“The best investment you can make is in yourself.” – Warren Buffet
This topic can encompass anything that involves your transformation as a person. Personal development is a lifelong process. It means becoming the best you can be and reaching towards your potential. When you become a ‘better’ person than you were yesterday (this does not mean better than another person) your life and its circumstances improve. This is usually achieved by looking internally and then changing the way you act externally. It is a way for people to assess their skills and qualities, consider their aims in life and set goals in order to realise and maximise their potential.
When it comes to doing something, planning what you intend to do is essential. Writing down what you want is the first step. It’s no different when it comes to your personal self-development. Plan for it, keep it brief and monitor what happens. Write down the results in a diary. Writing down what you want and what you get clarifies your thought process and cements your intention. You can change or adjust your plan whenever you wish. If there is no success as you follow the steps in your plan, that’s your signal to review what you have done or to adjust your plan.
Now would be the best time to plan and do something about your personal development. It’s going to take some time to achieve lasting change, so you need to start now. To make a plan you need to include steps. So, break a large goal into its smallest components. Keep the end result in mind as you focus on the smaller bite sized steps.
There is always space to improve yourself and with this social distancing and everything being done online, we are here to guide you. There are a lot of websites and apps where you can learn vocational skills or a certified course. With Alison.com (www.alison.com/courses) empower yourself with 1350+ free online courses in technology, language, science, health, humanities, business, Mathematics,
Marketing and lifestyle. Other than these courses. There is also the specific ‘Alison Career Guide’ to help you choose the right courses for your perfect career. Coming second in our list is Lynda.com (www.lynda.com), one of the most well established and trusted online courses you might want to check during this time of social distancing and quarantining. Lynda covers all the bases with one of the largest catalogues of online video courses with well over 13,000+ courses.
Next up, in our list, for those interested in Marketing or Designing or both is Udemy (www.udemy.com). While Udemy provides courses mostly for a fee, this provider also has a great range of 823 free video courses to choose from. As an added bonus of selecting one of their free online courses, you can also download and print a certificate of completion (sent via email) once done.
While we all use Google on a daily basis, most users don’t realise that Google also has a full-fledged course platform for online learning – Google Digital Garage (www.learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage). As for the price, there is none! Most of these Google Digital Garage courses are completely free with included modules, no time limits, unlimited access, and videos. Once users have completed their chosen course, they will also receive an accredited Google certificate that can be downloaded and put on a CV or resume. Courses are also quite interactive which keeps users engaged and eager to learn more.
Last but not the least on our list is relatively unknown course provider by the name of Oxford Home Study (www.oxfordhomestudy.com). While this provider is better known for their diploma distance education courses, they also offer up a hand full of free online courses. This small selection of total of 15 free courses include a free certificate with no hidden fees or nasty surprises. Simply sign up, start learning, then receive a certificate of completion once done.
So, now it is your turn. Focus on what you already have. You are responsible for your own progress. That means it’s your job to initiate the steps involved in your personal development. Whatever you intend becomes your reality. Find your true intention before you resolve to do something and make sure you really want what you say you want. Find your rhythm and go with the flow.
Stay Home! Skill Up!
ABL Recruitment team
