Jeff Hurt is executive vice president, education and engagement, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting, and is based in Dallas, TX. Velvet Chainsaw Consulting exclusively services companies and associations with their annual meetings, conferences, education and events. They also help technology, service and membership organizations establish and execute plans and processes that result in improved business results. Hurt has worked in the events/nonprofit arena for more than 20 years including Keep America Beautiful as a consultant/trainer/writer; Keep Texas Beautiful as education coordinator; professional development manager for Meeting Professionals International; professional development manager for Promotional Products Association International; and director of education and events for the National Association of Dental Plans. Contact Hurt at 214-886-3174 or jhurt@velvetchainsaw.com. www.velvetchainsaw.com

It’s February, and I wouldn’t be surprised if those people who made New Year’s resolutions for January 1 have broken them already. But, it’s never too late to set goals for 2013.

Personally, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I make goals during the entire year. And I set personal commitments as I need them.

If one of your goals or New Year’s resolutions is to increase your personal and professional development, here are a few ideas that you might want to consider. (Thanks to Catherine Lombardozzi, learning and development consultant at Learning 4 Learning Professionals, who helped further this thinking.)

Top 10 List of Resolutions to
Increase Your Professional Development

1.  Identify what you want to learn.

If you’ll state your intentions in writing, you’ll be surprised at how often you’ll find resources that can help you. Books, blog posts, magazine articles, research documents, presentations and other like-minded individuals will cross your path.

2.  As Jennifer Lopez sings, “Follow the leader!”

Many thought leaders use social media to share their ideas. Find some in the areas of specialization that interest you and follow their information flow. Blog posts, white papers, research, tweets, and online and face-to-face presentations are a few ways to follow those leaders. Let them challenge you to think differently.

3.  Read, read, read!

I’m an information junkie! I read a lot from blog posts to books to research. The Internet makes it so easy to read in short spurts or extended time. Reading information outside of the meetings and hospitality industry gives me new ideas of what I can apply in my conferences and meetings. I also like Brain Pickings Weekly (www.brainpickings.org), which is a weekly review and summary of some of the latest and coolest writings on what matters in the world today.

4.  Find a mentor.

There’s nothing like having people around you who challenge your thinking, give honest feedback, and serve as a sounding board and source of inspiration! We all need that human interaction to accelerate our learning.

5.  Join like-minded communities.

Similar to finding a mentor, it’s great to be part of an online community that challenges your thinking and provides support. Join a community in the area in which you want to grow personally and professionally. Sit back and observe the conversations and jump in when you are ready to engage.

6.  Eliminate barriers.

Think about those things that keep you from reaching your development goals. Whether those barriers are your own habits, other people or circumstances, consider how to minimize their impact.

7.  Capture your thoughts, insights and reflections.

Write it down or type it. When you capture your learnings, it allows you to refer to those notes again and again. Consider journaling or blogging to share your thoughts. Comment directly on the pages of books that you read, write notes on top of blog posts and consider a bookmarking site of some type.

8.  Become a saver and sharer.

Create a good electronic filing system to keep track of those interesting articles, blog posts and Web pages that you discover. Share interesting posts with your like-minded community, friends, colleagues and mentors.

9.  Schedule daily time to think.

Find time and a space to think on a daily basis. When I was in an office, I would shut my door, open my blinds and just stare at the horizon. I’d let my mind drift and daydream. Sometimes I would think about a specific subject, meditate on it and chew the cud so to speak. It’s amazing what can become clear in moments of quiet reflection.

10.  Take time to smell the roses.

We Americans are taking fewer and fewer vacations. It’s important to take time off from work and restore your soul. Don’t get caught up in the fear that if you take a vacation you’ll lose your job. Your body and mind need the time off from work, so take those vacations.
What personal and professional resolutions would you add to this list? What tips do you have for ensuring that you grow professionally each year? C&IT