I don’t want to grow up, because if I did, I wouldn’t be a Toy’s R’Us kid. Do you remember that magical song? That song you used to sing along to before you knew about sweatshops, living wages, and climate change? Well, I prefer not to live in ignorance and I’m grateful for professional development. This post will give you 7 answers to the question, “Why is professional development important?” and how having your “why” can give you back that magical joy you had as a child.
I never liked doing work. As a Piscean, I’ve always wanted to spend my free time in my daydreams. A place where I was surrounded by only the best of everything. However, from a young age, my father has drilled into me the value of hard work and how this is the only way to truly exist in this world.
Now I’m a total sucker for it. I love working and I have found that reaching an accomplishment is way better than my actual daydreams. After reading this post you’ll feel the same.
This post is all about why professional development is important.
7 Reasons: Why is professional development important
1) You have choices
Who doesn’t want to feel like they have some ownership over their life? That they’re the ones controlling the wind beneath their sails?
I’ve worked in places where people were in jobs where there was no room for growth, where the biggest challenge was showing up for work, and where they were completely miserable. Some may refer to these kinds of jobs as deadbeat jobs. However, I’d like to refer to these individuals as people who no longer have the desire to develop professionally.
The truth is we confuse a certificate or a degree with professional development. Professional development is having a continued desire to grow and develop yourself. Recently I’ve come across a few college graduates who refuse to entertain the idea of working as a receptionist, mail clerk, or any other entry-level position. They don’t realize that a degree means you’ve learned something, it’s not a skip-the-line or a guarantee for opportunities. We all have to start somewhere.
The beauty is that when you’re a student for life you’ll always have an opportunity or choice. Because you my friend are the kind of person that would leave a situation they don’t like or take opportunities that are ignored and make them into something great.
2) You can defend and protect yourself
It can be a cruel world. Sometimes people try to take advantage of others, and sometimes companies profit over those who are not knowledgeable about their services or products. I’m sure we’ve all come across a greedy mechanic or a salesperson that had no interest in actually serving you.
When you push yourself to learn or at least fully understand anything that comes your way, then people can not take advantage of you. They’ll see by your questions and attention that they will need to be completely transparent when communicating with you.
Also when you’re more knowledgeable and you have the opportunity to connect with someone that genuinely has some interest in your well-being, then they’ll provide you with even better service in hopes of continuing that relationship with you. If there’s something that I’m a complete wizard with it’s how I organize and manage information. When I begin to speak about this topic I find myself surrounded by people that want to collaborate with me, because it piques their interest and they know I wouldn’t be wasting their time.
3) The future will become exciting
When does life become dull? It’s when there’s nothing new to do. There’s nothing new to see. Nothing interesting to read. And there’s nothing new to think about.
If you’ve been on this planet long enough to learn how to read the English language, then you know it is completely impossible to run out of ideas or thoughts during your lifetime. It’s impossible to even have the time to read the title of every book that has ever been written.
Having an interest in connecting with the world around you is a major pillar of professional development and if you honor this privilege and take advantage of the time you have, then you’ll grow to want to experience the world around you. Because it truly is a privilege to have a long lifespan and the world is anything but boring.
Once you’ve come to that realization, then you will only see mountains to climb and journeys to take before you reach your end.
4) You’ll be able to help others
Imagine you were in a position to really help others. To have a hand in someone else’s success and happiness. It’s a highly satisfying experience and one that I recommend above others.
As you push yourself to learn and grow it will inevitably influence the conversations you have with others. Sometimes it may even lead to those interactions and drive you to become closer. For example, I started working on my financial literacy at the beginning of 2021. Since then everyone in my immediate family has opened a Roth IRA and we’ve all started investing together. We’re literally changing the trajectory of our lives to one that is more secure, stable, and abundant.
If you could impact those around you, it’ll become a ripple effect and you’ll all succeed together. Why do you think creative geniuses come in groups? They’re all surrounded by people that rose with them. For example, take a look at Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. You couldn’t imagine one succeeding without the other. It’s because we need each other to make something great out of our lives.
5) You’ll get more because you see more
Do you remember the first job you ever had in your life? Your first experience in the real world making money? I’m sure you learned a lot and that it was a valuable experience. However, do you see how you’ve outgrown that position and how it has only led you to better and greater things?
We underestimate our potential and how much our lives could change. If you’re putting in the time and effort to continually outgrow what you’re doing, you’ll experience more out of life. You’ll impact more people and you’ll have a greater opportunity to create real change.
Professional development doesn’t allow you to get comfortable and just exist within a box. It demands you to analyze all the facets of that box until you find a way out.
One experience I’ve had countless times is visiting old co-workers that have had the same position for years. Now there is nothing wrong with that. It’s just not the kind of life I want. I want to see and do as much as possible and I’m assuming you feel the same if you’re still reading this post.
6) You pay your ancestors back and invest in future generations
You can measure your impact spiritually or logically either way with professional development you’re winning.
In a spiritual sense, I like to look at my opportunities, accomplishments, and experiences and think about what those moments would have meant to my ancestors. They clearly play a huge role in where I am now and I can’t imagine all the obstacles they have gone through in order for me to experience the life I’m currently living. I don’t believe I’m just myself. I believe I’m an accumulation of everything that has occurred and been achieved before me. And when your success is not just your own, the level of pride you achieve is one that leaves you with a beautiful responsibility to pass the torch.
In a logical sense, the better your position, the more opportunities you can create for your children and your children’s children. As a first-generation American I wasn’t born with a trust fund, a safety net, or access to the best schooling and I’m grateful that I’m in a position where I’m in two worlds and I’m able to bridge the gap for my children. FYI I do not have any babies but believe me I’m already thinking about custodial accounts and 529 plans (a brokerage account specifically targeted for schooling).
7) You can create something greater than yourself
Lastly, who doesn’t want to be greater than themselves? Now, this isn’t about vanity. It’s about generosity and impacting a whole community.
Professional development allows you to educate and inform others in ways that can change their lives for the better. You may find yourself creating businesses or helping others to find employment. The act of even working on yourself in this capacity could inspire others to also take charge of their lives and become greater than they’ve ever imagined. It’s a complete win for anyone that is slightly involved in someone’s professional development.
Imagine how much you could impact society as a whole when professional development becomes one of your top priorities in life. It’s an amazing and beautiful thing.
This post has the 7 reasons why professional development is important.
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