At What Point Did You "Quit Learning" And "Start Doing"?

42 replies
Okay, so maybe I mis-phrased that a bit - we should never quit learning. But, like I said, how far did you go before you actually started doing your particular area of IM? I find myself trying to learn new aspects of IM (CPA, blogging, email lists, and so on) constantly, yet I haven't really put any of that to use yet. Sure, I made a few bucks on ClickBank, but nothing that will give me the ability to quit my day job by a long shot.

So I guess I'll just start "doing it", make my mistakes, learn from them, and continue to move forward. I've come full circle and am gonna go back to concentrating on starting a blog and building a mailing list. Create my auto-responder series. Talk to the subscribers like they're real people, because they are. Try to offer them valuable (to them) affiliate offers. Rinse and repeat.
#point #quit learning #start doing
  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Lenney
    I've never stopped and learning and neither should you.

    I'm always learning, my mentors are learning, my mentors mentors are learning… If you stop learning you stop earning
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    • Profile picture of the author answergal
      My sentiments exactly. We always have to learn, but also take action on what we did learn and apply. Learning is Earning
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Lenney
    So get to doing :-)
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    • Profile picture of the author curiozities
      Learn by doing.

      I think some Zen master said that or something. Or maybe it was Yoda.
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      • Profile picture of the author sethrose
        Originally Posted by curiozities View Post

        Learn by doing.

        I think some Zen master said that or something. Or maybe it was Yoda.
        Yeah I agree with this.

        I used to be the type of person who would wait and wait to get started with something until it was 'perfect' (which it never is). The better way to go about it is to learn by doing something.

        Even if you fail, you're still going to have something to show for it. And if was successful, then awesome!
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  • Profile picture of the author TrafficMystic
    within IM and Seo it's ever changing so your ever learning.. if you just keep learning and not doing you just learn forever..

    The trick is to learn some then start doing and learn more over time...
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    I've learned the most by doing, so i normally recommend jumping in asap and learn and do at the same time
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    • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
      I started doing after I learned the fundamentals. Jumping in before you know the basics is dangerous. Why? Because when you make mistakes it's harder to learn from them, because you don't know what you did wrong. Fundamentals never change . First learn the fundamentals then start doing.

      I'm not of the philosophy of Just Do It - until you know basically or fundamentally what you're doing! That applies to brain surgery, pilot, brake mechanic or online marketing.
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      • Profile picture of the author glennshep
        I, too, used to be someone who was in a seemingly neverending cycle of learning and striving for an ideal set of circumstances. I'd always think, "I just need to get this sorted before I can do anything...." and this would apply to pretty much everything.

        For me, it was only when I discovered someone who helped me to have a shift in mindset and helped me to have the realisation that I was looking at things completely back-to-front and upside down that I actually started 'doing'. Then, once I got myself a good coach/mentor I was helped to channel that into productive action.

        As has been rightly said already, we should never stop learning. I am always eager to learn, but knowledge is useless without application.

        »Glenn«
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      • Profile picture of the author PhilCarson
        Originally Posted by The Niche Man View Post

        I'm not of the philosophy of Just Do It - until you know basically or fundamentally what you're doing! That applies to brain surgery, pilot, brake mechanic or online marketing.
        I guess that's what I was asking. I've been learning the fundamentals (I hope!) over the last 3 months. Gotten my feet wet. I think it's time to jump in and start swimming towards the deep end.
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
    Hi Phil,

    Only took me like 4 years to start acting persistently - doing the right stuff - versus just learning and not doing LOL.

    If you learn, you should earn, by moving into action on the knowledge.

    Things REALLY came into being when I started Blogging from Paradise; my current blog. I learned, acted and prospered because my intent changed.

    I deeply cared about every person I came into contact with, i over delivered and I connected with pros, building bonds along the way.

    Signing off from Bali.

    Ryan
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  • Profile picture of the author heruma
    When do I start doing? As soon as I learned some new thing, I start implemented it.
    You learned much more by doing.

    Confucius said : I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.

