I’ve never been more eager to learn online than now, so thank you current pandemic. Job searches have slowed, face-to-face meetings are banded, time is a little more abundant. Why not dive full-on into some virtual training! So, I did. Oops…
What Happens When You Say “Yes” to Everything?
All my LinkedIn contacts and all the members of my support groups keep posting and forwarding links to “free webinars” and “free online learning” courses and I really appreciate all of you for doing it, and keep doing it, but I couldn’t say no to any of them. I signed up for a full week of webinars on topics I “thought” would be helpful or interesting. I had to tap-out.
The Reality of “Free” Webinars
These “free” webinars have a cost. It’s your contact information. That means, after you complete said “free” seminar, you are going to get an email to rate the presentation AND an offer for career, resume or some other kind of “paid” service of help. Now, I did get some useful information from some webinars but most of them, from what I’ve experienced, just cover the basics. Hey, you get what you pay for.
Where I Went Wrong
Saying “yes” to everything is a very freeing experience. And then you have to commit. If I sign up for something, I’m going to follow through with it. But, after 4 consecutive online webinars, my brain was full-up. If I was out-and-about, I don’t think I would have clogged my brain. There’s something about sitting in front of your computer, taking notes, while checking emails, LinkedIn posts, and the action you’re getting on your latest Facebook post that, I don’t know, is EXHAUSTING! (Hey, I just realized my problem!)
Focus!
If you’re in transition, you know to remove distractions around you when you’re trying to work from home. But you also need to be focused on what you’re actually saying “yes” to when selecting a free webinar or online course. If it’s not something you’re interested in, really interested in, you’ll let those other online distractions take hold, fill up your interest and leave no space for learning. You’ve just waisted all that spare time you were finally grateful for, and now your head hurts!
Give Me a Break
Schedule your learning or webinars with enough time to decompress. I usually stop myself after about 90 minutes of e-learning, and won’t go back to it until 2 hours later. Go for a walk, do some laundry, but DON’T spend your 2 hour break on social media! You need that break from your screen to let your mind settle, process and clear before you subject it to another highly intense, highly focused computer activity.
After my mind melt-down, I now make sure I have proper breaks between intense computer activities, including not scheduling those activities 2 days in a row! And weekends are family time and me time! (and some Netflix time binge!)
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