Sometimes a book or a class doesn’t have the answers you’re looking for. Maybe professional development courses can be as simple as dedicating your time to self-reflecting on different areas of your life. This post lists the 5 avenues you can go down on your path to self-reflection and how you can treat it as a course.

I’m a sucker for motivational speakers and I was desperately trying to become like them. Highly motivated and totally confident. But the more I focused on them the less human I felt. We’re not robots that can just magically work with no internal struggles or conflicts.

What I came to realize is that my discipline and work ethic are driven by what I’ve discovered about myself and my environment through the questions below. After reading this post you’ll have a mirror to look into. One that says this is what you need and this is how to reach your highest potential.

This post is all about the free professional development courses you can take on yourself.

5 Free Professional Development Courses

1) Look at your parents’ habits

Whether you believe in nature or nurture. One thing is for sure. Your parents influence your development. Take a moment to look at your parents and really assess them. You may be able to discover things about yourself that you were trying to deny.

First look at what they are both naturally good at. Is it a skill, a subject or do they have a way of being that really lends them to a specific industry.

Next it’s important to figure out if there’s any wasted potential there. This topic always breaks my heart because, as a first generation American, I can Cleary see the opportunities my parents missed out on just because of what they were born into.

Last consider how you and your parents are alike. Is there something that you are naturally good at? Something that you’ve seen your parents excel at, that you can see yourself taking on?

When you analyze your parents, you’re almost able to predict what your future will be like. See what skills they have developed and which ones they tossed away. It can act as a barometer that you can use when figuring out your role on a team or in an office.

Also it’s important to see what skills your parents haven’t fully developed and how that’s hindered them and their opportunities. What can you do to be different?

Take advantage of this information by leveraging it in a way that’s personalized for you.

2) Look at what others say about you

After you analyze your parents, take a step back and observe what others think of you. How do people behave around you, what do they say and what do they ask you to do?

We are prisoners of our own minds so it’s impossible to analyze ourselves without being biased. That’s why we need those who we trust around us. Obviously we don’t just want to accept anyone’s opinion.

After you find your trusted confidents take note whenever they use the following phrases or anything similar:

• You’re so good at _
• Can you help me with _
• When are you going to _  again
• I remember when you used to _ what happened?
• How do you _
• People always come to you for _
• You look excited when you _
• You look happy when you _
• No don’t give up on _

With phrases like these people will tell you where you’ll hurt yourself and where you’ll flourish. They’ll be able to see what’s coming before you, before you even have a chance to lookup. And it’s not that we’re not paying attention. It’s that we only pay attention to what we’re aware of.

We get so caught up in everyday life that we don’t stop to ask why we’re always asked to take care of a specific task or why no one else is doing it. It’s important to look at these interactions because sometimes we don’t have to look very hard to find what we’re meant to do. Sometimes it’s as simple as just giving the people what they want.

3) What was school like?

Yes school is meant to teach you and for you to learn a variety of things. However one thing that is not spoken about that may be even more important than the knowledge you attain is – how do you absorb information?

When you figure out your learning style then you can learn anything, as long as it fits your needs. Here are some different learning styles for you think about:

• Auditory – you only need to hear the information to understand it.
• Visual – you need to see the information broken down into visual elements to make sense of it.
• Abstract – you need metaphors and stories to help you break down large concepts.
• Time – you need to marinate with the information and activity in order to make it your own.
• Manual – you need to actively participate in a task or equation multiple times to really understand it.
• Combination – you are not a one trick pony. You need this information in a combination of the above in order to make sense of everything.

And I’m sure there are plenty of other learning styles out there. What’s most important is figuring out what yours is so you can dominate any challenge.

Besides your learning style make sure to take note of which subjects were the easiest for you or that you liked the most. Maybe there’s further exploring to do. Maybe it can help you understand why somethings are more engaging for you than other things and see how you can leverage this information to help you.

For example I never liked math but I’m a sucker for a passionate teacher. I got an A in my AP calculus class in high school just because I liked my professor.

4) What are your relationships like?

Now it’s time to analyze the relationships in your life. They say a happy wife equals a happy life and that can be used as a metaphor for any relationship. Once you have happy relationships in your life you’re able to strive and diligently develop yourself into becoming better and greater.

First ask yourself – who are your friends and how did you get there? Is it just mere convenience? What do you both get from each other? Understanding what makes up your friend circle lets you understand how you structure your life. They say you can tell who someone will become from who they hang out with. So answer for yourself – do you like where this is headed?

Next think about who you dislike intensely and why. They say the people you dislike are a representation of your insecurities or what you don’t like about yourself. If you’re able to pinpoint what you dislike about others, you can better yourself by working on it.