    Learn, Action, Learn, Action....
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  • Profile picture of the author Rory Singh
    I am still learning now. The day I stop learning, is the day that I take a dirt nap.

    When I got started, I really didn't learn that much. I didn't know Jack $hit. The more that time goes by, I realize that I still don't know Jack.

    I just got in and some dude advised me to get straight into paid ads on Adwords and I listened to him.

    I left a trail of destruction but after a long while, I started to learn.

    And I have ADHD.

    You have got to keep learning but not waiting before you apply what you learned.

    The ONLY Real way to learn here is by...

    DOING!

    Most people wait to get their ducks in line before taking any action. That could take years because things keep changing online.

    Once you learn one strategy guess what happens?

    It changes and then you have got to learn it all over again.
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  • Profile picture of the author birgit23
    The Internet is a ever evolving fast paced entity, therefor one should never stop learning. But the trick here really is to implement what you learn and keep at it! Take massive action and you will be rewarded.
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  • Profile picture of the author discrat
    Originally Posted by PhilCarson View Post

    Okay, so maybe I mis-phrased that a bit - we should never quit learning. But, like I said, how far did you go before you actually started doing your particular area of IM? I find myself trying to learn new aspects of IM (CPA, blogging, email lists, and so on) constantly, yet I haven't really put any of that to use yet. Sure, I made a few bucks on ClickBank, but nothing that will give me the ability to quit my day job by a long shot.

    So I guess I'll just start "doing it", make my mistakes, learn from them, and continue to move forward. I've come full circle and am gonna go back to concentrating on starting a blog and building a mailing list. Create my auto-responder series. Talk to the subscribers like they're real people, because they are. Try to offer them valuable (to them) affiliate offers. Rinse and repeat.
    I started as I was learning, really. It was blogging with CPA and Adsense back in 2007.

    And I continue to keep doing both...including learning


    - Robert Andrew
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  • Profile picture of the author dollarswealth
    I have always been learning and never doing, but i started doing since this year 2015 and i ve made my first money online

    You cant stop learning. Learn by doing.

    For me, I am a learner for life
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  • Profile picture of the author Gambino
    Started doing on the first day and I've been learning on-the-job ever since.
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  • Profile picture of the author Trey Morgan
    Once I got my first success (which was a result of actually doing something) I was hooked. I realized that success is a result of how much action you're willing to take. If success was the result of how much knowledge we acquire, there is no doubt in my mind that there would be a lot more successful people in this world. Knowledge without action is pretty much useless.
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  • Profile picture of the author kk075
    I was a writer at heart before I began writing web content, so my experience may be different from most. But the very day I realized that people could make money online, I was creating online profiles and beginning to build a brand.

    So I'd say "stop studying" on day one and start doing something...and take the time to learn whenever you're not sure how to proceed. Because even doing things the wrong way the first time out is infinitely more valuable than doing nothing at all.
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  • Profile picture of the author whatjut
    Good topic. I've been thinking about that a lot actually. I spend the majority of my time learning.. and I realize I need to do more. I have finally been producing a fair amount per day, on top of studying. I'm guessing I will eventually start doing more than I'm studying, but I'm sure both will be in abundance as long as I'm interested in IM.
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    Why not do BOTH at the same time. I can recall learning copywriting and
    every time I learned a new strategy I would go right away and write an
    article on the subject and also apply the strategy to my letters. In that
    way my sales letters evolved over time.

    So, apply what you learn and it would reinforce what your knowledge.
    At the same time, you can expect to be doing more learning when you
    are starting out just like a child would do more growing at a baby stage.

    -Ray Edwards
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  • Profile picture of the author RemyMartin
    "Learning" was the incorrect word to use. "Reading" is what you mean I think.

    I "quit reading" when I realized the money is not in the method, but in the traffic. All you need to know are the basics. Trial and error will teach you the rest.
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    The money is the motive.

