Embracing Just-In-Time Learning

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the constant stream of new tools, platforms, and creative trends? Inbox full of more useful articles than you could ever read? You’re not alone. It feels like everyone around you is mastering the latest shiny thing. From book trailers, to dazzling websites, or visual social media magic, they’re powering forward and here we are, thinking, “I want to do that but I don’t even know where to start.”

Sound familiar?

We’re often following out-of-date advice. We’ve been told that knowledge equals preparedness, that learning everything up front is the only way to stay relevant in this fast-paced world. So before we can start, we need to learn the whole process. Right? But here’s the thing we have to accept: in our modern world, it’s exhausting. It’s suffocating. And worst of all, it’s not effective.

Why?

Because modern tools change faster than we can keep up. What you learn today will probably be outdated by tomorrow. Worse yet, trying to cram everything into your brain at once doesn’t just waste time, it smothers your creative spark. You weren’t meant to operate under pressure like that.

So, what if we flipped it? What if instead of chasing every new trend or platform, we learned only what we needed, exactly when we needed it?

This is the power of just-in-time learning.

The Relief of Learning Only What Matters Now

Imagine this: You’re working on a manuscript and suddenly realize you’d love to create a simple book trailer. But instead of spending hours watching tutorials or reading guides about video editing, you ask yourself, “What’s the bare minimum I need right now to make something decent?” Turns out, it might be as simple as creating a slideshow with some basic text and images. No complicated software required.

Or maybe you want to build a website for your writing. Instead of diving into coding or design frameworks, you start small: figure out the absolute essentials (like setting up a home page and an “About” page) using user-friendly platforms. The rest can wait—until you’re ready.

Just-in-time learning doesn’t mean ignoring technology or creative opportunities. It means choosing to learn what matters for your next step, and only that. No more feeling like you need to be a tech whiz or a design genius to create something meaningful. Those new tools that are always changing? You may be surprised at how easy what you want may have become!

Embracing the Overwhelm (And Doing Something About It)

If you’re drowning in industry newsletters, social media groups, and endless “you should be doing this” advice, stop for a second. You don’t need to read it all right now.

Is that newsletter useful? Maybe. Create a folder and throw it and anything else about that topic into that folder. Don’t try to read them right now. Just make sure your folder is well labelled. (If it isn’t useful, unsubscribe!)

The secret is that newsletter overload isn’t all that’s causing overload. The problem is learning to focus on only what’s directly blocking your ability to create right now. So unsubscribing from or archiving those newsletters isn’t an act of laziness. It’s an act of self-care. You can always revisit them later if something truly captures your interest.

Archives are your own curated knowledge. To learn more about how to build your own useful archive of knowledge (that doesn’t eat your time or brain space), you may want to read Building a Second Brain by Tiego Forte.

Taking Action, One Step at a Time

Next time you feel stuck or overwhelmed, ask yourself: What’s the smallest thing I need to learn right now to make progress on my creative goal? Then, tackle just that. Repeat as needed.

For example:

• “I want to try visual social media but I can’t draw.” → Learn how to use a simple graphic design tool or find royalty-free images and templates. Canva or Midjourney could be your new best friend.
• “I’d love to have a website but don’t understand technology.” → Use a no-code platform like Author Websites by BookBub to create a basic site with your writing portfolio. Want something more robust? Take a class focused on just what you need.

Your Creative Tool Kit

Just-in-time learning isn’t just about tools, it’s about reclaiming control. It’s about saying, “I’m not going to let this overwhelm me. I’ll learn what I need when I need it, and that’s okay.”

The next time you’re staring at a new trend or platform, don’t panic. Just take a deep breath and ask yourself: What one thing do I need to know right now to move forward? Then, let go of the rest until you actually need it.

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About Lisa

Lisa Norman's passion has been writing since she could hold a pencil. While that is a cliché, she is unique in that her first novel was written on gum wrappers. As a young woman, she learned to program and discovered she has a talent for helping people and computers learn to work together and play nice. When she's not hanging out with her family, writing, or teaching, she can be found wandering the local beaches.

Lisa writes as Deleyna Marr and is the owner of No Stress Writing Academy. She also runs Heart Ally Books, LLC, an indie publishing firm.

Interested in learning more from Lisa? Sign up for her newsletter or check out her school, No Stress Writing Academy, where she teaches social media, organization, technical skills, and marketing for authors!

This article is based on a chapter from her most recent book, The Work of Joy is now available here.

Top image from depositphotos.