1. First, do a “Current Assessment” of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that exist in your chosen career path. Dr. Peter Drucker used to say “To make measurable progress you have to know where you are starting from."
2. Consider (or set) your goals for the next five years and ask yourself what you need to learn to advance yourself. Consider what the person you want to become is learning now! This will help you target your learning goals so that you can stay on track for positive outcomes. You may want to ask your boss which topics you need to advance your learning on. They will be impressed with your focus on self-improvement.
3. Start making a list of books, periodicals, industry magazines, etc. you need to be reading and get started on them. You may want to keep a journal of what you have read with a listing of the “Key Takeaways” you gain. Another recommended activity is to think about what unproductive habits you have that you could replace with more learning time.
4. Develop some solid new habits that will help you achieve your new learning goals. Behavior change can be tough, but it is the only way to ramp up the knowledge we need to prosper in the coming times.
5. Consider other areas of education you might pursue. Have you thought about going back to school, or taking select courses that will help you become the person you want to be? Online courses are readily available on just about any topic you want to pursue.
6. Take action. Write down your new goals, stick to your plan, and make some great strides in what you learn. The depth of our knowledge becomes apparent to those around us, and we start to get blind-sided with new opportunities for career growth. I love it when that happens!
As you learn new things, you can convert them into new skill sets that will help you do what you do better or with greater efficiency. Concerning your current learning process, who are you becoming? What could you become if you knew more? Can you glean some positive actions from this newsletter to expedite your trip to the next level? Good luck!