I was working with a client on her business plan recently. When we got to the ‘competitive advantage’ section and examined what made her different than her competition, one thing that stood out was her willingness to invest in her professional development. Not only is she investing the time and money to do a business plan, she invests in continuing education above and beyond what is required for her profession. It’s really no surprise that she hit some major milestones for her company a year earlier than she planned.

Professional development takes many different forms. It’s all about sharpening your skills. The most intensive way is by working one-on-one with a coach but you can expand your horizons in different ways too. You can take a free class, go to a conference, meet with a mastermind group, or do a self-study course. Did you know there are many opportunities available on my website? There is free training, affordable group programs, and the Monday Morning Movation™ radio show library.

With all the choices out there you might be wondering where to begin. Professional development, like anything else you want to succeed at, requires planning so here are a few steps to get started:

Take a moment to reflect on what skill you want to develop. The easiest way to do this is to reflect over the last month and be really honest on how things are going for you. In the monthly section of the How to Organize & Manage Your Time workbook there is a section devoted entirely to what you will do to take control of your success. It asks you what attitude you need to improve on and what skill you need to develop. Be honest with yourself and choose something that will help you grow.

Set your budget. Decide how much time and money you are willing to invest in yourself and your business. This does not have to be the same amount every month but professional development should be in your overall budget. When I want to learn more about a specific subject I oftentimes start at the library and soak in as much information as I can from books. Then I might move to a free or low-cost program offered by someone I follow. Most experts offer a free consultation or a free offer of some kind so you can get a feel for their style and how they work. Decide what conferences you want to attend during the year and set money aside for those.

Investigate your options. There is no end to the possibilities for training and development. In fact, it can be a little overwhelming. Once you know what area you want to develop and you know how much time and money you are willing to invest then you can look for options that will help you in that specific area. Do a little research to find out all your options from free to a luxury investment, whatever that means to you. Ask around, look at what the experts offer, and explore all your options. Then make a commitment to do something every month.

Continual professional development will give you the slight edge over your competition and will help you reach your goals faster than you planned. Why? Because you increase your momentum when you focus on improvement and take the actions necessary to get ahead. My encouragement for you is to reflect on what area you want to develop, investigate your options, and make a decision to invest whether it’s your time or your money or both. You can have as much or as little as you want and like anything else the more you sow the more reap. Remember, you can achieve whatever you believe as long as you are willing to work for it!