5 Ways to Make Professional Development a Part of Your Life

As an entrepreneur, it is important to maintain a student mentality. Professional development is a must if you are going to innovate in your business. Otherwise, you may find yourself in a rut.

But who has the time? Between running a business, spending time with family, and the general day-to-day responsibilities of being an entrepreneur – it can seem impossible to find room to learn and grow.

Here are a few tips to help you make time for professional development throughout your day.

#1: Make the Appointment

Are you an organizer? Are you tied to your planner, phone, or calendar? Put it to good use! Set an appointment for yourself – either daily, weekly, or whatever works for you – where you dedicate that time to professional development. You may only be able to squeeze in an hour a week, or you may be able to do an hour a day. The key here is to make your learning time a necessary priority – because it is.

You’ll be tempted to move these appointments for other needs – don’t. Consider this time as important as a client. You would cancel on a paying customer – don’t cancel on this investment in your business.

#2: Take It To Go

Do you spend a lot of time on the car? Enjoy a good gym session a few days a week? Pick a few podcasts (like Veteran on the Move!) that speak to you, and listen to episodes throughout the week. Just that new perspective may be enough to keep those innovative juices flowing in your business.

Remember: You don’t have to spend an entire weekend at a conference to reap great rewards in your professional development goals. Small, consistent steps will get you where you need to go. Plus, you’re making the most of that extra time commuting!

#3: Set Goals for Professional Development

When you started your business, or if you start a new program at a gym – you usually have a goal in mind. Your approach to professional development should be no different. You want to create a habit that contributes to you success – and you can accomplish this by establishing benchmarks for professional development.

Maybe that one-hour a week is all you can do right now – that’s fine! It’s a clear, attainable goal. Once you have that down, you may find that you can squeeze in a little more. Or, you may just need to stay right there. The key is to set measurable goals that don’t leave you overwhelmed.

#4: Get a Study Buddy

Accountability is a powerful thing in the life of an entrepreneur. If you really struggle with staying on track with your professional development, find someone in your circle who can participate with you.

Mastermind groups are excellent sources of reliable accountability partners. Simply taking the time to bounce ideas off of another entrepreneur can help you stay sharp in your business.

#5: Know How You Learn

No matter how much you want to build on your professional development – you’ll wind up hitting a wall if you choose a medium that just doesn’t “click” with you. If you don’t retain information you read – spending hours pouring over leadership books probably isn’t going to do you any good. If conferences bore you to tears, that’s probably not the best use of your valuable time.

If you try and force yourself to learn like everybody else, you’ll only wind up wasting time and extremely frustrated. Take the time to try a couple different approaches and see what works best for you.