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  • Profile picture of the author arif456
    I always try to learn in my free time. And I think, no one should quit learning.
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisWrok
    Originally Posted by PhilCarson View Post

    Okay, so maybe I mis-phrased that a bit - we should never quit learning. But, like I said, how far did you go before you actually started doing your particular area of IM? I find myself trying to learn new aspects of IM (CPA, blogging, email lists, and so on) constantly, yet I haven't really put any of that to use yet. Sure, I made a few bucks on ClickBank, but nothing that will give me the ability to quit my day job by a long shot.

    So I guess I'll just start "doing it", make my mistakes, learn from them, and continue to move forward. I've come full circle and am gonna go back to concentrating on starting a blog and building a mailing list. Create my auto-responder series. Talk to the subscribers like they're real people, because they are. Try to offer them valuable (to them) affiliate offers. Rinse and repeat.
    It can be a death spiral...seriously...
    many of us are afraid to JUST DO IT, as Nike would say.

    We're pretty good at concept but taking action is a very hard thing sometimes.
    We get built up and end up taking action on certain products...
    but following through seems to be a concept that most of us forget.

    we get bored of one thing and move on to another
    without fully discovering that first subject's goldmind.

    I see it all the time...

    The truth is that until you can get good at one thing and make money from it,
    you shouldn't bother even looking in to anything else.

    once you make money in one area, then expand to another...


    I spent 6 months learning multiple ways to make money online
    before I ever really jumped in to one of them full throttle,
    but when I did finally do it, my life changed.

    Stick to one thing, makes some money and then move on!
    Chris
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
      There is no person in the world who doesn't stop learning but there are many people who don't project what they have learned.
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  • Profile picture of the author kursat
    I think my breakthrough came when I decided that it was OK not to know everything. There is just too much information overload at the moment. If you try to know it all then you will never start. So to echo everyone here, I would also say - start doing what you can now and learn more as you go along.
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  • Profile picture of the author slammer81
    A good question leading to a good thread with good posts.

    It is definitely the newbie mindset - it is how newbies behave in any and all "markets" or endeavours where capital and time (the most important of all resources) is put at risk.

    Like "analysis paralysis" in the stock market. A big newbie - and seasoned investor - issue.

    You don't want to give money away by doing the wrong things (as you have often put a $ cap on what you will spend), and the feeling of not knowing exactly what to do - huge in IM with the amount of "information" out there on the internet - leads you to doing nothing... because if you don't know for sure then why bother starting? We should keep reading and learning right?

    To borrow from the frog in the cream fable, starting out from a position of limited knowledge always has it's rewards in the doing.
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  • Profile picture of the author MeelisM
    I think you should never stop learning. And you should start doing right now.

    The best people who are the most successful... They just do what they love. And they learn and learn and learn while doing it.

    MeelisM
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  • Profile picture of the author stanigator
    Most successful people I know never stop learning or doing.
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  • Profile picture of the author wasa1
    As soon as you learn something start doing it. But never stop learning.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dilip Mane
    Yes learning is a continual process and one should never stop learning. Everyday we increase our knowledge base just by the hunger of learning and knowledge never wastes away. It helps us one way or the other not just in our professional life but also in personal life.

    As far as IM is concerned, two things are required for a point of 'Quit Learning and Start Doing' to reach.

    What to do in a particular business model to work and how to do that to work.

    Remember two more things however for 'Doing'. Just doing will not suffice. Doing it the right way will help. Also, doing one thing at a time is a good strategy.
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  • Hey PhilCarson

    You never stop learning, not only in 'IM but also in life, the secret is to try to put into practice what' as you are learning, you will see that every day will add a piece and at the end you'll have a nice puzzle!
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  • Profile picture of the author RWBiggs
    I jumped in head first in 1994 selling by email. I got addicted fast. I learned loads from all my mistakes over the years. I've never stopped learning and don't think I ever will.

    Learn, Implement, Learn from your mistakes and do it again.

    If you wait til you know it all, you will never start.

    I don't know it all and I will never stop learning.

    Just my two cents worth.
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  • Profile picture of the author ideasman
    Sometimes I feel its a bit like being a bad driver, keep moving forward and the step on the pedal hard and fast, you get a real zoom and a real boost.

