There are currently 37 “awareness topics” for the month of October. Sadly, “Professional Development” did not make the list. Personally, I think every month of the year could be called Professional Development Awareness month – it’s that important to our success. With that said, October is a great month to do an inventory on your professional development. It gives you plenty of time before the end of the year distractions that keep you from reflecting on your progress.

One of the best places to start that inventory is to reflect on professional goals.

  • Did you meet your development goals for 2018?
  • How did the events you attended in 2018 help you attain your professional development goals?

Every year I plan to attend at least one professional development conference. This year I had the pleasure to attend two different large development events. One was the Lumina Learning conference in London. So inspiring to be with like-minded colleagues from around the world. The other was One Day to Greatness with Jack Canfield. I was thrilled to see a motivational icon in person! I have been a fan of Jack’s since he first introduced Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Both had great speakers.

Both offered great content.

Both taught new concepts and reinforced prior learning.

Such great opportunities for development.

So, why didn’t I walk away with brilliance oozing out of my very being?

Could it be that I was the problem? Maybe I needed to dig in deeper and process the content? I gathered a couple of friends who also attended the events and formed a “conference club” – much like a book club. We met several times over a period of weeks and discussed our key takeaways and developed action plans.

The conferences moved from dates on my 2018 calendar to learning opportunities that moved me towards meeting my development goals.

Take the time now to review your 2018 professional development events. Review the materials, your notes and talk about what you learned with a colleague or your coach. Then make a solid action plan based on your reflections.

Next, evaluate your professional and personal goals for 2019 and look for conferences that will give you fuel for reaching those goals. Plan ahead and form your “conference book club” to make sure you process content for brilliance that will truly shine in 2019.