One major challenge tutors experience is inavailable time and very busy schedules. It would be almost an impossible thing to consistently go out to teach someone out of the time you never actually have to yourself, especially when it is a no-fee type of training.
But over the years, I have noticed two broad categories of people showing up to me to learn something that I do from me. Is it because I offer to teach them at no real fee? Let’s see how much free is valued?
Free Is Not Valued
The best things are free, so they say. But when it comes to purchasing, the more expensive is often better than the less.
I have often wondered if people would not maximize free opportunities because they are not paying for it. This warranted the introduction of fees in the acquisition of any skill whatsoever as if that would give the learner some more drive to be more interested in acquiring the skill.
The categorization of people into two groups in this post is based on the attitude of people who desire to learn a skill through tutorship from someone. And I think it is time we explore them together.
Category A: Those Who Will Never Come Back Again
It has now become a foretelling when I say “Don’t worry, he will not come back again”. When people indicate their interests in learning a skill that I can teach, I always tease them that the last person that came before them never showed up again and that I predict that they too will not show up after some time. This I do to spur them to make a difference this time because I really wish to make their curiosity a reality. But what I found is that the new person also goes and never return.
Maybe they are also busy too, or other factors are at stake. I quite understand that with them but a very few of them formed the second category. And I think they were not less busy but there is something they did with their commitment. Let us see more about them now.
Category B: Those Who Came To Learn And Got What They Needed
I could say this category makes up less than 1% of the entire people that comes to me to learn one thing or the other. Like I already mentioned in the previous paragraph, it is not as if they are less busy than those in the other category but what sets this group apart is the fact they are people that are willing to maximize opportunities.
Towards the last part of the year 2019, I had a student who proved to be really faithful. He was really devoted and I was really amazed at how much he learnt over the short time we share together. And at every time of the year, I always have a couple of people who have promised to return to learn from me. I am generous when it comes to teaching people some of the stuff I do freely but that is how it ends, they never show up again.
The attitudes of people when it comes to skill acquisition span across these two great divides; those who will sustain their commitments and return to learn, and those who would let excuses and other stuff stand in their way.
The take-home message for today is summarised in this “Everyone is busy but you must learn to carve out time to do what you love doing, or learning or who you should be with at that period”. Say me well to your new self that is willing to maximize all available opportunities whether free or paid.
If you still need some motivations, read these;
