by Emma Brain
Investment for personal development is a discussion I’ve had with many people recently. I see many people putting in the work to improve themselves, to be able to further their careers, open better job prospects, learn how to work for themselves or just be better people.
However, there are others who seem happy to stay where they are and never go any further, yet ironically, these are usually the people who complain about not getting opportunities, not earning enough, and not having the life they want.
So, what are the biggest stumbling blocks? Many are fearful of financially investing in themselves, either by taking courses or investing in a trainer, coach or personal consultant. Especially those who might be on the mid to lower-income side, where they’d rather spend any spare cash on essentials or entertainment to enjoy themselves.
Well, if that’s the case there are many free courses offered by the likes of Coursera, plus there are plenty of online options available, but if you want to be certified, then unfortunately those options do come with a cost.
Time. Many people will use the excuse that they don’t have time to study, attend a class, or have a zoom consultation. However, how many hours a day or week do we find ourselves sitting and watching mindless shows on tv? As the old saying goes, if you really want something, then you’ll make the time for it.
Fear of failure and going outside their comfort zone can be big issues for many. However, if you never try, you’ll never know what the possibilities might be in the future. It might sound like a cliché, but nothing ever really did come from standing still and being comfortable.
The ego is one thing that stands in the way of many people, who they think they already know everything, so never have to learn anything new or do anything differently. Unfortunately, they couldn’t be more wrong, as everything changes so quickly these days it would be very easy to get left behind in your knowledge unless you keep up to date with the latest developments, technologies, ideologies and ways of doing things.
There are three key things to getting ahead in business and work according to the ‘Oracle of Omaha’, Warren Buffet. He says investing in improving communication skills is key. I would absolutely agree with him on that one, so many people, especially since Covid have unfortunately become poor communicators in different aspects of their lives, and as they say, you only get one chance to make a good first impression, so why would you not take a few coaching sessions to improve those skills.
Improving your leadership skills is his second piece of advice. You need to have intelligence, initiative and integrity, according to Buffet. Learning to lead people, lift them up and all be successful together is far better than just being a boss, who only utilises others for their own personal gain.
Finally, Buffet says improving your business relationships is essential. Who are the people around you, that are going to push you to do better, encourage you to take risks and move out of your comfort zone, and give you invaluable advice? Associating with people who are more successful, accomplished and learned than you, can only aid towards motivating you to do better and push towards your own goals and achievements.
You’ll notice that people at the top of their game, use coaches, trainers and mentors to improve themselves even further, to get rid of bad habits that they might have picked up and to teach them new things.
Personal development doesn’t just have to mean learning more skills and qualifications to get ahead in business, it can also be about bettering yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. Certainly, as we get older, these aspects start to become so important for many people in their daily lives.
So, I start to ask the question of many people at the moment – what’s stopping them from investing in themselves for improvement? Many people constantly learn, develop and improve their whole lives.
It doesn’t have to be something big, expensive or time-consuming, as a little of something each day soon adds up. So, what will you do today, that makes you better tomorrow?