[su_note]This post was inspired by a conversation I had recently with the amazing Melissa Nickelson who truly understands the power of harnessing the sharing economy. Thanks, Melissa! :)[/su_note]
Just about everyone I know faces the dilemma of having too many courses gathering dust on their shelves or hard drive. I bet you’re thinking about the ones you’ve got right now that you either started but abandoned mid-way through or never unpeeled from their shrink wrap.
The intentions behind the original purchase were always good, and went something like this.
We rationalized buying “Watch Over My Shoulder As I Teach You How to Become an Internet Millionaire Overnight,” for example, because a. the deal was so great (a 97% savings!); b. we couldn’t resist the ethical bribe that came with it ($23,747.19 in exclusive bonuses for anyone who buys today!); or c. we believed we honestly could become an internet millionaire overnight.
Perhaps we were at a live event and our friends were getting the program. Maybe we believed that adding whatever skill education system to our library would add value to our life.
Regardless, millions of dollars are invested every year in educational programs, services, and products that never see the light of day, let alone get consumed by a real live human being. Too often, I’m afraid, the fate of these programs is similar to the ark’s at the end of the film Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Like cars that never get driven or vacation homes that sit empty for fifty weeks out of the year, this seems to be, well, a waste.
So what to do when you find yourself the proud owner of too many courses?
Seminar Day to the Rescue
Rather than let the programs go to waste, you can do what my friend Melissa Nickelson does: grab a friend and take turns hosting a seminar day. Complete with wine and nibbles, you and your partner (or small group) gather at a designated place for a day of intense learning. One month, one person brings a program; the next month, someone else brings something different. Together you can take notes, chat, dismiss, laugh…the point is, you are no longer letting your hard earned money give you nothing in return.
Along with getting your learning on, you’re also tapping into one of the hottest business trends right now known as the sharing economy, which is always cool.
Even if the training turns out to be outdated or irrelevant to your particular venture, the act of getting together with others to learn is in itself a terrific use of your time. Simply being together and having conversations can increase your creativity quotient (CQ) as well as solidify the connections between like-minded people.
Why not spread the wealth with others? There’s no reason to keep that $997 worth of red hot juicy training all to yourself when it just might very well be the breakthrough idea your friend has been looking for all along.
Now that’s an idea worth sharing!
