priority

Giving priority to Personal Development & Professional Mastery

Here’s the thing! Coaches, therapists and people-led professionals are not just born talented.

The real trail blazers and game changers are created. Those who are credible, professional and trustworthy are carefully crafted and are showing you their successes, all the good bits but not always the old-fashioned hard slog that went behind the results. 

When it comes to building an unrivalled reputation there really is no secret potion, magic sauce or miracle. The real mastery comes from the experience, knowledge, skills, insight and wisdom – all of which can only come from practice and development. 

mastery

Learning and development is essential for success and shouldn’t be seen as something separate to work…but knowing what, how and why you are undertaking training is crucial. 

Cultural Anxiety Disorder is a thing…

If you are guilty of the following, you too may be suffering from CAD:

  • A shelf crammed with books that you fully intend on reading…one day!
  • A kindle full of downloads that you know are must-haves and will change your life
  • An email box full of newsletters from experts that will help you succeed…you just have to find them again
  • Challenges half completed that will help you grow and thrive…if only you could find the time to dedicate to them!

I know how you are feeling, I have been there:

  • Feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the ‘must reads’
  • Scared I was going to miss out on the ‘next big thing’
  • Worried that I was going to not know who I should be following 
  • Huge FOMO

Culture in this industry is misguiding us…

  • We feel like we need to keep up
  • Watching the competition, consumes us

We are losing the fun, making it feel like work, sucking the enjoyment out of the role, here are my top 5 tips for becoming more consciously competent.

  1. Go back to basics – complete a personal SWOT (always focus on the strengths and then be realistic with the opportunities and threats.  Opportunities include undeveloped strengths and the threats are personal traits that may have a negative impact on your success. 
  2. Identify the key development objectives to meet your bigger vision.  Comparing these objectives with your SWOT will clarify your own Skills Gap Analysis.
  3. Be realistic with your tasks. Seeing the bigger GOAL and then work backwards to decide on the priority tasks.  For example, I want to become a Master in Positive Psychology, but I need to focus on building my businesses first. 
  4. Relax.  Find the fun in being idle and lazy.  It is ok to read a book that is NOT about personal or professional development; it is ok to take time out to write a story and not your expert book; it’s ok to just relax.
  5. Prioritise the most important.  In a world that is becoming busier and busier we are always cramming our lives with more and more, choosing our priorities before we fill in the gaps is crucial.  Ask yourself, do you really need to watch that box set…again 😉.