The Art of “Learning on the Go” (to Master Your Online Craft)

The Art of Learning on the Go featured image

“Learning on the go” is something we can all do more of.

Whether you’re a professional at writing and blogging, or just beginning, we all need to hone our craft and grow in our capabilities.

But (like most writers) who actually has time for that? 

If you’re like me, the first thing to go when I’m busy is the extra training and studying. We’ve got lives to live, mouths to feed – three, in my case – and work that needs to be done.

So, how do we inject lessons, learning, and practice into our already busy lives?

The stress can feel daunting and we may sometimes feel like giving up.

However, in the age of mobile devices and streaming, we no longer have to sacrifice our precious time in order to fit in our studies and growth. Instead, we can use some key tactics and methods to help us improve and hone our craft so we can make “learning on the go” much easier.

Today, I want to show you four methods to learning your craft that helped this father of three still be with his family and do his job while also gaining the skills and knowledge that helped me to build a 7-figure online business.

It’s no secret how I did it – it was just a determination with a focus on effectiveness and efficiency.

By integrating these “learning on the go” methods into your life, you, too, can be as productive as I am and learn to grow your business as well!

1: Free Series and Lessons — Podcasts

Podcasts are an incredible way to learn on the go.  While there are many podcasts created for the sole purpose to entertain, many have been created to teach you or discuss certain trades of the craft.

But what makes podcasts so unique for our path to “grow while on the go” is their benefits:

– The ability to listen anywhere, including during your commute or during your gym workout

– Regular episodes, which allows you to stay on top of the latest trends in your industry or niche

– The personality and voice of the content creator is stronger than in a blog post

The best part of podcasts is that finding them is simple.  You can either go to iTunes and use their Search feature and type in what kind of things you want to learn, or you can turn to Google and look for lists presented online with best recommendations based on what it is you’re looking for.

For writers, here’s a list of the best podcasts to help you not only improve your writing skills, but also for how to use your writing for creating a book, writing better blogs, or just turning to freelance work. Read More

Some Neat Word Games for You!

This picture is one of block letters that spell out "play time" using childrens' building blocks.

I like word games such as Scrabble, Hangman, and crossword puzzles. I like them because they are fun to do and play!

It’s great, too, that word games help to increase your brain activity, which, in turn, leads to longevity and also staves off diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

My mother begins her day with coffee and a puzzle book, and she’s still sharp even though she’s in her late sixties!

Word games provide a win-win situation for everyone! YAY! 🙂

Of course, writing tools can be fun to use, too. 😉

The Many Things Dot Org Site

I found this site recently, which is geared toward ESL (English as a second language) students, that has a bunch of neat word games on it. Don’t let the fact that is for ESL students deter you; some of the games are really fun!!!

It’s called Many Things DOT Org and you can do a lot of different things on this site! The possibilities are endless!

It has games that make learning fun. The only drawback is that the site takes a long time to load (almost one minute) but it is worth the wait. I would suggest spending 20 minutes each day exploring and learning. It will help you learn English faster than a teacher can! 🙂

I’ve actually told a few people about this site and have seen an improvement in their language skills already. 🙂 YAY!

Fun for Everyone – Share Your Favorite Game

What sites do you like to use to play word games?

Leave a link to your favorite fun site in the comment section, or simply tell us what site you like the best!

Make a donation

Remember, I don’t just link to anything without checking them out myself. I’m committed to providing you with useful and great stuff here on Wording Well.

I don’t expect anything in return, but I have to mention that I will accept donations if you ever feel the need to thank me.

Of course, you could also thank me with a social share. Everything you do is appreciated! 🙂

Have a great day, and have some fun!

One more thing… Learn about Lorraine

Some of you are new readers, and so I’d like to invite you to read Who I Am + How I Became a Self-Published Author (and a question for you). This is a post I published on my other blog, Laying It Out There.

