Wunmi Adelusi: Here’s How to Crush Your Personal Development Goals Without Breaking the Bank

The much anticipated 2020 is here and undoubtedly, tons of career development events would be unveiled. One thing we are certainly not going to do this year is to allow life to happen to us. We will ‘happen to life’ by learning continuously, honing our skills and developing ourselves.

A seed that is planted must first be buried and nurtured for it to bring forth fruits. To be successful, you have to work on your personal development and goals. How we prioritize personal development this year will determine how much we are valued in the workplace – among colleagues and even subordinates.

In the journey to personal development, focus and discipline are key. The truth about personal development is that it is easy to get swayed and jump on the bandwagon of trends. This is the reason why we sometimes think personal development can be costly. With focus, you will be able to recognize what is relevant to you and follow through with it.

Another thing about personal development is that you need to learn how to focus on content. It doesn’t always have to be costly to be good. Want to stay committed to improving your skills in 2020? These tips will help you:

Subscribe to a Mentoring programme
If you can, I will recommend being open to mentoring. Life poses different questions at us and the knowledge we sometimes need is in the answer to a question. You can get the answers you need just by following those who have gone ahead of you. In 2019, I subscribed to the WIMBIZ mentoring programme (which for me was one of my year highlights). Asking the right questions helped me connect with my mentor.

Read Books/Articles
This might sound cliché, but it is true! No one becomes a thought leader by surfing through books. If you must add value to yourself, you need to read books and relevant articles to get deeper insights. This what sets you apart – having deeper insights than other players in your field. I think it is the right place to reiterate the famous quote that ‘readers are leaders’. Last year, I committed myself to reading a book a month, particularly in the area of my goal for the month (or season).  Remember that learning a skill does not always amount to “bagging” certificates.

Subscribe to Industry Newsletters
This point has to be one of my favourites for several reasons: I get to be part of the audience to read about events in my sector first (because I get notified as they are being published), it also helps me develop a daily reading habit since most of them are free. Truth is, some people are already aware of that ‘breaking news’ that TV/Radio channels bring to you.

Enroll for Online Courses
Technology is such a powerful tool and it has proven that you don’t have to be in the four walls of a classroom to learn. There are loads of relevant self-paced materials out there – you need to identify the one suitable to you. In 2019, my goal was to do a minimum of one course per quarter. While some of these courses had exams and certifications, some did not. I believe your disposition to personal development sends a message of commitment, discipline and value-adding to your employer and those around you. Edx is such a good platform with a pool of different courses to look at for starters.

Start Early
There is no better time to start making plans for personal development other than now. A lot of courses have a discount on them and enrolling early is the best way to maximise those discounts, save cost and get value for your money.