I consider myself a continuous learner, I am constantly looking for new things to learn that will help me grow. I truly believe that expanding my knowledge, developing my skills, and broadening my network is a gift that keeps on giving. These are all things that no one can take away from me, things that I carry with me to each situation I encounter. Learning not only makes me feel good, it also allows me to continually get better as a coach, a facilitator and a leader in my field.
Part of self-leadership is getting to know and understand yourself, but that is not enough. The next step in self-leadership is to start investing in yourself. Many leaders I talk to tend to think that their development lies in the hands of their organization. When you rely on your organization to help you grow and develop, you could be putting your own progress at risk. Development dollars can be hard to come by in any organization, but if you work in a smaller organization or a company that has fallen on difficult times, leadership development budget could be virtually non-existent. In fact, in my experience, it is one of the first things to go when times get tough.
As a leader, your development is your own responsibility. Please don’t wait for someone else to give you the opportunity to develop yourself. Figure out where you need to grow, what your biggest opportunities are and find ways to improve yourself. If you are looking to develop yourself, look no further. Today I am sharing my favorite ways to invest in yourself that will have your development on the fast track!
- Develop your network. This is one of the best ways you can invest in yourself is to develop and expand your network. In this world, who you know really matters, even if you have a great resume. If you are looking to switch careers or get a promotion you are much more likely to be successful if you have solid connections that can help you. Developing your network can also help push you. Jim Rohn says, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” Try to connect with people who are smarter or more advanced than you are. When you connect and spend time with these people, they will pull you up and broaden your perspective.
- Learn something new. You don’t have to go back to school to learn (although it certainly is an option). We live in a world where you can literally Google anything. A lot of times if I want to learn something new, I’ll do a search to see if there is a video that teaches you how. There are a ton of other options available as well, you can take an online class, go to an in-person workshop, read a book or even listen to a podcast. There are literally so many ways to learn now. Don’t wait for your organization to offer these things. Seek them out and start your development!
- Find a mentor. Having someone who already has experience in something you want to be better at is one of the best ways to learn and grow. Mentors can not only provide you with invaluable practical knowledge, they can often help connect you to people that will help in your development. Mentors can also provide you with important feedback, and act as a sounding board. The wonderful thing about mentors is that you can have more than one! You can have a different mentor for the different areas you want to grow in.
- Read a book. The most successful people in our world have one thing in common, they read… a ton! Warren Buffet reads 500 pages a day, Mark Cuban reads three hours a day and Bill Gates reads 50 books in a year. Elon Musk even learned how to build a rocket reading! Reading is a simple way to invest in your success. The key is to read books that will help you learn something. While reading the latest romance novel is fun, it’s probably not going to help you get ahead in your career. The beautiful thing is that these books are readily available, even If you don’t have a billionaire’s budget. It’s as simple as going to your local library and checking out a book!
- Get a coach. I’m not just saying this because I am a coach. I truly believe in the value coaching delivers. It’s one of the best ways to invest in yourself. My first coach helped me in so many ways that I can truly say that I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. A good coach is a partner in your success. Their main goal is to help you stay on track and achieve the goals you set for yourself. Coaches help you identify and focus on what’s important, accelerating your results. When you invest in a coach you are literally investing in your own success, which is always a good idea.
Investing in yourself may seem strange or even selfish if you aren’t used to it. I’m here to tell you that it’s neither of those things. The truth is, investing in yourself is crucial to your success and almost always provides an amazing return on investment. If you aren’t investing in yourself today, start by taking one thing from the list above and putting it into action. Already investing in yourself? Great! Keep up the good work and continually look for new ways to learn and grow. How will you invest in yourself this week?
