Monetize your learning curve. Don’t wait until you achieve mastery.

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Charging money holds you accountable to your actions. You suddenly need to deliver to a customer instead of going easy on your personal projects whenever you want.

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Accountability is leverage for growth.

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Don’t be afraid to take on jobs that you are currently not fully able to perform skill-wise.

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You get pushed out of your comfort zone and need to improve your skill to fulfill the job. Those things happen simultaneously. You learn when you do something new instead of something comfortable.

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If your customer is not happy with what you delivered they don’t need to pay. You shouldn’t mind, your focus was on learning anyway. Earning was a bonus. Therefore differentiate by charging little and offering a money-back-guarantee.

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While building up a network of first customers you are learning about customer relations, their needs and how to better position yourself on the fly. More bonuses!

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You can also teach what you learn to gain a better understanding and creating new opportunities like consulting and advisory jobs. Experts need to be able to articulate themselves.

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When your goal is learning you can’t fail.

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Concrete example. You want to learn photography. Go to a touristy location, confront people, tell them you are a photographer and can up their IG pics that they are currently taking.

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Tell them you charge 20€ for 5 pictures. Or maybe just 10€, it really doesn’t matter. Send them immediately after you took them. Send edited versions the next day via email.

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Do this for a handful of people and you are in business.

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You just did what you wanted to do anyway. Learning how to take pictures by taking pictures. On top you get paid and develop a following of people. Big win that gets you a step closer to doing what you love full-time.

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