“Personal development – the never ending chance to improve not only yourself, but also to attract opportunities and affect others.” – Jim Rohn
Personal development is a lifelong process. It should inspire your career, as well as your soul. I miss school and recently found myself searching for inspiration. As a result, I wanted to fuel my curiosity, enrich my career, and transition to my next goal. Now, I am going back to school!
I researched and found some great online resources that work best for busy people like me. Most of the courses are free which also means they are non-credit courses. And, even though you won’t be earning credits, the information learned in these courses will still contribute value to your portfolio. Additionally, I learned the best way to approach personal development and gained some direction on how to get started.
Steps Toward Positive Personal Development
- Start out by exploring a few different learning platforms to determine which one works best for you. Below you’ll find a list of great resources to get started. Firstly, review the classes and pay attention to the number of hours each course suggests. Secondly, take a look at the reviews to see what others had to say about the material. University Open Courseware is another way to find great resources.
2. Before selecting a platform and classes, I learned a few valuable steps that helped me decide on the best direction for me.
- Planning: Do you know where you’re going? Similarly, where do you see yourself in a year, five, or perhaps ten years down the road?
- Goals: Define how your education will shape your career. Determine the types of courses that will best suit your professional agenda.
- Commitment: Taking online classes, even non-credit courses, requires a school like commitment. You’ll need to complete coursework, meet deadlines, participate in group discussions in addition to your other commitments.
- Demand: Only commit to the number of courses you can fit into your life. Overloading will lead you astray and may burn the educational bridge.
Personal development in today’s workplace is essential to keep moving forward in the changing world of technology. And hopefully, this will help you jump start your next educational journey!