Then you want to think about who has the halo effect on you and why. We all naturally gravitate towards some people. Ask yourself why certain people make you feel more comfortable than others. Is this something you can bring into future relationships? Or is this a trait you need to be aware of in order to avoid someone taking advantage of you? There’s power in being liked make sure this information is used in your favor.

Last but not least ask yourself, how do I behave when I don’t get along with people? The last thing you want is to not be in control of yourself and your emotions when interacting with others. Make sure to understand your personal behaviors when put into difficult situations. This can help you with future negotiations and interactions.

5) What is – Me time?

As important as it is to work on your professional development and think of life as a course it’s also important to give yourself as much energy and attention. So let me ask you the following questions:

• How do you recharge and do you recharge?
• Are your self care routines toxic or nurturing?
• Are you giving yourself everything you need?

Sometimes we work so hard and are so passionate about the things that we do that we do not allow ourselves a moment of rest. Don’t be that person!  Make time to recharge and find out what recharging looks like for you. Is it meditating, working out, cooking, cleaning, reading or watching tv? There’s nothing wrong with taking some downtime. In fact, it’s imperative.

However you want to make sure that these self care routines are nurturing and not toxic. Make sure one good moment isn’t going to hinder you in a different way. Toxic self care routines could include treating yourself when you’re in debt, going out for drinks if you’re addicted to alcohol or smoking which can give you lung cancer. These activities may make you feel better but they’re not self care, you’re hurting yourself in the long run.

Last we all know what it feels like when something is missing. Listen to your intuition and see if you don’t feel refreshed after your activities. There may be something else that would work better for you.

This post was all about the 5 free professional development courses you can take now.

We’re all learning. No one is perfect. However, who doesn’t want to speed up their journey to success? This blog post will cover the 5 professional development skills you need to adopt now to succeed. 

There comes a point in your life where things become easier, where you find momentum and you feel yourself getting better. It’s not magic or maturity that saves you. It’s focusing on how you behave on a daily basis.

When I stopped whining about my situation and started using my energy to work on what I could control in my life – all of my relationships became easier. I was more interested in working with others and I had more patience with myself. Unfortunately, schools do not teach us how to learn but once you find these levers and pull them, opportunities won’t stop knocking on your door.

Really I’ve had to stop networking because I’m happy where I am at the moment and people keep trying to poach me.

After you read this post and learn about the professional development skills you need to adopt now to better your relationships, opportunities, and life; then you’ll never be the same. You’ll never want to go back to who you used to be. And everything you could ever want will be yours or at least within reach.

This post is all about the 5 legitimate professional development skills you need to succeed.

Professional Development Skills

Listening

When I took a class on interpersonal relationships in college we delve deep into what listening really is.

Hearing and listening are completely different. Hearing is involuntary. It’s your ears picking up sound waves and sometimes making sense of them.

When you listen to someone you’re absorbing not just their words, but you’re deciphering their body language, their tone, their pitch, the speed at which they deliver their message if there is any hesitation or involuntary vocal and physical symptoms and you’re purely just trying to make sense of what they are saying. You’re trying to understand the origin of where their thoughts are coming from, and what they’re trying to get from you. You help guide them so that you both have a full understanding of what is being discussed.

Soo many times people try to jump in and share only what they think and have no desire to understand others. Or people are quick to give advice on a situation that they only have a very basic understanding of.

It also becomes tricky when you’re the listener and the person sharing their thoughts is not receptive enough to hear you when you say, yes I’ve heard this, is there anything new you’d like to share?

Listening is one of the hardest skills to master because it demands you to put all of yourself to the side and selflessly give your full attention to another human being. But once you get better at this, you’ll learn and see things you never have before. Especially from the people closest to you. It’s a great way to strengthen a bond and build a relationship.

Speaking

We’ve all heard about the repercussions that come when you’re impulsive and speak with no filter. You unintentionally hurt those around you and lose trust quickly.

It’s not about having a filter and pretending to be a different person every time you’re surrounded by different groups of people. It’s about knowing your audience. You can say anything you want. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.

Ask yourself the following questions when approaching a situation you’re unsure of:

• Do I want to share an opinion, fact, observation, problem, constructive criticism, or solution?
• Is the conversation or the people having the conversation open to hearing what I have to say?
• Can I structure what I’d like to say in a way that strengthens the group and the conversation or is it looking to tear people or what’s being discussed down?
• Has someone else shared a similar sentiment, will I be repeating what has already been said?
• What’s the worst outcome that could arise from sharing what’s on my mind? Is it worth the risk?

Once you’ve answered those questions you’ll know exactly what to say and how to say it. Of course, you’re not going to be able to ask yourself these questions every time you speak but if you get into the habit of thinking through your thoughts in this manner it will become natural for you.

