Creating a Plan to Learn New Skills

Education2We are all dealt a certain hand in life – sometimes fair and other times… not so much.  And although everything in life is not in our control, we can focus on those areas that are, such as developing new skills.  Setting a goal to be a life-long learner is one way to continually grow, and who knows it may lead to a new career someday.

Take some time to think about the skills you would like to learn, whether it is to improve your work or personal life.  Think big picture and then break that down into smaller steps.   For example, you may want to earn a degree.  Based on your situation, create a manageable goal such as committing to take one class a semester.   We all have to start somewhere.  I used this approach, and although it took me seven years to complete my associate’s degree that laid the path for later earning both a bachelor and master’s degree.  I still look for learning opportunities through webinars (many are offered free), classes/seminars, newsletters and articles.

We are all faced with challenges and more often than not, our level of success depends on how we handle those.  For more specific tips, I found the following articles helpful:

Goal Setting Tips from MindTools.com

Six Ways to Invest in Your Career 

Are you in Charge of Your Destiny

Jennifer Bako