Become better on purpose

How many of us will go stand by a piece of land and ‘will’ it to produce a harvest without sowing seed, watering or weeding? And yet, many do that all the time with their careers and personal growth. You have to invest in yourself to be and do better. The more you put in, the more you get out.  Here are some ways to do that.

Read, read and keep reading: There is a lot of good material you can read to develop your mind. Develop the reading habit because that will serve you abundantly. If you prefer audio, that’s also fine; the idea is to open your mind up and to learn new things you can use to improve yourself. Read, listen or watch something that edifies and builds you.

Invest in skills and habits: You can’t face the future with what you have today. The world of work is changing and expectations are rising by the day. So, equip yourself not simply for what you are doing now, but for where you aspire. Put money aside for training and other ways of self development. Your future is too important to depend on free resources alone.

Work alongside someone: Many times there is someone you know who is great at what they do and the things you want to develop. Ask to work with them or shadow them to learn directly from them. Don’t only learn technical competencies, but other important ones such as planning, organisational and communication. Emulate what they do on a regular basis and make it your own.

Mentor and teach someone: Developing yourself is as much about becoming better in what you are already doing well as it is about fixing any relevant shortcomings. Teaching someone helps you hone your strengths and learn more about yourself. So, take someone under your wing and seek opportunities to teach others what you know.

Now take action: What one thing will you do to improve you over the next three months?