Here’s the 7 steps to becoming an “Overnight Success” (and probably a billionaire):
1. Pick a skill you’d like to learn. It can be literally anything.
- Underwater basket weaving?
- Creating YouTube videos of you juggling flaming torches on a unicycle?
- Weird choices, but ok.
Let's get started!
2. Do background research & analyze ‘experts’ in that area. Preemptively learning from others' mistakes will give you a leg up* from the get-go.
- *Having a literal leg up will not help with unicycling; though, a figurative one will assist you in step 3.
3. Create a Plan of Action
- If you’re really set on the torches being on fire, then this part needs to include a fire extinguisher. Safety first.
4. Test it Out
- As they say, “Perfect practice makes perfect.”
5. Measure Your Results.
- Are you doing it correctly? I.e. “Does the basket actually hold anything?” Baskets should do that, whether aquatically manufactured or not.
- 5a. No? Uh oh, go back to step four and reiterate. You’ll get it next time… or the next… or the next. The key is to not get discouraged here.
- 5b. Yes? Congrats! Unfortunately you’re not done yet.
6. You’re doing everything "right", but are you getting the desired results?
- For example, you’ve succeeded in written this long ‘how-to’ LinkedIn post, but has anyone actually read it to this point?
- 6a. No? I really hate to do this (Don’t look at me that way. I mean it!), but you have to go back to step 3: “Create an Action Plan”, luckily this time the efforts you’ve put into action are the groundwork for "starting from experience" (not failure). Use what you’ve learned to do it even better this time - we believe in you!
- 6b. Yes? WOOHOO! You’re a natural!
7. Show off your results as you get even better over time & (after many-many-many nights) get called an “overnight success”. Easy peasy.
If this is all hard to remember, I've added this graphic I made a while back to simplify my rabbit trails.
Maybe you can start today?
Bet you'll be glad you did.