You’ll become a speaker who is mindful. Which unfortunately is a rarity.

Decision Making

Decisions. Decisions.

Some people are great at making them and others are just plain horrible. The main difference between the two groups is a lack of knowledge and confidence.

Think about it this way, if you knew everything about a problem and you know everything about the options you have to solve the problem, then it’s easy. Take the time and energy to research and understand your problem fully. Try to do this in a way that removes the emotions and looks at the facts. Once you have the facts down then look at what your heart is saying. You don’t want to be ruled by your heart but you need to be influenced by it. The order in which you do this is imperative. Mind before heart. It’s the only way to see things without rose-colored glasses.

Once you’ve gathered all the information that you can regarding the problem and solutions, look at your level of confidence. You were put in a position to make this decision for a reason. So make it. It’s not you who is making the decision it’s the facts you’ve collected. The facts are telling you what to do and they guide you on how to proceed. It’s not personal.

Worst case scenario you make the wrong decision. Then you live and learn. And you never make the same mistake twice. It’s that easy.

Taking Action

It’s so easy to get caught up in planning. In imagining and strategizing for a better future. But it’s incredibly easy to become overwhelmed with all this information. Sometimes it paralyzes you from even taking the first step.

Every invention or life-changing success started the same. As a first step.

Do something, anything, and see what happens. Give yourself permission to change and revisit your plans. Life is fluid. We’re reacting to a lot of things we have no control over. So it’s inevitable that plans could change. Have a little grace with yourself and pivot.

Here are a few things you can say to yourself to help you get over the fear of making the wrong move:

• Will I regret not doing this?
• What if this is my destiny and what if this aligns with my purpose in life?
• I believe I am meant for more, and I’m going to prove it to myself by taking this action.
• I could add so much value to the world and those around me if I just do this one thing.
• I deserve to see the best side of myself. The world deserves to see the best part of me.
• Nothing will hurt more than not doing this.
• There’s only one of me in this universe. If I don’t do it, who will?
• I’m doing this. End of story.

Ultimately you need to give yourself permission to try. And if you fail or it’s not as easy as you thought. Just keep trying. The real failure is not trying at all.

Reflection

After you’ve communicated with others in an effective and efficient manner. And you’ve made a decision and taken some action. Now it’s time to take stock of everything that’s happened.

You think to yourself – did things go the way I’d like? Where could I have been better? How could I have done more? What am I confused by? When can I try again?

You have to take the time to reflect and analyze yourself. If you don’t you’ll never understand the situations you find yourself in and by virtue things will never get better – because you’re repeating the same mistakes over and over again. I’m sure you’ve all come across that person who refuses to make their lives easier because they are set in their ways or refuse to understand why things are difficult for them. It’s actually pretty sad, because life is marvelous and your opportunities become available based on your perspective. Based on how you hold yourself and what others see.

Let’s take a very simple example. You can’t sleep at night because it’s very warm in your place. This leads to low energy and you’re overall cranky. You tell your coworkers and one coworker says, “why don’t you open a window?” You think ok I’ll try it. You open a window and the next evening you slept amazingly. After reflecting you realize you were so focused on your problem that you didn’t think of a solution. The next problem you have is it’s too cold to sleep at night. So you close the window in the middle of the night. There’s no need to wait till the next morning to better your situation.

That’s where the power of reflecting is. In the most basic way.

This post was all about the professional development skills you need to be successful.

Are you a student who finds learning to be incredibly boring? Or are you a parent that has no idea how to intellectually motivate your child? Well, there’s a way to get on the right path and it all starts with focusing on professional development for students. 

You may be asking how professional development for students correlates with finding excitement in learning. Well, like a professional, a student is someone that works towards achieving satisfaction financially, spiritually, physically, and intellectually. Well, at least that’s the kind of student you want to be in order to have a successful life, not just a successful moment.

As a child, I was told that I needed to be the best in class and get the best grades. After all, life is hard and it’s a lot of work. Well, this way of thinking led me to have very little discipline and interest in the things that would ultimately better the quality of my life.

After discovering how working towards my goals as a professional could correlate to excitement and joy, I now work harder and achieve more than I have ever in my whole life. When you’re done reading this post you’ll be able to get an idea of the fuel you’ll need in order to work on your professional development as a student.

This post is all about professional development for students and how you can start working towards success at any age.

Professional Development for Students

Fall in love

Spark Curiosity

Without curiosity, there’s no need to take any steps in life. There’s no need to question what happens and there’s no opportunity to ignite some passion.

I fell in love with learning after taking acting classes. I discovered how much bigger my world could be and how many more things I could experience if I was more knowledgeable. Find things that you’re interested in and pursue them and see what kind of sparks may occur.

Only with discovery will you find doors to open and walk through.

