Have You Ever Been A Seminar Junkie Before?
Recently I had the opportunity to talk with an individual on how she really liked to pay alot of money to attend high powered seminars. Almost every year she will spend thousands upon thousands of dollars in attending one seminar after another. While I truly believe in investing thousands in my own education (and have done so every year), my question is “When is it when one goes too far?”
My concern is that I will feel emotionally charged up for that short moment and only to find myself back to square one again.
Have you been a Seminar junkie before? Would you like to share your experience and thoughts on this? Could you recommend how one person could avoid being a Seminar Junkie?
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Tagged with: emotion • junkie • learning • seminar
Filed under: Productivity and Self Management
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Can you tell me who did your layout? I’ve been looking for one kind of like yours. Thank you.
I have been down the road that leads to getting hooked on semminars etc.However,
I found that while they motivated me for a short while (approx 24 hours), my enthusism for change, was less pronounced, and 9 times out of ten I would go along my own sweet way not carrying out the lessons I had been taught.
I realised that I had been wasting my hard earned money and had only been lining the pockets of the promoters of the seminars and cut them out of my development programme.
I would add that I still purchase motivational books and audio programmes to give me a lift when required ( I am a life long learner). I feel the huge cost of seminars is not justified (in my case).
Whose problem is it? The individual or the trainer or the program? The biggest obstacle in life is sometimes in ourselves than external factors.
The motivation last as far as the door of the seminar only, as one fails to look within himself for the answer he desperately seek to unlock his potentials.
The only way to make it last is to probe deeper into the meaning of those who spoke, and applies them to whichever aspect he hope to be better in.
No i’ve never been one. Though i do believe in investing in my own education and have done so, i think it’s going too far if there’s no tangible results or benefits resulting from paying thousands of dollars for attending such seminars. After having attended such seminars, we need to take stock, reflect and also have
the committment to put into action what we have learnt from seminars so that we’re not just attending it to feel motivated. Such motivations do not last very long. Real motivation comes from within.
This is an addiction for many who are unfortunately lured by some flashy advertising and promises by the “event managers” and “miracle workers”.
My alert to a Seminar Junkie is to beware and avoid the state where one’s “knowledge accumulation” far exceeds their “skill deployment” – the experience in doing what they have learned.
Until we have a clear measure and indicator that the knowlegde assimilated in a seminar/training program is converted and deployed as skill through experiential contribution and learning, we should not even look at another flashy seminar brochure!!
very simple.
firstly be very clear. why your attending the course. what are your objectives? what are the specific things that you wish to change in your life?
i would assume that most of these seminars are about helping you succeed and this in turns usually means improvement in your financial status. so you must make it a point to monetize the ideas you learn. there must be a measurable dollars and cents improvement in your business.
with these 2 ideas etched deep in your mind. you can easily avoid being another seminar junkie.
feeling great is not an option. you can feel great and spend less money by just going for a spa session.
I totally agree with you all. Seminars are usually very sexy and exciting, however in order to make it work, I myself have to make it work.
According to motivational theories, motivation is totally intrinsic. This means that I can only motivate myself; while others can only create the environment for me to do it.
Seminars are good only when we apply the lessons into our lives!
If someone has been attending seminars after seminars, spending thousands and thousands of dollars in seminars, yet couldn’t get the result that he/she wants. Very likely it has nothing to do with the programs or trainers.
Then he/she has to start looking inwards for solution. What did he/she not do right? What the seminars work for someone else and not me?
80% will not do anything or quit too soon!
I was one..he he for a couple of years..until I become a trainer myself..
