Personal Development and Goal Setting

Four ways I’m creating space for personal development and goal setting as a small business owner and content creator.

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Sometimes my project manager brain is a curse. But sometimes, it’s a blessing. But, either way, I tend to think about life and projects two-three months out. I’m always planning for the future.
This future thinking has been great for date nights, for owning a business, and for the major client websites I used to manage. Some may call it a bit much, but by October brain is already in January thinking of New Year’s Resolutions and goals. I love to use my goal-setting worksheets personally and professionally.

Professional Development When You Work for Yourself

It’s amazing when you work for yourself how you don’t always prioritize learning and personal development. I always feel like I could use more professional development and personal enrichment in my life, and that’s something I’m going to add to my 2017 goals list. I spent lots of dedicated time in Corporate America in HR training. Perhaps maybe it’s time as an entrepreneur I start scheduling more training and intentionally dedicate some time to my own development just like my former employers did.

So, I’m committing myself here. I hope to share how it’s going each month, but here are some ways I plan to increase my professional development in 2017:

1. Attend Conferences.

I try to go to one a year, but this year I am already registered for three, and even speaking at two, but I may even shoot for a third. I love meeting others in person, and I love industry-specific events. I’m going to try to go to one at least quarterly if possible!

2. Host Local Meetups.

I’ve done the Arizona Blogger Meetup Group and I’ve been part of the Say Hi Society Board locally, but I know I could be more proactive planning more events large and small to meet other like-minded business owners.

3. Stay on Top of Updates and Read Information on Changes:

In social media and the Internet in general there are always changes. I think a lot complain and get upset, and unfortunately, that doesn’t do much. Reading the latest Google update is really important, as is any other platform I or my readers interact with. I’m going to be better about learning and reading all the information I can in the beginning of the changes.

4. Register for More Online Webinars.

I love traditional classroom settings, but at this point in my life that isn’t very feasible, however, an online class that I can watch during nap time or during nanny time is very doable! I’ve found some through professional software I use (like Tailwind and Rakuten), and some I’ve sought out through online classrooms.

I am loving free enrichment classes from universities. If you’re looking for a great one, you should try this one offered from Concordia University Wisconsin’s 100% online one-year Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Administration (OLA) program. It helps you define your space, which means it helps you realize how you come to a point in your life where you deem yourself successful and you discover your personal place- professionally or personally. The point is the grow, connect, and encourage personal development, and know yourself better and what strategic steps it takes to succeed. It’s free, delivered to your inbox, and takes about 1 week and 3-4 hours to complete. There are essays and videos to watch, interactive polls, and download journals to guide you there. It kind of focuses on my favorite part of my MBA, personal growth and leadership potential, and acts as an alternative to an MBA.

If you’re interested you can sign up here. Or learn more about OLA here.

Personal development and goal setting as a small business owner

I’m excited for the new year, and I’m excited to start with plans and goals, particularly to make sure I’m always growing and improving!

Okay, other small business owners and bloggers, I’d love to hear your thoughts, how do you tackle professional development? What do you do to keep yourself sharp in your field or industry?

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