“When an online course tells you how to make money in real estate remember they are making money by selling online courses.
When a conference covers how to build an online business remember they are building an event business.
Learn from what people do as much as what they say.”
James Clear
I’ve often felt in the past that in order to teach something — web design, language learning, one bag minimalist digital nomadism, or anything, really — then I need to first have mastered the topic.
And there is certainly something to be said for having someone teach you who has proven their skill in a specific area.
But I think the key isn’t that you have to know everything about a topic. You just need to know enough to share your passion and journey with others.
Often the best teachers are those who are just as passionate, or more passionate, about learning a topic as the students. When students see how excited the teacher is, they are often more interested in learning. It becomes contagious.
I’ve found that the most effective teachers …
- Have an infectious passion for their topic
- Have a good handle on the fundamentals
- Are committed to learning more and sharing what they learn with others
In that order.
I would pay to learn from someone who can instill in me a love for their craft, even more than I would from someone who is successful but isn’t enthralled by the hidden joys of their field.
And if you find someone who has little passion and little experience (and isn’t doing the thing they are teaching) then run the other direction.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels