People are amazing…
We’ve gone to the moon, we’ve gone to the highest mountains and the deepest trenches of the ocean, we’ve created the iPad, the Internet and digital cameras. We truly have come a long way in a very short period of time.
Knowledge compounds which means each generation gets to stand on the discoveries of all the previous generations.
And yet…despite how ingenious and creative we are today, it’s amazing how downright stupid we can be at times.
Yes, that’s right – stupid.
For some reason, with unheard of amounts of information at our very fingertips, we still fall prey to the same mistakes of the past, or what more commonly happens is that we believe there is no longer a need to focus on the fundamentals because we have moved beyond them thanks to new developments in things such as technology.
I’ve been an educator in one form or another for going on 22 years now and no matter where people come from, their age, their background, their beliefs – you can always divide people up into three groups.
- Those that get it
- Those that kind of get it
- And those that don’t get it.
If you think about it, it’s much like the bell curve we all grew up with. You know what I’m talking about. In every class are there those students who excel (a small percent), those that fail (also a small percent) and the rest that do reasonably well but nothing to get super excited about.
That’s just us. Go back a thousand years, two and you’d find the same to be true.
Students and clients who get it are those who find a way to get it done. They don’t let rejection, errors, failure, delays, misunderstandings, or lies get in their way. They do what it takes. Simple as that.
While I wish all my students were like this, I know that’s not the way things work so I do what I can to help those who already get it to improve while trying to convince those who kind of get it to join the first group.
What about those that don’t get it? Well, I’ve found that those that don’t get it often never will.
That doesn’t mean I give up hope, but I do know I’m in for an uphill battle.
And with every battle, sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t.
I’ve had my fair share of losses.
But that’s not why I do what I do. I chalk up my losses as experience, and focus on my victories. I’m proud to say I’m way ahead there.
That being said, it is frustrating.
I have shared valuable knowledge on the topics of English study, computers, cameras, software, travel and finance to name a few and yet much of it has fallen on deaf ears.
A real shame. It used to bother me. But I’ve tried to do what my mentor, Jim Rohn, said and I’m paraphrasing, “Learn to turn frustration into fascination. You’ll learn more from fascination.”
So these days I find myself being fascinated quite often.
All jokes aside, I know time is short, so these days I am careful what and who I share ideas with.
What excites me is seeing people run with it. When I see my students applying my ideas in their lives and reaping the benefits, I know why I chose to become an educator.
While much of my job requires me to focus on tactics, I never forget the importance of inspiration.
Demotivated people often do nothing while inspired people can do the most amazing things.
That’s why I am constantly preaching to my clients to get excited, to set challenges for themselves and use whatever they can to motivate themselves. Personally, I have found money to be a great motivator.
Personally, I spent close to $6,000 to learn about websites and get trained on social media.
And let me tell you, plunking down 6K for education is a powerful motivator.
Education is so valuable, so don’t short change yourself by going to a cheap school or a getting a cheap teacher.
And never forget the library and its wealth of knowledge. For the price, it’s hard to beat.
- Want to lose weight? Get a trainer to push you.
- Want to master a skill? Get the books, attend the seminars.
Most people know how difficult money can be to come by (especially today) so investing a sizable amount of money will push you.
I read a quote that is well worth remembering when it comes to designing your future – “Do things with passion or not at all.” Doing things halfheartedly wastes your time and everyone else’s.
Back in the day I was guilty of succumbing to parents’ requests to have their kids study in one class or another for whatever reason. But I’ve grown up since then. Today, I simply find out what clients’ goals are and then lay out the best plan for them. If that doesn’t suit them, then they are always free to look elsewhere. That’s it for me these days.
I know what my limits are. And I choose to only work with people who I know will be a good fit for me.
Designing your life takes courage, it takes will power and it takes time but, I assure you, it’s all worth it.
Start today.
Adrian Shepherd