How often do you set aside time to
learn new skills? Chances are, not as often as you'd like! If you're like many people, you're
keen to learn, but you struggle to find the time. So, how can you make this
time, develop your knowledge, and increase your value, both to your
organization and to future employers?
Why
Make Time for Professional Development?
If you're a manager, you'll know how
important it is to ensure that your team members are given plenty of training
and development opportunities. However, it's just as important to focus on your
own learning and development. To do this, it's essential to set aside enough
time.
There are several reasons why you might
not make learning a priority. Volume of work is the most obvious reason: with
work and personal responsibilities competing for your attention, it can feel
impossible to find room in your schedule for learning.
As well as this, you may feel guilty
about taking time out for personal and professional development; after all,
this could be used to work on urgent or important tasks, or even to be with
your family.
It can also be difficult to make
learning part of your routine. In the course of a busy, hectic day, tasks like
"Read leadership book," and "Complete online course" can
easily slip to the bottom of your To-Do List.
This can lead you to feel
disappointed about not living up to your own expectations, which can affect
your self-confidence and make you feel less positive about your career.
You can also suffer if you don't stay up-to-date with changes to your industry
or profession. For instance, you might miss opportunities to make a greater
contribution to your team or organization, and other people may become more
effective than you in the workplace.
However, when you make learning a
priority, you increase your value to your organization. You're more marketable
as a professional, and you're in a better position when you apply for a challenging
project or seek a promotion.
Continuous learning can also help
you develop expert power. If your boss, team members, or clients see you as an
expert, they're far more willing to respect your opinion and follow your lead.
This can make it easier to win support for your projects, negotiate a contract,
or manage change.
Personal
Learning Strategies
There's no doubt that it's important
to make your own professional development a priority. But how do you find time
to do it?
1.
Set Learning Goals
If you don't recognize the
importance of what you're doing, it will be easy to give self-development up
whenever you're pressed for time or lacking energy and motivation.
So, your first step is to identify
your learning objectives, and visualize how these will help you achieve the
other professional goals that you've set. So, what do you want to get from your
learning? And why are you making time to learn?
It's important to set smart, realistic
goals from the beginning, and to break these down into long- and short-term
goals that you can add to your daily to do list.
Then, write down why you are
devoting time to this activity and how these learning activities are going to
make your life better.
2.
Identify Obstacles
Next, identify possible obstacles
that might make it difficult to stick to a learning schedule, and come up with
strategies to overcome them.
For instance, imagine that, over the
coming week, you've committed to spending half an hour reading a book when you
get home. One possible obstacle is that your kids may want to play with you as
soon as you walk in the door. To overcome this, you'll need to explain to them
why you need time to study alone. Promise them time as soon as you're finished,
and then sit in a quiet room, so you won't be disturbed.
Go through the possible obstacles
that might prevent you from spending time on your learning, and write down the
strategies that you'll use to overcome each one.
3.
Think Small
Many of us assume that we'll need
large chunks of time to devote to learning. However, short blocks of time can
be just as effective, if you focus.
The key to learning effectively is
to maximize the impact of every moment that you have available. Look at your
To-Do List, and see what you can achieve in the time available. Make sure that
you minimize distractions, even if you only have just 10 minutes free, and concentrate
on what you're reading or learning.
Tip:
Think about how you can use your mobile device to learn when you're on the move
– by using appropriate apps, by listening to podcasts, or by storing
information that you want to memorize on the device's notepad.
4.
Learn at Your Best
Many people schedule their learning
for a time when they've completed everything else. However tempting this may
be, think about how you feel when you've accomplished everything on your to-do
list. You're usually exhausted, right?
Everyone has different peaks and
valleys in their energy levels. It's important not to schedule learning, which
requires a fresh, open mind, for the time of day when you have the smallest
amount of energy. Explore how you can better schedule learning to take
advantage of the changes in your energy throughout the day.
5.
Make Learning a Habit
You'll only be able to sustain your
learning if you make it a habit. Developing any habit takes work and self-discipline.
To build a habit, look at your
schedule and see how you can work time for learning in every day. Could you get
up an hour earlier, or learn on your lunch break? Could you study after
everyone else has gone to bed? Take into account the energy levels we mentioned
earlier.
Think of a reward that you can use
to motivate yourself through, say, the next two weeks. This will help to keep
you going when you don't feel like studying, or when you're tempted to skip a
day because you want to do something else instead.
Once you've made it through the
first two weeks, take time to congratulate yourself! That first step is always
the hardest. Next, commit to spending the next 30 days learning every day.
Reassess the time slots you've carved out for yourself: are they working? If
not, what tasks could you move around to make learning more practical?
Remember, habits start out as little
daily activities that you force yourself to do. They only become habits with
time and persistence.
6.
Choose the Right Learning Style
Do know how you learn best? For
instance, some people learn and retain information best when they can read and
take notes. Others are active learners; they need to learn by doing something
themselves. Still others learn best when they're presented only with the facts
and with none of the theory.
It's important to identify your personal
learning style so that you can tailor your learning to fit what works best for
you.
7.
Collaborate
It's often easiest to learn in collaboration
with others; after all, if you know that there are people who are always
available if you need help or advice, you're more likely to turn to them
instead of giving up. When you join a community that makes learning a priority,
these people can also hold you accountable for your learning goals.
One of the best ways to do this is
by joining a class or doing a course with others. However, you can also network
on LinkedIn
and Twitter to
find other professionals in your industry who are interested in learning. You
can also talk to colleagues to see if they routinely devote time to learning.
If so, perhaps you could form a study group, or simply spend time reading or
learning together?
8.
Delegate Tasks
Your day is likely full of tasks
that you're responsible for. So, how are you going to fit learning in?
Look at your professional and
personal responsibilities to see if you can delegate any tasks to someone else,
for example by giving new tasks to team members, or by hiring someone to clean
your house. If you can clear even a half hour from your schedule, you can use
this time to work on your learning goals.
Key
Points
Lifelong learning is essential if
you want to stay "in demand" in a changing business world. However,
many of us feel that we don't have time to devote to regular learning, in spite
of the many benefits it offers.
Start by setting small goals with
your learning; commit to devoting time daily for the next two weeks. Identify
your learning goals, so that you know why and what you want to learn.
Try to delegate activities to open
up your schedule, if you can. And consider forming a support group with others
who are also interested in learning.
Get on the
right path to achieve your full potential! Focus on professional and personal development to
improve your life. Book a free strategy session at http://www.denisedema.com
