When was the last time you enrolled in a skill-building course?
Or perhaps sought out the services of a mentor?
At the start of the COVID pandemic, there was a surge in people working out to keep their bodies in shape. However, mental professional development took a backseat. Even though 83% of businesses say it is important to develop leaders at all levels, only 5% have implemented professional development.
If you did not set a goal for learning in 2021, you have the chance to set a different course in 2022. A glance at your schedule may have you wondering when you can squeeze in time to learn, take a course, or commit to yet another task. Just like your body needs food and water to keep going, your mind needs consistent learning for you to achieve growth and elevate your expertise.
Here are three ways you can prioritize your professional development through learning, without compromising your already busy schedule.
Develop a New Habit
Make professional development a part of your routine and set goals and milestones that you can celebrate. Start off by assigning 15 minutes each day to learning and stick to it even when your schedule seems overwhelming. Ensure that you make learning a part of your routine and set an objective of what you want to learn. Once you have made daily learning a habit, you can evaluate whether to increase your learning time for lasting improvement.
Take Time Out to Think
As a business owner, it is likely you are always in action moving from one task to the next. This leaves little time to sit back and reflect on your actions, to understand how you can improve your plan. For your professional development, make time to plan without any distractions from devices, emails, phone calls etc. In the process of thinking, consider how others perceive you and what you would do to improve on that perception. Your professional development should have a positive impact on you and those that interact with you.
Evaluate your Distractions
Even with a packed calendar, you may have pockets of time where you engage in activities that will not advance you in any way. These are known as distractions and hinder you from meeting your goals as expected. Get clear on what these distractions are so that you can reset the way that you use your time. With the time taken away from distractions, you can focus on building yourself in some way such as participating in an educative course, watching videos from mentors, or even sharing your experiences to help drive growth in others.
The meaning of professional development will differ from one person to the next. At the core of professional development is taking time to improve yourself through learning, reflection and understanding how you contribute to your society at large.
Free Access to Personal Development Newsletter
Get new strategies & tips on personal development every week.
We process your personal data as stated in our Privacy Policy. You may withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any of our emails.