    It is important to give yourself a chance to breath and enjoy the fruits of your labour and take a chance to learn some more but at the end of the day progress only comes from action!
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  • Profile picture of the author Tyler Pratt
    This is one of the best questions people ask

    And this is what keeps 98% of everyone from NOT making any money. They get caught up in the mind sleep mode of just learning.

    You know enough to start taking action.

    Start doing NOW!!
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  • Profile picture of the author namehero
    Originally Posted by PhilCarson View Post

    Okay, so maybe I mis-phrased that a bit - we should never quit learning. But, like I said, how far did you go before you actually started doing your particular area of IM? I find myself trying to learn new aspects of IM (CPA, blogging, email lists, and so on) constantly, yet I haven't really put any of that to use yet. Sure, I made a few bucks on ClickBank, but nothing that will give me the ability to quit my day job by a long shot.

    So I guess I'll just start "doing it", make my mistakes, learn from them, and continue to move forward. I've come full circle and am gonna go back to concentrating on starting a blog and building a mailing list. Create my auto-responder series. Talk to the subscribers like they're real people, because they are. Try to offer them valuable (to them) affiliate offers. Rinse and repeat.
    You should never quit learning. I've been working online since the late nineties and I still learn something new everyday.

    You need to look at how your spend your time online overall. Ask yourself, how much time am I spending dealing with distractions? Some of the biggest distractions can be Skype, Facebook, AIM, etc. Turn all that crap off, it's not going to make you money.

    With all that said, start your day with a plan of action. I like to have a paper to-do list where I can physically mark off stuff. Kinda like this morning, it's on my list to "help Warriors." Therefore, I'm devoting an hour this morning to helping you guys get your businesses going.

    After you FINISH your to-do list, you can then spend an hour or two in the evening learning / brushing up on skills that'll benefit your list for the next day. For example, you may have on your list "setup Google Adwords campaigns." The night before in your "learning time" you could make sure you're prepared to go in with a strategy and not just setting up campaigns out of thin air.

    In conclusion there is no "quit learning" and "start doing" point. The two work together, but just make sure each minute your online you're producing SOMETHING. Only after you produce something, should you start learning.

    That's how I do it at least .
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  • Profile picture of the author diogoim
    Originally Posted by PhilCarson View Post

    Okay, so maybe I mis-phrased that a bit - we should never quit learning. But, like I said, how far did you go before you actually started doing your particular area of IM? I find myself trying to learn new aspects of IM (CPA, blogging, email lists, and so on) constantly, yet I haven't really put any of that to use yet. Sure, I made a few bucks on ClickBank, but nothing that will give me the ability to quit my day job by a long shot.

    So I guess I'll just start "doing it", make my mistakes, learn from them, and continue to move forward. I've come full circle and am gonna go back to concentrating on starting a blog and building a mailing list. Create my auto-responder series. Talk to the subscribers like they're real people, because they are. Try to offer them valuable (to them) affiliate offers. Rinse and repeat.
    Learn and implementing everything right away -- learn from any mistake that arises, fix it, and do it all over again

    It will start to be an habit

    Diogo de Castro
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  • Profile picture of the author lerxtjr
    One of my fav sayings from one of my speaking mentors, Joe Sabah, "You don't have to be good to start, but you have to start to get good."
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  • Profile picture of the author EPoltrack77
    I never have stopped learning. In fact I 10% of all my earnings goes into education and learning. When you stop growing your dieing.

    Especially in this industry!
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    Working to achieve higher results...
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  • Profile picture of the author Karen Connell
    I'm always learning but didn't start 'doing' as soon as I should have.

    I thought that I needed to know everything (well, almost everything...) about the business before getting on with building my business.

    I wasted a lot of time and possibly money, trying to be perfect. I realised that I could learn whilst doing and fix the things I had got wrong.

    Learn one thing well and do it. Then keep learning the other things you need to know to make your business a success.

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    Never Mistake Activity for Accomplishment

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