You may not realise it, but personal and professional growth go hand in hand. If one is lacking, it’s likely that it’s having an effect on the other two. According to the NHS, “The aim of personal and professional development is to help you manage your own learning and growth throughout your career.” If you’re struggling to grow in either of these areas, take a look at these five strategies that will not only improve your life, but also those around you in your professional and personal circle.
Too Much On Your Plate
We all know what it’s like to be extremely busy and feel like there’s not enough hours in the day to get everything done. However, are you that person who finds time for someone’s request, even when you don’t have any to give? It’s easy to just jot one more thing on your to do list…but what if the request is urgent? It’s great that you’re the type of person who’s willing to help even when they’re flat out, but sometimes this creates more bad than good. For example, if you squeeze in one more task to your already full plate, you could end up neglecting other important commitments for the sake of the requested activity. Or even worse, you rush the request and damage your credibility by handing something back to them that’s clearly not been done to the best of your ability. It’s important to think twice before you make commitments and only commit to things that your schedule can accommodate. Don’t say yes because you feel like you have to.
You Get What You Give
We’ve all heard the expression, “whatever you put out in the universe you shall receive in return”. We shouldn’t be expecting to get something back for every good deed, but the rewarding feeling you get for helping someone is usually enough. Everyday, there are numerous opportunities to lend a helping hand, words of encouragement, advice or comfort. Most people will remember what you did for them in their time of need and be there to repay the favour in the future. It’s easy to focus all of your time and energy on what you have and what you want, but research has shown that helping and giving can make you feel connected, encourage growth in new ways and even live a longer life. That sounds good to me?
Learn Something New Everyday
If we want to find the answer to something, nowadays all we have to do is Google it. There’s no excuse anymore for not knowing. Okay, maybe you don’t know the square root of 516, BUT you should know crucial information about your business and competitors. Even if you think you know everything there is to know, there’s always time to improve your productivity and effectiveness by doing a little “homework”. I don’t mean you need to go home and dust off your mathematical skills, but you could take at least 15 minutes a day just to become a little bit more familiar with important topics at work. This will make you feel confident and equipped to face professional challenges head on and ultimately lead to professional growth.
Overcoming Challenges
Although we often encounter challenges in our lives, whether that’s personal or professional, it’s how you overcome them that matters. It’s easy to focus on the things blocking our paths, when we should really be looking for a way to get around them. This is where changing your focus from limitations to possibilities comes in. Whilst it’s unrealistic to wave a magic wand and expect all of your limiting beliefs to change to possibility beliefs, you can focus on one at a time. Realistically, the only person standing in your way is yourself and if you tell yourself there won’t be a successful outcome, chances are you’re right. Put these disbeliefs to the side and start believing in what IS possible, this will only propel you to higher levels of success!
Give Yourself A Deadline
It’s all too easy to spend an unnecessary amount of time planning something and not actually just getting on and doing it. Although you want a clear roadmap of your strategy and goals, you don’t want to waste precious time. You might call it seeking perfection, but more often than not, it’s actually procrastination in disguise. It’s important to get into the habit of assigning deadlines and timelines to your projects/activities. Make them realistic so you don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself, but at the same time, you want to feel the heat a tiny bit! Being able to hit deadlines is a brilliant skill to have and you might even discover you perform well under pressure. Having a target date will also keep you focused, on track and always moving forward.
Although the last year has presented us with many challenges, it’s important to keep persevering with your personal and professional growth. These 5 strategies should help you on that journey!
