2023: A Year for Prioritizing Development During the Work Week

I don’t know about you, but most of my work weeks are jammed pack with obligations that cause me to push personal development to the wayside. A personal 2023 goal for myself was to better focus on my personal and professional development throughout the work week. So much of my professional career has been spent allowing development to be “back burnered” by important projects in the startup world. At the end of last year, I spent some time considering what this development would look like for me and I identified how I could best set myself up for success and wanted to share what’s been working for me so far!

Set Realistic and Meaningful Goals

Personal and professional development spans far and wide with so many different options to explore. Does your personal development involve learning a new skill set? Will you have to level up your credentials? Because there are so many options, I always start by writing down my attainable and stretch goals. Mind mapping is one of my favorite methods for getting all my thoughts out in a way that makes sense. There are many free mind map templates for your use online (I like using Miro or Zapier).? Consider areas you’d like to improve or develop skills, think of a hobby you haven’t had time for, or even consider taking a risk and trying something completely different.?

Develop a Plan

As soon as you understand what you hope to accomplish your next step is to create a plan that will work best for you. Similarly to your goals, you’ll want to formulate a realistic plan that will be attainable for everything you have on your plate. I always remind myself that I will likely only have 1-3 hours per week allotted for my development plan. This is certainly a case of slow and steady wins the race. It’s not a competition to complete your goals as fast as possible, but rather to set yourself up for success in a way that won’t burn you out or take away from any other obligations you may have.

Time Block to Prioritize Your Development

I am a huge advocate for time blocking. Personally, I have a 1-hour time slot midweek (Wednesday mornings) and another larger time block on Fridays (the day I choose to have no meetings). These time blocks help me stay accountable but also prevent colleagues or candidates from booking in time slots that won’t work for me. These time blocks aren’t meant to be set in stone but are rather calendar reminders to hold you accountable for the work you like to put in. Once you get used to time-blocking, you’ll never go back, I promise ??

Track & Review Your Progress

Having gut checks with yourself on a regular cadence (of your choosing- I’ve been doing monthly) can help you understand where you’re doing well, what may need to be adjusted, and what may not be going well. Remember that it’s okay to have setbacks or realize that your goals don’t align anymore- this is exactly what the health checks are for! Be honest and kind to yourself during your check-ins. Set new goals, adjust old goals, or even recreate the wheel where needed. Having a colleague as an accountability partner can also help steer your ship forward.

While the above doesn’t guarantee success, I think this structure has helped me stay on track with my development for the year. I want to hear more about your development goals for 2023! Are you interested in an accountability buddy? I’d love to help anyone talk through their goals and any ideas they may have!