I hope you enjoy it, and respond to the question I have for you at the end! (Hint: it involves YOU.) 😉

 

Opening/featured image courtesy of Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When Do Bloggers Go On Vacation? I Need One! Do You?

Proof of 6 scheduled posts!

Today’s true tale addresses the question: When do bloggers go on vacation? This is a great question, and one I attempted to answer one day, after having six posts scheduled, which is like having three weeks off, I suppose, considering I post twice a week.

I’ll admit that I started writing this post a while ago. I didn’t finish it until a couple of days ago, though. Read More

Have You Experienced Soundless YouTube?

THIS IS A ‘TRUE TALES TUESDAYS’ POST

This is a funny, cute video of my nephew Ali (Alistair). He’s Sammi’s only brother, and is three years older than she is.  Although he has nothing to do with my story, I felt like including this YouTube video of us shopping because he liked the dancing Mickey Mouse.

Thanks to my recent discoveries, I can now hear Mickey Mouse talk.

For the last few hours, YouTube has been soundless for me. If finally figured out why I couldn’t get any of my YouTube videos to play, and why I thought I had no sound on my laptop.

MY TRUE TALE: Read More

My Online Journey

easelly_visual

 

When I first got a laptop in January 2013, I never imagined that I would be where I am today, doing the things I am doing.

The online community may reach worldwide, but the internet brings us closer. The technological advances that have been made while I was raising my son, going to school, and teaching are simply astounding. They boggle my mind.

In addition to trying to put together an ebook of short stories, I started writing a book about my life. I have a timeline created, and a few chapters written. My short stories are currently being re-worked, as I needed to make some improvements (according to the people I chose to be my “beta readers”).

In my quest for learning how to do new things, I’ve also been trying to learn how to create infographics.

As you can see from my personal “infographic”, I’ve met a lot of great people online.

The famous Carol Tice is one of the people I have met. I have been reading her blog, Make A Living Writing, for many months. A few weeks ago, she was asking for guest posts. She is one of the many bloggers who pay for guest posts, too, so I was excited to see this – it was a great opportunity for me! Normally she only invites people who have taken Jon Morrow’s class OR are members of her “Freelance Writers Den.” Since I fall into neither of these groups, I never thought that I’d have the opportunity to guest post for her. However, when she decided to “break her own rule” and seek guest posts from (almost) “anyone,” I decided to give it a shot.

I thought I had a pretty good chance at being accepted since I have actually crossed paths with her on a few occasions. I also comment on her blog on occasion (when I have something noteworthy to say). I’ve entered two of my posts into her linky contests, too. (The last one was during this one, in early September. I placed 23rd out of 46 entries. Since the post I entered had nothing to do with freelancing, I’m surprised I was not last!)

Anyway, when I submitted an email to Carol Tice with my idea for a guest post, it was rejected. I wasn’t very surprised; it was not the greatest of ideas. (I can see that now!) Not letting this rejection get me down, I decided to persevere. I then spent an evening thinking of three more ideas – better ones! – to pitch to her. I was thrilled when she accepted one of them. Oddly enough, it was not the one that I thought she would select.

However, I wrote the post she requested, but not well enough to meet her standards. I had to re-write the opening paragraph, and alter things a bit. I wanted it to be perfect. When I thought it was, I sent my re-write to her. A week later, I was told that she sent it to her editor. YAY!

I have guest posted on other sites before (look at my Services page) but never for pay! Since I will be paid upon publication, I haven’t made any money yet…but I’m told that it will happen within the next few months. (She schedules her posts months ahead of time.)

Needless to say, I’m looking forward to being “featured” on her site! I’ll be sure to keep you informed of my post’s publication date, too.

To wrap things up for now, let me say that I love learning. There are so many other things that I have learned during my time online. Some of them are outlined in my post “21 Things I Learned From My 21 Days In The Scavenger Hunt”. I am adding to my list weekly, and am loving my journey.

But, enough about me…

I want to know more about YOU.

What are some of YOUR online accomplishments? Share in the comments, please!