During busy times at work, it’s important to make time for self-improvement. No matter how much you love your employer, you need to take control of your career and your skill-set. And that may mean addressing some of your weaknesses
Recently, I conducted a LinkedIn poll about self-improvement. I asked, “Looking back, what subject or skill do you think you should have studied or been taught more in school?” Here were the responses:
- People Management 31%
- Public Speaking 31%
- Math 24%
- Writing 15%
While many of these skills represent familiar pain points, the good news is that all are things you can learn. The challenge for many is you probably don’t have unlimited time to get better.
Learning something new doesn’t have to involve a huge commitment of time or energy. It does require focus and purpose. With that in mind, check out this strategy for how to make time for self-improvement.
Identify the Need
Figure out what it is that you need to improve. Would being better at it allow you to be more effective on the job? Is it holding your back professionally?
Not every deficiency needs to be addressed. For instance, my handwriting isn’t very good. But spending hours trying to improve it won’t help me much in a world, where so much of our communication is done through a keyboard. Better handwriting is a nice to have but not a need to have.
Take a Small Bite
Now that you’ve identified your area of improvement, figure out what is an action or a commitment you can make to address the shortcoming. This is about creating habits and making incremental change.
I’ve found that if someone tries to address the weakness in a big, dramatic, time consuming fashion, then the process usually fails after a few days.
Instead, figure out what’s a small step you can take. For example, ways to improve your public speaking could include things like watching YouTube videos on the subject, joining a Toastmasters Club, or getting one-on-one coaching.
Understand Roadblocks
Every plan may find itself tested by challenges. Spend a few minutes considering what might be some potential problems that keep you from pursuing your improvement strategy.
This could involve not starting it during your busiest season at work. Maybe it is a plan that works best, if you’re working from home but won’t be as successful, now that you’re back in the office.
By identifying these issues, you can adjust your strategy accordingly.
Remember the Benefits
When you make time for self-improvement, you have a vision of a better you. Keep that image in your mind for those days when you’re tempted to put aside your plan.
Giving in to that temptation to stop, when things get busy or complicated, may be the reason why you find yourself with your current shortcomings.
While there may be days when you’ll need to slow down your plan, make sure you don’t stop it entirely. Even a small amount of progress makes you better.
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