“Hello, my name is Renee and I am an online-learning junkie.”

I guess my addiction dates back before YouTube and Vimeo to a time when casette tapes ruled the airwaves. Casette tapes gave way to DVDs, Today I hoard lists of web addresses and their corresponding usernames and passwords. Keep your white machines. All I need is the soothing sounds of a friendly voice explaining how and why.

Like the cassettes and DVDs, many of the classes have never been viewed. Others have been watched repeatedly. And a couple have actually changed my life. They possess the intrinsic promise that I can accomplish whatever I want, and more than ever, I am mustering the courage to believe them.

I have two streaming-gurus du jour at the moment- Bonnie Christine and Noom, yes the app designed to help us lose weight and eat healthy. Oddly, I am discovering that they compliment each other nicely and offer practical wisdom about taking charge of my life. Both emphasize the power of incremental progress. Do ONE thing that moves me toward my goal everyday and I will eventually get there. For my life goals that one thing may be as little as a sketch or as monumental as sending out a portfolio. For my health it may be cutting sugar by half or challenging myself to eat green at every meal.

Some days one thing turns into several things. Some days I feel satisfied that I am going somewhere. Other days I feel as though I am plodding in place. And other days I find myself face down in the proverbial dirt. But I remind myself that stumbling is falling forward and forward is the key!

Last week I challenged myself to create a design for an online challenge with a deadline less than 48 hours away. I put in late hours and early hours to complete it and I felt good about myself and the work. But when the day to vote arrived, my entry was nowhere to be seen. So disappointed. But the single task of entering the contest prompted me to begin work on a Spoonflower site, provided valuable technical instruction, and reminded me to be persistent.