This post has been written in collaboration with SEEK learning.
About SEEK Learning
SEEK Learning has connected more than 200,000 students with career-related education over the past 10 years. Through expert consultant advice, SEEK Learning helps people achieve their career goals through further education with leading education providers, offering over 300 courses.
Visit: seeklearning.com.au to take a step towards a more amazing you.
Read on to discover how learning changed my life forever…
Disgruntled
I was a disgruntled temp, sitting in a Melbourne office dreaming out the window about a better life. I envisaged a more ‘super’ version of myself. I dreamt of sitting in a beautiful home overlooking the ocean writing a book, sipping coffee, and eating cupcakes while thinking up characters for my novel.
The best part of my day was lunch, where I would grab a notebook and pen, and fly out that building at noon. I’d shuffle across the street and spend 20 minutes on a bench down at the Yarra scribbling the words of a story. It was a story about a girl who found a magic box that changed her life forever. Looking back that story was about me. She was a girl who wished she had some magic formula for changing her life and living ‘the dream’.
After about a year of writing stories at lunch, I realised I didn’t have the technical skills to move forward with my ideas. All I had was passion, belief and a positive attitude.
The epiphany
My changing moment came one day while watching a rower sweating it out on the river. He was working extremely hard, but at the same time, he had a look of absolute joy on his face. In that moment I decided I wanted the kind of euphoria he had. I desired the kind of happiness that would both challenge me while also giving me an euphoric sense of joy.
That night, after work, I jumped online and enrolled in a class-based writing course.
Image source: Pinterest
At the time I did not realise the impact of this tiny little step…
The beginning of a dream
Within weeks, I was sitting in writing class, chewing on the end of my pen, discussing books, plots and storylines with a bunch of other would-be writers.
I was in my element and feeling inspired…
Image source: Pinterest
There were setbacks
Unfortunately, life started to get in the way. Some days I wasn’t able to make it to class due to my work and home commitments. I was stressed out. Sadly, within six months of starting the course I became a writing school dropout.
Perhaps, if I had taken an online course initially, I might have had more success in completing it.
I was depressed but I kept a positive attitude.
Despite not finishing the course, this step did wonders for my motivation as a writer and really sealed my desire to write on a professional and practical level.
I studied writing online, around my work schedule. I was able to get those creative juices flowing without my life being disturbed too much It wasn’t until I started to combine my passion with little steps towards learning my craft I realised I could study online, when I had the time.
Choosing the right course for you
Visit the following resources at SEEK Learning to learn how you can fit your studies around your busy lifestyle.
I realised this magical formula:
Passion + Learning + Little Steps = My Dream Life
My whole world began to open up. Once I realised I could learn anything, I had an intense desire to learn everything – and getting out of my rut was both entirely possible and exciting. I became ‘a lifetime learner’ fuelled by passion.
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Take a step
But be warned: Watching this video might take you on an amazing new journey. Are you ready for the ride?
- Read this: Check out the SEEK website,
- Watch this: SEEK Learning Consultant Tony, talks through the process of connecting aspiring students to the right course on YouTube.
The little step that became massive
I did not know at the time, but that little step turned out to be massive and launched me later into an amazing new life. In my mind, I was no longer the little girl with a dream. The course was the spark I needed to completely ignite my passion and set my dreams on fire.
Passion + Learning + Little Steps = My Dream Life
Here’s what I did:
- An online crash course on how to write a novel
- I challenged myself to write a novel in two weeks and did it! (The practice run)
- I studied online when my hubby was underground
- My hubby and I knuckled down and paid off our debt within one year
- I had a wonderful bush pregnancy and a beautiful baby boy
- I started to see that I was on this journey for a reason
Work became less about money and more about my dream life
Places of work became ‘training grounds’ to back up all the study I was doing. I started looking for jobs that would harness my studies. I got a job at my local council writing grant submissions and helping small businesses develop templates and systems. I learnt web design and asked my boss if I could build a website for the company. Taking on jobs, which harnessed what I was learning and studying at the time, became a real win-win.
Living the dream? Absolutely!
I am currently working as a writer from home, living five minutes from the beach, while blogging and writing a novel in my spare-time.
And I DID IT ALL while WORKING FULL-TIME or PART-TIME WITH BABIES in tow – thanks to being able to learn online in my spare time.
The journey and living my dream life is now certainly worth celebrating.
Image source: Pinterest
Drumroll…
There are two morals to this story
Dreams are free – so have them because they can and do materialise eventually once they are set in your subconscious.
Image source: Pinterest
You still have to work at your dreams, learn as much as you can and apply yourself. Luck has little to do with it, passion has seen me through the hard times.
Image source: Pinterest
My top personal reasons for developing new skills
- It feels great to keep an alive, sharp and engaged mind
- The constant challenge of learning new stuff is really satisfying
- Learning helps me stay motivated and interested in the world around me
- I’m interested in learning about the world, like I was when I was a child, which makes me feel youthful and happy
- It gives me inner and outer confidence. It makes me feel smarter.
Some great side effects of constant learning
- You can triple your income
- You get to follow your true path in life
- If you love the topic – study is not a chore. Learning is fun and thrilling to the core.
- You will be much happier living your dream life
How I got my skills
- You have to be prepared to put the work in
- I’ve sat up late many nights and studied after the kids went to bed
- I get up early before the world wakes and put study hours in
- I started to read more and focused on my genre ‘self-help’
- I found what motivated me. E.g. Buying my kids a new bedroom suite, helping my family into a new home or investing in a holiday home for my family.
- I posted up visuals of my walls of my dream life.
Here’s what is holding people back
- Some people think its too late or they’ve ‘missed the boat’ when it comes to changing careers
- People ‘talk’ but don’t act on their internal desires for a better life
- Some people fear that technology will restrict their career as they age
Investigate the best places to learn
Investigate places like Seek Learning to start living your dreams.
Points to consider
- There’s always time to study. Options these days are very flexible and you can go at your own pace
- Studying has evolved into something workers at any stage of their career take on due to a changing employment landscape
- It’s never too late, or too early, to retrain, upskill and go in search of deeper career fulfillment.
- Studying is actually very affordable with VET-FEE help and no upfront course fees
- Data suggests education will increase earnings. Graduates earn around $1 million more over their lifetime than those who don’t study past Year 12.
- Modern couses are multimedia and fun. They include live lectures and tutorials, online discussions, video chats and media presentations.
Remember, do something you are passionate about and feel the fire in your belly!
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