Acknowledge the Power you have

Steve Jobs said it best, “Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact. And that is everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you.”

The old cliche is beyond true – anything is possible. Sure some people can be luckier than others but no one has power over you, your abilities, or your destiny. Anything you could ever want is completely within reach. All you have to do is go for it.

When you take control into your own hands, only then will you be able to better yourself and the world.

Find your Role Models

There is so much pleasure in realizing you’re not alone. When you find someone that is like you and they’re doing something that you could see yourself doing – you’re one step closer to finding your purpose. And the purpose is important because it basically gives you something to do. Something that you’d like to do.

When you find a good role model you have motivation for life. You also have a great person you can look to, to advise you on how to react to different situations.

Build Discipline

Join a Social Activity

It’s time to have a little dedication and practice seeing things through. It’s very easy to find something that sparks some interest in you. But to commit to it and follow through is a whole other challenge.

When you commit and prove that you are reliable. Not only will you actually see the fruits of your labor. Which is a joy in itself. You’ll also begin to build a reputation where people are going to want to be around you and work with you.

This muscle can be built by joining a recreational sport, a club, or starting a social hobby.

Small Habits equals Big Change

At the end of the day, we all work for ourselves to some degree. We pick the job, we decide how hard we want to work and we try to make ourselves proud.

Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy your evolution by sprinkling some small wins or habits that will always remind you of your power and worth.

A super duper simple and easy example is fixing your bed in the morning. If you fix your bed first thing in the morning then that’s one thing you got done, one thing you can be proud of, and one way of proving to yourself how much control you have over your life and the environment around you.

Find a Buddy

Life is a lot of work. There’s always something you could want or that you can be working towards and some days are harder than others.

Get a friend that is on a similar path and be each other’s support. Remind each other of what you’re working towards. And celebrate the success with them.

It’s very easy to go down a black hole of distractions or insecurities when you’re pursuing something new. Find someone that will help you shine a light on the good that you’re doing no matter where you may be.

Do it for Free

Complete a Project

It’s not all about money. As you open yourself up to new opportunities and experience little wins you begin to find satisfaction in being a part of something. Take the time to actually create something that is all yours and do it for free.

When you do something you enjoy for free, you work very hard. You’ll work harder for that project than any paycheck in the world.

Find that part of yourself that is completely driven and find ways to bring them into your everyday life. Hey, you may end up being one of those lucky people who absolutely love their jobs.

Welcome Feedback

No one is born an expert. We can all become greater and better at something but we can’t do it alone.

Allow people to share with you how they’re experiencing the product (this can be a drawing) or service (this can be you playing the guitar) you’re providing. And if they’re an expert in the field then see if they have any suggestions on how you could find more success through your performance.

We don’t want people just saying unkind or uninstructive things to you. Remember you want to professionally work on your development not become a puppet for someone else’s needs.

Be Consistent

It only takes a few weeks to build a habit. Once you become accustomed to a routine then no one could really deter you from your goals.

Build this level of stamina by keeping the promises you make to yourself. We’re our biggest critics but we’re also our biggest supporters. Make sure you’re landing on the positive side of the spectrum and become your biggest supporter.

Everything you do should ultimately benefits you.

Learn from Others

Get a Mentor

Have you ever found yourself in a class or social activity that wasn’t as challenging or satisfying as it could be? Or where you felt like you weren’t receiving the support you needed to get to the next level?

Well, when you have a mentor it’s like having your own tutor and therapist all rolled into one. When you have a friend that you look up to and who cares about your development then your level of potential increases by light years. Never underestimate the importance of the guidance you’re receiving and where it’s coming from.

Birds of a Feather

On that same note, your friends could hinder you or nurture you into success. It’s been said in many motivational speeches that a person’s future can be predicted based on the people they surround themselves with.

This is not to say you’re friends have to be perfect. We’re all working through our own journies. There are just some personality traits that could influence you negatively. Some of these traits may be someone who doesn’t take responsibility for anything, someone who has no desire to do anything, someone who has a hard time seeing how their behavior could affect others and the list goes on and on. We all see it. Basically, if you feel defeated after you spend some time with a friend, ask yourself is it me or them?

Surround yourself with friends you can learn from.

Get Close to a Corporation

Last but not least. The most obvious answer of them all. If you want to work on your professional development then you need to become exposed to professionals and corporations are the best place to look.

Large fortune 500 companies sometimes get a bad rap, especially from entrepreneur-hungry millennials but you have to admit a lot can be learned from these organizations.

If a company has the ability to scale to multiple locations and touch millions of people then they’re doing something right. See if you can attend a school event hosted by a corporation, intern, or get a job at an office. It’s 100% more interesting than the movies make it out to be.

This post is all about professional development for students and how to get started.