I believe learning is for LIFE. If we dont learn from seminars we’ll learn it through our life anyway , but mostly takes a longer time & through painful mistakes for many..I encourage my participants to spend 5 to 10% of their income yearly on personal development that includes seminar , books etc..coz when we stop learning , that’s when we stop living.. effectiveness of seminars ? the question is not how long I remain charged up , the question is how do take my learning to be applied in life. The problem with seminar junkies is when they enrol into seminars IRRESPONSIBLY and expect the trainer to FIX them…aint gonna happen with any trainer , not with Tony Robbins nor Harv Eker , smile…seminars are not FIX_IT solutions , it is US who is RESPONSIBLE to FIX ourselves …As a trainer , I stress on that a lot especially in grounding ( that I’m not there to FIX them & get them charged up ). smile..
cheers & have a blast in 2009!!
Like others, I too find seminar effect works more like drugs. After a certain period of time, the effect will wear out.
I have NOT been to seminar often. But I guess when one hears too many opinions from too many seminars, one would wonder which speakers one should heed. Each of these speakers has their own unique experiences.
Just like jumping from one church to another. Some priests said this, others said that.
Given the chance, I would really like to be the speaker than the listener. Better be the one who confuses than be confused. ;o)
Just kidding.
On a more serious note, I always believe that motivation (money) and getting into the right crowd of people are the two most significant factors that will change us for the better.
I believe that humans have this natural instinct of not wanting to be a loser among his crowd.
This will force one to change.
It all boils down to your intention of attending the seminars.
If you’re attending seminars to be motivated, then you have the WRONG intention to begin with.
Motivation is not the core purpose of a seminar. The core purpose is to teach you the valuable lessons to succeed in life which you don’t get in school.
Personally, I attend seminars to learn, to absorb and to take away valuable lessons that can stay with me for the rest of my life.
As to whether these lessons really help, it depends on whether I’d learnt well and applied them correctly.
I take full responsibility for that.
Cheers~
Mark
Hi Kenneth,
Some people say that Knowledge is Power.
Actually, Knowledge is only Potential Power.
Knowledge only becomes Power when it is applied.
I budget and spend about S$5,000 to over S$10,000 in seminars each year.
Except for some that are overly priced and low in value, most of the seminars I’ve attended have actually reaped me returns many times the cost of seminar, as I’ve earned money applying what I learned.
So for those who are just attending seminars but not applying what they learn, these are the so-called Seminar Junkies.
You know the person is a seminar Junkie when you see them in various seminars but you don’t see much improvement in their lives over the years.
Cheers!
Dennis Ng, http://www.HousingLoanSG.com
on another note , based on experience , I found that learning from seminars can be further strengthen ( thus sustaining the ‘drug’ effect ) when it is followed by coaching or support group program where participants get together & support each other in applying what they learn in the seminars…at least 21 days of continious practise of what participants have just learned and that makes it a habit…cheers
i agree that going to various seminars and still unable to learn and apply is a waste of time and money. Going to many seminars is good for reinforcement, so that good habits can be cultivated from it.
Myself, i focus a lot on helping school going students to apply what they learn. I show the students learning can be fun and easy. My training is over a period of time, so as to help students to develop good habits. then be independant in learning. want to know more? want to know how it can help your children ? email me quekkc@starhub.net.sg
Hi Kenneth and all,
my comments as follows:
First off, don’t be ‘sold’ a seminar. We should know all the marketing gimics that goes into telling one how “good” the upcoming seminar is? Be very careful.
Second. Know what you want. What is your need? What level of knowledge are you lacking — that you need to gain from attending a seminar / course.
Third. Know your budget. If you have the budget, and after doing your research, you feel good about it, then go for it.
Never buy on impulse. After a year of packaged seminars, I have learnt to be wiser, that there is no end to learning. THat there will always be the next “only” seminars etc. That there is a budget, and there is opportunity costs.
Weigh the desires, needs and wants and resources before committing.
But then, there are those regular “seminar junkies” who enjoy going because they can afford it.
cheers,
As much as one need to upgrade himself,I personally feel that applicablity is important. If I learnt something and not properly utilise it or not certain of how to apply it, it may not be as helpful after all.
Hi Commentators:
Apparently everyone here agrees that Seminars are important, the main issue all of us have are when we do not actively put the things we have into practise.
