Building Your Growth Plan: Step 3
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer

Over the past two weeks we’ve worked through building your growth plan with Step 1 (defining what you want in life) and Step 2 (looking in the mirror and facing the reality). Hopefully by now you’ve had a chance to take an honest look to see if your life is in line with your values and asked two close friends to give you some critical feedback. Today we’ll take a look at Step 3—finding resources to support your growth plan.

The best use of your time is to seek out resources that will help you continue developing your strengths. After that, look at the areas that you defined as weaknesses. Is your weakness a character flaw or a skill set issue? Character flaws must be worked on and improved. Skill set challenges can be learned, provided you have an aptitude for it. If you don’t have an aptitude for a specific skill, your best option may be to team up with someone who has the aptitude you are missing.

There are several types of resources that can help you throughout your growth journey. Below you’ll find a few of many options.

Books – Books are a fantastic resource because they come in various formats and in most cases can be free. If you are a traditionalist, you can still read a good old fashion hardbound or paperback book. If you are one who likes to travel light, you can read your book on a tablet. Maybe you prefer listening to audiobooks while driving, working out, or doing chores around the house. The great thing about books is all three formats are available from your local public library. It won’t cost you a dime. One thing you need to remember if you are using books as part of your growth plan is that you need a method for collecting and saving the information you glean from the books. Perhaps it’s a journal or a file on your computer—find a method that works for you and be consistent.

Classes – The next most obvious resource would be training classes. If your company is a MACNY member, you can get discounts on training. If you are an Individual Member with MACNY, you get even better pricing. Most of the time, companies pay for employee development. In my case, I never paid for one class in my professional development.

Mentors – If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room. You need to find people who are experts on the topics you want to grow in. These may be mentors you know personally or mentors you find online or in books. Long before I met John Maxwell, he mentored me through his writings. Find an expert and let them mentor you. The only thing you need is to be hungry to learn and implement the ideas they share with you.

Networking – Networking is a great way to find mentors and training opportunities. Spending time with people who are on a similar journey as you allows you to find additional learning opportunities. More often than not, your networking takes place at enjoyable events, so get involved, have some fun, and grow.

Join Marisa and me on Episode 116 of The Next Page podcast as we discuss these and additional resources more in-depth. Don’t forget the words of Rachel Hollis, “In a time with so much free information, your ignorance is a personal choice.”

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