How often do you make significant investments in your own professional development?

Our reader poll today asks: How often do you make significant investments in your own professional development?

• At least once a month 29.39%
• Once per quarter 16.12%
• A couple of times a year 27.96%
• Once a year 11.84%
• Almost never 14.69%

Making time for yourself. There’s always an excuse not to invest in your own professional development. You might say you’re too busy, don’t have the resources, can’t find any offerings that help you grow, or can’t afford to take the time away from work. In all these situations, you’re prioritizing your employer’s needs over your own. If you’re not investing in yourself, you’re falling behind all the other professionals who are making those investments. A full 27% of you fall in the camp of not investing in yourself enough to even stay on par with your peers. Carve out the time for your development. It can come in many forms – reading, going to training, taking an eLearning course, or working with a coach or mentor are all viable ways to keep your skills sharp. Plus, your improved skills benefit your employer in the form of you being a more effective leader and employee. You have to prioritize yourself because, left to its own devices, your employer will likely prioritize short-term deliverables that benefit the company over long-term professional growth for you.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 240,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.