We're fellow travellers on the same journey
As I come to the closing paragraph of the book How to be a Productivity Ninja, author Graham Allcott makes the statement “We’re fellow travellers on the same journey”.
He’s referring to the fact that while his book is prescriptive on what one should do, he’s still figuring it out.
It’s easy to look at another creator and assume that they must be die hard practitioners of their craft, otherwise they wouldn’t be teaching it.
As a creator myself, I understand that if you’re still figuring it out but also teaching others what you know, you can feel like a charlatan. Sometimes other creators call out those they deem as charlatans which can call into question whether you’re doing the right thing.
I have two rules when it comes to my own content creation. The first is to share what I’ve learned as though I was talking to a younger version of myself who wasn’t in the know. The second is to treat it as a discussion as though I’m still learning.
The latter of the two means that I don’t actually have all the answers. I don’t know what someone else should or shouldn’t do. I don’t know where my understanding fails to live up to scrutiny. But by sharing and teaching, I in turn learn.
I learn from questions, the corrections and the discussions. Does that make me a charlatan? I don’t believe so. I see myself as an enabler for someone else to make their own judgements and thoughts.
At the end of the day. I’m still learning. I’m still testing out ideas. What I say today may change tomorrow. This is how we—collectively—learn. By teaching through content, I get to have the discussion where we’re both students. I believe that’s how you truly learn — and we get to advance together.
Today’s ah-ha moment is to recognise that you don’t need to be an expert to share your ideas and learnings. Use what you know right now to open a discussion with a potential audience. Be the guide you wish you had six months ago.