5 things to motivate yourself as an elearning professional

What if the abundance knowledge out there is getting to you? Are there quick actions that you – as a learner and eLearning professional – can use to get motivated again? You will have to think outside the box.

This blogpost from Lisa Neal started me thinking and by Jove, I think I can add some quick motivational tips. Jay Cross commented on that post with a small nudge, so … here is my 2p worth:

• Find white ravens: start interviewing people that are eLearning professionals. Do not interview the ones that are already known, dig up people whose voice is not spread wide and all across the internet. They know how to think outside the box. Keep the interviews limited in time and think about solid questions that will benefit you.
• Put your speciality out there: what is your speciality? Share your speciality with others and ask them to tell you yours. Social networks do not dig into specialities, find your knowledge star and get it out there to be discussed or shared. Why not suggest people you are willing to give an interview or a course on this specific topic through an online seminar?
• Find a frank test group: get your best eLearning project and deliver it to a set of people that you have not worked with, but that are a bit similar to your target population. Make sure – and this is very important – that they do not have any connection with you. Ask them for feedback, they will be frank and non-apologetic for any ill-design in your online course.
• Ask feedback from kids: take an online course you develop and present it to a 12 year old. It does not matter that the content is too difficult, they will ask relevant questions related to the design. I use my sister from time to time, she radically pinpoints weaknesses and gives amazing solutions. She is a digital native just like a lot of other kids (you will have to do something fun afterwards to keep them motivated).
• Get a game going within your team or with other eLearning colleagues: the most abstracts accepted, the quickest one to get an article published from the word ‘go’, the longest list in an eLearning brainstorming sessions wins…

Well, I hope this short list will get your minds rolling as well.