To Dennis,
> Knowledge only becomes Power when it is applied.
Totally agree with you. Couldn’t have said it better.
To Intan,
Coaching and follow up is an important key to ensuring that we put things into practise.
To Steve,
>Weigh the desires, needs and wants and resources before committing.
Agree with you too. A Needs Assessment is always important even when I talk to my clients when assessing their training requirements. One quick question I usually ask myself is whether I can immediately appy what I have learnt. If not, I will usually give it a miss until the need arises.
As a seminar junkie myself, I can only give you my biased two-cents worth of opinion.
First, I attend at least one seminar per month. In most years, I go to more than twenty seminars.
Why do I do it?
Let me share with you the wrong reasons which I have been guilty of. To begin with the end in mind, I came out of many seminars and have not only wasted my time, energy and money, i have learned nothing or have not taken any actions to apply and improve and get better results.
The right reasons?
I have invested within my means in terms of time, energy, money and other resources and have learned from giants.
As someone who will be the first to confess I am not smart (and I’m not trying to be humble or to give you a false sense of Asian modesty), I feel the best way to improve and grow is to walk the path of the experienced and the successful, or to avoid the path which has led to failures. The short cut, if you will.
In addtion, attending seminar is one of my chose ways of relaxing, having fun, meditating and living. It’s better than most other ways.
Hope it helps. Cheers
Patrick Liew
HSR
Kenneth,
Yes, I just talk to Bette of success resources regard to Anthony Robbins who is coming to Singapore on September.
I have no particular intention to attend this course but I feel that seminar which improve our behavior and help us to excel then I would target it and make it a point to attend.
For the last two years, it really help me to be a better person and making my target or dream come truth. I believe one day, I will able to have my own time and help people anytime I like.
Regards,
Simon Er
sagiss_team@yahoo.com.sg
Hi Kenneth,
It’s true that attending valuable seminars is a great way to accelerate the progress. It’s even more true that practising what you learnt is the critical success factor. As for me I attended a whole string of related seminars in 2008. Most of them were exceptionally good and useful. It helped me to identify my vision and mission and also empower me with the skills to pursue them. I also attended an expensive bootcamp on internet marketing which I have NOT used at all till date. The lesson learnt from that was “I should start with the End in Mind.” I have to be very clear and decisive in what I choose.
I also feel that we get a chance to meet up with great like-minded people at these seminars. They eventually become your partners in progress.
I have decided that 2009 is for applying and implementing what I learnt. Though it’s very difficult to be not tempted to sign-on for good seminars offered at attractive prices, I have been able to stick to my decision.
I’m happy to let you know that I have started a “Youth Life Directions Program” and successfully engaged a group of youth at the sessions till date. I am in the process of expanding my coverage and audience.
Best Regards
Ken
You hit the head on the nail.
My alert to a Seminar Junkie is to beware and avoid the state where one’s “knowledge accumulation” far exceeds their “skill deployment” – the experience in doing what they have learned.
It seems that many will go to seminars without the prerequisites needed to benefit from the live event.
Besides learning from the trainer and instructors, there is other learning going on.
That learning I call relationship building. I would posit that those who become seminar junkies are not their for the learning alone. On some unconscious level they are there to develop there relational skills.
Those that have those skill sets usually make good use of seminars and are able to quickly deploy what they have learned into meaningful and profitable activities.
It’s no wonder people who claim to be junkies when you talk to them they know all the information most speakers will talk about, but when you ask them what they are doing with it, you draw a blank.
It is in this one sided approach that if tilted back to center could help the individual realize to breath requires inhaling and then exhaling.
So you could say one is stuck in the the inhaling of the experience.
That is why I felt the need to create http://seminarslive.biz which is to focus on the values of seminars but moreover how to maximize ones experience before, during and after.
In doing so a balance is created and all players can benefit.
Hello,this is Kina Audain,just observed your Post on google and i must say this blog is great.may I share some of the information found in the website to my local students?i am not sure and what you think?in either case,Thank you!