You Joined a Membership Site, Now What?

It’s one thing to listen and learn from your favorite author/speaker/podcaster; it’s quite another to join a membership site and make the decisions to actively implementing what is being suggested.

Back in November 2016, I joined The Rocking Productivity Academy (RPA), created by podcaster Jeff Sanders. I was very excited and so ready to meet like-minded folks. After 10 months, here’s what I’ve learned so far about getting the most out of a member site. RPA is open this week if you’re looking at joining a productivity site, but the suggestions below can certainly be applied to other membership sites like this one.

1. Introduce yourself but don’t overthink it. Personally one of the hardest posts is the first post intro post. Half the fun is having knowing other folks that are also part of a similar journey. If you don’t already have an “evaluator speech” or quick blurb about yourself, keep the introduction simple; “I’m ___, I’m a ___ / I’m excited/enthused/looking forward to ____.” Done.
2. Have a goal before joining the site. Now that you’ve joined, what you want to get out of the membership? Write it down, and three months down the line, when things start to get blurry, you’ll have a nice goal reminder. Be prepared to narrow it or turn into a SMART goal.
3. Start with a list of the questions that you want to ask the leader or person in charge. If you’ve been following them on their social media or reading their books; you’re probably excited to have to access to them.
4. Avoid Distractions. Follow the program and don’t get discouraged if you get distracted. The last thing that one needs is to feel guilty about what you haven’t accomplished.
5. Stay in Contact. If you fall off track, stay in contact with the community and stay in contact. One the most discouraging things I have experienced is to withdraw and get back on track. Add a 10 min calendar even or task list to say hi in the forum/group chat/etc.
6. Encourage others. Everyone needs a little encouragement from time to time, and that includes your virtual membership friends. A small gesture could be to read the feed on a weekly basis and “like” or comment a small “great job” if someone posts their progress.
7. Be even keel. Yes, it’s a virtual membership site, but if you’re not steady, your progress will be difficult to see and you end up with a yo-yo pattern. This is like college/university. There’s no one that’s really holding you accountable besides yourself. Life happens, set add a monthly 30 min calendar even or task list to say hi to read or go through a module/course/lesson/etc.
8. Be prepared to be stretched. One the best things that I like about being part of a productivity site is that it’s filled with other people that are productive or are looking to be productive. I personally felt a little out of place when
   I started to realize that a lot of the folks on the site had a lot more on their plate that I did.
   These suggestions have all been acquired over time after joining many sites in the past. I’m happy with my membership at The Rocking Productivity Academy because I’ve learned new strategies or gained clarity on how simple things can be if you focus and have a clear vision of what you’re trying to accomplish.

Questions for You – Which suggestion do you find the most beneficial? What’s the best/most difficult aspect of being part of (any) membership?