The journey of the continuous learner

A lack of confidence holds people back from pursuing their dreams.

They fear failing in public.

They fear criticism from friends, family, and complete strangers.

They fear what will happen if they put themselves out there, only to embarrass themselves in the long run.

People allow their dreams to die because of the opinions of others.

Start Before You’re Ready

A common barrier to pursuing a new interest is this:

“Someone out there is better than I am at (their topic), so why even start?”

Instead of helping someone else overcome a real struggle, they allow self-consciousness to get in the way of doing so.

The solution to this limiting belief is to start “before you’re ready.”

This is necessary to overcome imposter syndrome.

If you continue to wait until the perfect time to begin a new journey, you may never get around to it.

I get stuck in this train of thought more often than I’d like to admit…

“I’ll start once I achieve (x)

I’ll start after I take another course

I’ll start after I have a little more practice

I’ll start after I save a little more money”

But you must realize that no one has it all figured out.

Life is just one big continuous crash course on believing in yourself.

I can guarantee that every person you look up to is still learning and growing just as much (or more) than you are. It’s their willingness to share their journey that allows you to relate to them.

Failure isn’t something to be feared – but rather the dues you have to pay in order to achieve your vision.

Be the Beginner in the Room

In 2017 I was attending my first year of college.

From the get-go, I knew I didn’t want to be there. But I thought it was necessary in order to see any sort of success in life.

I was just “checking the box.”

At semester, I had already had enough.

I was taking outdated classes from professors with zero real-world experience.

A career in the creative field couldn’t be taught in a classroom – it had to be experienced.

That summer, I landed an internship at a local agency. At the time, I felt confident with a camera, but felt way out of place as a “beginner.”

Fast forward a few months, I was getting hired as a full-time employee.

Fast forward a couple years, I became the lead of the photo/video team.

I was young enough to still be in college, but was now leading a small team of creatives.

As a recent college dropout, did I ever think this was possible?

Heck no!

But had I allowed my “lack of experience” to hold me back – I would have never had the confidence to pursue a job at that agency in the first place.

Had I accepted my fate as a “starving artist,” I would have never seen any sort of success in the field.

I had to embrace my abilities and use them to serve a purpose.

I needed to develop a belief in myself by putting in the reps.

I went from making videos of local adventures with my friends – to scripting, filming, and editing advertisements for commercial clients.

All in a matter of a year or less.

Your life can change quicker than you think.

Learn, Share, Repeat

Entering a “branding agency” as a 19-year-old was terrifying. But I quickly learned that everyone was still learning like I was.

Sure, they had more years under their belt – but that’s what sets apart the good from the great…

The mindset of being a continuous learner and accepting that you don’t know everything.

I can learn from someone ahead of me. And someone ahead of me can learn from me.

Don’t get caught in the belief that you have nothing to offer. It’s simply not true.

I break down how to discover who you’re best equipped to help in my free course, the Content Clarity Crash Course.

The easiest way to overcome imposter syndrome and “start before you’re ready” is this:

  • Teach those who are 1-3 steps behind your current position
  • Create and share advice for your former self
  • What would “that version of you” have benefitted to know?

You don’t need to know everything to validate yourself. You simply need to know a little bit more than someone who’s on a similar journey to you.

An intermediate is best equipped to teach a beginner.

An expert is best equipped to teach an intermediate.

A master is best equipped to teach an expert.

People want to relate with your struggles and your journey.

Share these things (wins, losses, failures) and people will trust your ability to help them through similar challenges.

Takeaways for You

At any moment, someone can learn something from someone.

Your perspective might just be exactly what someone was looking for.

It doesn’t matter if you’re “under qualified” or imperfect. So is everyone else that’s teaching something.

They’ve just learned to put themselves out there and put in the reps to make it less uncomfortable.

Film another video.

Take another photo.

Paint another landscape.

Write another newsletter.

Design another landing page.

You’re not an imposter – you’re a student of your stoke.

–Eric Pfohl

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