I grew up in Australia. Like other countries the high schools would have a school motto. Some were bold, some were brave, and some were downright aggressive! My school had the stupidest motto of all. Or so I thought.
Every Monday morning the students would assemble in the main courtyard and essentially get an update for the week. We sat for 30 minutes in an uncomfortable cross-legged position (we used to stand but one kid passed out and cracked a tooth). With little to do but sit and listen to the drone of our school principal I would often focus on the large crest for our school. It comprised of a branch, some leaves and three oranges. Underneath it said “persevere”.
Perhaps because I was so uncomfortable in that cross legged position for the entire time I grew to really dislike our motto. Persevere? Why not divide and conquer! Beat the competition! Be the BEST!
Twenty years later I cannot think of a single better word to guide a student.
The number one reason that you may not succeed in online teaching is perseverance. People give up. People expect quick and easy results. People rarely persevere.
If you are willing to commit to helping people, to building something of value, then you will succeed. It is a marathon of a project, and that is why we have to start from a place of passion rather than being incentivized by money.
Don’t Believe People Who Boast
Social media has unleashed a tidal wave of lies. Like the misleading photoshop we witness in fashion, social media wants you to believe that your friends lives really are that good. They are having fun all the time, and traveling to exotic places every second weekend.
Online business has its share of posers too. People who launch their first course to find a six figure pot of gold. People who have 100,000 subscribers on their email list. Don’t take the bait.
The only overnight successes I have known were several years in the making.
Perseverance In Online Education
Perseverance in online education means not giving up if you are only broadcasting to an audience of one. It means that even if you are only making a trickle of income for the first several years, you still keep looking for better ways to help people. It also is a mindset that doesn’t need external adulation to forge ahead, you need intrinsic motivation and belief in what you are doing.
If what you are doing is helping people, then it is worth doing. Persevere and you will find the success you are looking for.