Why another online course may not be a good use of your time

You have a great idea for a side hustle, but how do you get started? Oh yes, an online course. And there are so many out there which are going to help you make your millions. One example is my free workshop where you can learn the first steps in finding time for your side hustle. Click here to find out more. 

But when you move on from free courses and decide to part with your hardearned cash, here is some cautionary advice…

The allure of online courses is undeniable. With just a few clicks, you can access to a treasure trove of knowledge on virtually any topic imaginable. For you as an aspiring side hustler, the temptation to buy course after course in pursuit of success can be overwhelming.

So you choose one, two, three... However, many you can afford and start making your way through them.

Oh my God, this is exciting. The thrill of opening a new course, the thought of taking your first steps as an entrepreneur on your side hustle journey. It is easy to become addicted to this. To fall into the trap of perpetual learning without taking substantial action. Many individuals succumb to what is commonly referred to as taking ‘passive action’ i.e. consuming content rather than ‘massive action’, taking steps to create their own content. You can find yourself stuck in a cycle of consumption, constantly seeking the next big breakthrough without ever truly implementing what you've learned.

On opening your first course you may think ‘Wow, I've arrived’. Or have you? Because all you've done is consume what someone else, another entrepreneur, has created. You haven't even started to make your mark on the world. You haven't created anything original. No one knows the value that you bring to the world because you haven't shared that with them.

The marketing tactics employed by course creators can be incredibly persuasive, promising quick fixes and overnight success. You can be persuaded into believing that buying yet another course will be the magic bullet you need to become an overnight success (By the way, I don’t believe there is such a thing).

By continuously consuming others’ content it can feel like you’re making progress without ever having to confront the possibility of failure that comes with taking tangible action.

So, whilst courses can be a time saver as you learn quickly from someone who has been there and done it, you can have too much of a good thing. And it’s not just buying course after course that is the problem, but actually going through all of the content before moving on to the next one. When you’ve just parted with that money and it’s all shiny and new you are motivated to go through it, but after a while that fades and you want to move on to the next thing. Basically, it's easy and exciting to get started, but harder to stick-at-it and even harder to implement the advice.

The consequences of this cycle can be detrimental. The time that you could have used to create your own original content or refine your skills are instead wasted on endless consumption. In essence, you become a perpetual student, rather than an entrepreneur.

To break free from this cycle you need to change your thinking about online courses. To see them as valuable tools to be used in conjunction with practical experience. Rather than passively consuming information, you must actively engage with it, applying your learning to your own projects and adapting based on the results you get.

In conclusion, while online courses can be valuable resources for learning and growth, they should not serve as a substitute for taking meaningful action. To overcome this challenge you must prioritise massive action i.e. active implementation, over passive action i.e. consumption.

Learn, implement, learn, implement, learn, implement. When you do this you will start to see some progress in your side hustle. So by all means, go ahead and buy that fabulous course, but before you do ask yourself, have you finished and implemented everything you learnt on the last one?

Let us know in the comments your views about online courses so others can benefit from your experiences.