Lifelong Learning is Not Just a Saying

This second 90-day sprint is also the time that I have to go through my coursework.

Reviewing and applying the lessons that I learn here at scale is the hardest thing that I need to do, and it’s one that you most likely face as well.

It’s so much easier just to grind it out and write to feel like you’re doing something productive.

You’re not.

At some point, it’s important to step back and take a hard look at what you’ve put out there in the world.

After a year, the amount I’ve chucked out in to cyberspace has been substantial…

and most of it is middling at best.

There’s always room to grow.

Once you’ve got a handle on your time and power management (what we discussed in the previous issue), it’s time to throw this nugget at you again.

Invest in yourself (I know it’s cliché).

Set aside time to learn

Pure execution is a waste of time. 

You can’t do the same thing day in and day out and expect to improve because you showed up and clocked in. 

This only happens with exercise (up to a point). 

To progress, you need to have regular feedback on your content creation process. Businesses of all sizes have gone bankrupt because they stopped innovating or adapting. Don’t get too comfortable and complacent.

You need to have a short list of people from every level so that you have a framework from which to grow.

People who are:

• two steps ahead of you

• ten steps ahead of you

• at the top of the game

• on other tracks complement the process

• specialize in frameworks and automation

I’m learning from some of finest creators out there at various points of the journey…

• Deni Sehaya - blogger and digital distribution queen

• Rob Lennon - AI prompt engineer of writing analysis tools

• Kieran Drew - master of short form content and systems on X

• Erica Schneider - editing maven and writer across LinkedIn and X

• Derek Hughes - mastered headlines after a year of writing on Medium

• Christina Piccoli - recently released a second primer on writing eBooks

• Justin Welsh - the legend that built a multi-million dollar business system

You don’t know more than this to internalize everything you need to carve your own path.

Build your own university and keep your eyes open. This is your curriculum that will take you farther down this path than if you try to grind it out by trial and error alone.

You’re going to make plenty of mistakes as it is. Re-inventing the wheel is a waste of time. Learning from first principles is important, but you need to swallow your pride and leverage from other people’s experiences.

As one of my theater teachers put it, “Take the help when it is offered.”

Apologies for misleading you on the closing of the last issue. This issue was about the importance of having a learning strategy.

I’ll break down the framework of my own writing process next issue!

And yes, I’ve determined that this will be another 7-part series.

I realize now that I like that number…also that I have several of these series that can be compiled into little eBooks for you!

Thanks for reading!