Everyone has something they know that they can teach to others. Anyone can create an online course to teach other people what they know. But, when you sit down to come up with teachable topics you want to keep some things in mind.

What Do You Know? There is usually something you are passionate about that you already know you can teach to others. For example, maybe you know the secret to making the perfect snicker doodle cookie. You can teach the fundamentals of baking a snicker doodle cookie and what is important to make it come out perfect.

What Do You Want to Know? Even if you do not know how to do a task, you can still create an online course. Just learn how to do it and create step-by-step instructions as you go to create an online course with that information.

What Are Your Strengths? It is important to know what your strengths are, because creating a course requires several steps. For example, you may need to add video, create screen shots or write a great deal of material. Any one of these tasks may require learning or outsourcing.

Who Is Your Audience? It is important to start with an audience that you want to teach. Then you can find out what they want to know and create courses for them. Even if you do not know the material personally, you can interview subject matter experts, or even hire someone to create the course for you.

What Is the Goal? Once you have decided upon a potential topic, can you figure out what the end goal is? What do you want to teach your audience? What do you want them to walk away from the course knowing?

What Is the Main Objective? You need to figure out your main objective for teaching a course at all, then the objective of the course. Do you want to teach them something they need to know so that you can earn extra money, or do you want to teach them something so that they can also learn about other offerings you have?

What Tools Do You Need? When you determine the ideas you want to teach to your audience, you will need to make a list of tools you need for creating the course. Perhaps that means you will need a good video camera or a stand for your iPhone so that you can video yourself cooking. Or maybe you need a tool like Camtasia to edit the videos.

What Platform Is Right for Your Course? Once you work out all the details, you will need to figure out where to host your course so that you can easily promote it. You can host it with the right software right on your own domain, or you can use a system like Udemy to sell your course. It is up to you.

Teaching online courses can be very lucrative if you find the right information that people want to know, find the right platform and market the course in a way that gets people to sign up. The idea for the topic is just the beginning.

Until next time...

Have a great day!
Susanne


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Now that you are trying new adventures it is time to push your boundaries. What does that mean? It means it is time to step out of your comfort zone. Please do not get me wrong, I am a big fan of being comfortable. If you have a great life that you love and you are happy -- why mess with it?

Humans, however, tend to not be happy unless we are constantly growing and expanding our thoughts. Some people say the only way to push your boundaries is to do stuff that scares you. I disagree.

That may be because I have a phobia about falling. It is nearly impossible to get me to cross a bridge if I can see over the edge. Glass-walled elevators terrify me; sometimes even if I am only going one floor. I am positively petrified to take an elevator higher than the fourth floor of any building.

Now I can make an effort to do these tasks so often that my phobia may begin to fade however, the sense of panic that I have in those situations is so overwhelming why would I continue to visit and revisit that over and over again? How will that contribute to my happiness?

I am actually planning to get treated by a friend of mine who is a hypnotist to try to alleviate my anxiety when I am in these situations. I do not know if it will work, but it sure seems a lot more sensible than constantly terrifying myself.

What type of boundaries can you push? Perhaps there is a management position available at your company that you do not think you are quite ready for. Go ahead and apply. Even if you are truly not ready at this point and you are not offered the position, simply throwing your hat in the ring and going through the process will teach you skills that you will be able to use when you are ready for that position.

Perhaps you dream of someday supporting yourself as an artist. Start taking some training on how to run a business even if the very thought of that makes you a little sick to your stomach. You will never be able to support yourself as an artist if you do not treat it like a business, so push your boundaries now so you can start down that path.

Pushing your boundaries may be as simple as being a little bit unrealistic when creating your realistic S.M.A.R.T. goals. Perhaps when you are reviewing your data from the last year and making your revenue projections for the next year you can tack on an extra 10 percent. You can then create a plan to raise that extra revenue. You would be surprised at how many tasks you can accomplish if you simply decide to do them.

Pushing your boundaries increases your confidence by helping you overcome some of your minor fears. Remember it is okay to ask for help to overcome fears that are not so minor.

Until next time…

Have a great day,
Susanne

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Have you ever had one of those days? You know the kind I am talking about; it is Saturday and you plan to do six tasks: plan your weekly meals, go grocery shopping, do laundry, get the oil changed in your car, cheer at your daughter's soccer game and have date night with your husband.

You start the day well; the first load of laundry goes in the washer at 8:00 a.m. you sit down at the table with your meal calendar and recipe box handy. You start thinking about what kind of meals your family will enjoy this week when your daughter comes down holding her soccer cleats -- one of which has been destroyed by the dog overnight.

Your husband has already left with your son to go to your son’s piano lesson and your daughter’s soccer game starts at 10:00. Your husband and son are going to your daughter’s soccer game straight from the piano lesson. That, of course, leaves you with only one option… You and your daughter eat breakfast and get ready to leave for the game early so you can stop at the store to purchase new soccer cleats on your way. It is only 8:15 a.m. and your plans for the whole day are ruined.

Are ALL of your plans really ruined? Perhaps it is true that because you had to leave for the game early you did not have time to do your meal planning and create your grocery list and therefore you will not be stopping at the grocery store on the way home. You can still stop for the oil change on your way home and then make a second trip out for grocery shopping. You will still have time for date night and if a little bit of laundry has to be pushed to the next day it is simply not a big deal.

Is the solution ideal? No, however making adjustments to unforeseen circumstances instead of giving up on your day because of a small setback helps you stay more positive and productive throughout the rest of your day.

How are you reacting when life throws you a curveball? Is your day ruined or is the curve ball a small speed bump to slow down for, drive over and keep going?

Until next time…

Have a great day,
Susanne


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