Are You A Learning Addict?

Apr 19

I often imagine that there’s a 12 Step Program for learning addicts, like myself. While not quite as dangerous as other addictions, it can get problematic. Especially with the number of online courses being offered, it’s easy to get swept up in the learning cycle. However, from one addict to another (if you identify as such), I can tell you that it gets overwhelming, expensive, and shame-inducing if you go overboard.

I fell into a shame spiral a few months ago when I realized just how many courses, workshops, certification programs, masterclasses, and more I’d gotten myself involved in. Don’t worry, I didn’t let the shame win. Instead, I did what I usually do when I’m trying to work through something — I wrote about it.

From that desperate need to find forgiveness for myself, I developed a set of prompts to help myself reframe things from shame to self-forgiveness and self-compassion. I’m offering the prompts here in an attempt to help any of you who may be going into a learning shame spiral yourself.

Step One:

Try to list out every course (I will use the word course, but I’m talking about anything that has a major learning component to it, ie, workshops, masterclasses, certifications, etc.) that is currently known to you. (Let’s assume the ones that aren’t on your radar don’t exist for the moment).

Step Two:

If it’s a course you’ve taken, or have worked on (even a little bit and tossed aside), try to list 3 things (more if you can!) you took away from the course (takeaways, lessons, breakthroughs, etc). This can be anything.

For example, maybe the only part of the course you looked at was the sales page and a few lessons, what takeaways did you get? Color palette inspiration? Did you learn one small fact? Did you notice or takeaway anything about how they talked to you, the consumer? Literally, anything goes. If you need some inspiration, see some of my actual notes below.

Course on pocket products: love the language used in the advertisement (which is what prompted me to buy) as well as the communication style within the course. Love the branding and the straight-to-the-point method of delivering the information within the course.
Course on tarot cards and journaling: Love the daily drip-style approach. Love the free membership in Mighty Networks. Found a few new decks that I resonate with.
Course on branding: Love the unorthodox approach to branding. Learned how to make a soulboard rather than a vision or mood board. Love the focus on the self rather than the “external.”

Step Three:

Now, review your list and pair it with a general feeling you have about the course. Meh? Great! Pretty good. How do you feel overall about the course? Need some examples? See below!

Course on pocket products: Overall, the information was great but realized that I don’t actually want to follow through on creating one myself. It doesn’t fit with who I am or how I want to produce content for my audience.
Course on tarot cards and journaling: The information was fabulous… for someone just beginning their tarot card journey. As a seasoned tarot reader and journaler, I didn’t feel that I learned very many “new” things.
Course on branding: I’ve taken other courses on branding and this was by far the best one because it didn’t focus so much on external things… it was really about putting yourself and your personality INTO your brand.

Step Four:

Now pair your list with this question: Do you feel like you got enough value out of this course to make it worth whatever you paid for it? See my examples below.

Course on pocket products: Even though the bulk of this course was focused on creating pocket products, there were some gems of information that I took away that weren’t specifically about pocket products. I also happen to know that the price I paid for this course wasn’t exorbitant so I will say that yes, I got enough value from this course for what I paid.
Course on tarot cards and journaling: Sadly, I don’t think the price was worth the information for me, personally. I already knew too much of the information and didn’t learn enough “new” things to make it worth it.
Course on branding: This course was definitely worth the price. Even if I don’t create a “tangible” deliverable from this course, the prompts and work of getting to know myself within the context of business were worth it.

Most times, you’ll surprise yourself with the answers. You’ll discover that you got a lot more out of a course than you realized and the inherent value goes up. You’re appreciating what you took away from it. That has value both emotionally and financially. My example of the course on pocket products is an example — I may not have gotten the full value from the topic itself, but I took away enough to make it “worth it.” That being said, it will stand to reason that you’ll realize there are some courses that you believe weren’t enough value for what you paid for it (like the tarot card and journaling course in my example). So what to do with those emotions?

Step Five:

You’re going to write to the past you that purchased the course at that time. You’re going to thank him/her for making what she/he thought was the right decision at the time, and honor her/his deep love for learning. It is a strength, but overindulgence takes away from the ability to learn under so much pressure. You’re going to forgive that past you for any negative or maladaptive coping mechanisms that may have played into it, but you also know that you own your behavior. When you feel at peace with the past you that purchased the course, you’re going to accept that it happened but acknowledge that you are moving on. Here’s an example I did for the tarot and journaling course:

Dear Past Jade,

I know you were really excited to take the tarot and journaling class and had really high hopes for it. I thank you for your incredible interest in wanting to grow deeper in your tarot and journaling practice. I know you purchased this course because you really respected and honored the instructor and maybe you didn’t ask enough questions before buying to get the scope of the course. It’s okay, though. You did what you thought was right at the time. It’s time to acknowledge though that maybe you didn’t need a course to further your practice? Even though the course was a disappointment, you were still able to find some new decks that resonated with you and you even found a few online friends to talk tarot with. That’s a win! I don’t want you to shame yourself any longer about purchasing this course. You’ve now learned what you are and what you are not looking for in a tarot and journaling course and that will help inform your future decisions. Rest easy, this is but one blip in your learning journey. I release you from the guilt or shame you may feel from purchasing and taking this course.

Love, Current Jade

Step Six:

Now, write down the courses you are most excited to either be in or start. What about them has you excited? What expectations do you have that could affect the value of the course down the road? Do you need to readjust your expectations? See my examples below.

Apprenticeship program: I’m so excited to be working with like-minded individuals who see more to me than “surface” values. I feel as if this program has exceeded what I thought it would provide and that makes me feel as if this program has an immense value already.
Spiritual Practice Certification Program: I will admit, I’ve been nervous about this one, but it just recently kicked off and it has very intentional outcomes that will result in added benefit to my business and the services I offer, so I’m excited to see how that will play out.
Writing Masterclass: Though I’m excited to dedicate deliberate time to my writing through this masterclass, so far I have felt a little disappointed in the material delivered. That being said, there is a community component to the class that I haven’t explored yet, and I feel as if that may be where I can find value and ask questions that could enhance the value of what is currently being delivered.

Optional Step:

Part of a learning addict’s shortcomings is that we forget to actually integrate what we’ve learned into our lives. Taking time to shore up my notes from the courses did more for the value of the course than I realized. I was able to see, very tangibly, what I learned and how I could apply it to myself and life. So if you have the desire, think about this step as your “integration” period. Set aside time to add your notes and takeaways somewhere safe and if/when you will integrate the learning into your life. This really helped me add “closure” to how I felt about the courses and allowed me greater comfort in getting rid of those that I didn’t need any longer.

Conclusion

How did it feel to move through these steps? Did it offer you comfort? Release? When I sat down to do this with my exhaustive course list, it felt overwhelming and uncomfortable. And yes, for a while, the shame lingered. But when I was done, an enormous weight lifted off my shoulders and I was able to completely let go of the courses that no longer interested me or served me. Instead, I was able to focus on the concepts and takeaways that mattered to me. It also allowed me to see patterns in my learning purchases and provided me with data to know when I might be better off saying “no” to a course instead of leaning into my learning addiction.