week from reading articles or books
- I will join a book club and read one book a month. Also being involved in group discussions to improve my critical thinking and comprehension
2. Research the skill you want to learn and the resources available such as books, videos, online courses, or workshops.
- look at reviews from books and courses online on the internet to see their feedback.
- Asking for recommendations from friends and families.
3. The goal itself might look unachievable however Breaking it into smaller parts will make it more digestible and easier to learn.
Important to do 2 things: ACT AND LEARN FROM OTHERS
ACT: whatever beneficial knowledge you learn or hear from someone truly knowledgeable and not blindly following, then act upon it. But don’t fear adapting your learning based on your experience and gaining other information, KEEP AN OPEN MIND.
Learn from Others: learn from the mistakes of others who were in the same position as you when starting their journey. Learn from their mistakes to prevent you experience their failures and get yourself ahead of the learning curve.
Through learning a particular skill, you make have the desire to learn other skills that are related such as building your confidence may lead to you becoming a motivational speaker and eventually writing a book. This isn’t something that happens all at once, it requires taking the first step. You will be amazed by the ideas and skills you could learn from learning that one skill. A whole journey is awaiting you.
Another incentive for utilizing these skills is that there is always a market for educating people whether that is digital marketing, finance or history on places on YouTube. Finding the gap in the market by teaching that which you felt lacking during your journey in any skill and sharing that with others can be beneficial.
Hope that was helpful to kick off your learning journey. Some good links to start learning are below:
Using Audible has incredible selection of audio books to learn from especially from autobiography audio books to learn from people’s experience and improve your knowledge. By taking the 30-day free trial you get 1 free book of your choosing. Even if you don’t by the subscription the free trail provides a free audio book. Definitely not something to miss.
Reading on Kindle Unlimited, which requires payment of a monthly subscription fee is £9.49. You will have access to over 1 Million eBooks including the Harry Potter books.
P.S these links above are affiliate links so i get a small kick back. Hope you enjoyed and gained some actionable tip to start your learning journey
