By Michael Tessler, Managing Partner

This week I’d like to take some time to discuss personal development.

During these challenging times, many people have asked me what they can do to progress their careers. Unfortunately, switching jobs is difficult right now. Therefore, I recommend focusing your time on personal growth.

With so many other priorities piling up on your to-do list, I’ve developed a one-hour rule for professional growth. The idea is simple but takes dedication. I urge professionals to spend the first hour of each day on their personal development. If you leave this task for the end of the day, you won’t have the energy to focus and reflect. So reserve one hour at the start of your day for your personal and professional growth.

Now, what do you do in those 60 minutes? I recommend you spread your time into three different areas:

Networking

My biggest regret in the early part of my career is that I did not spend enough time networking with colleagues inside and outside the company. It’s incredibly important to develop and nurture your professional relationships from day one. I’ve learned those relationships could help you in three, ten, or 20 years from now.

To start, engage in a series of conversations with people from various backgrounds. Your network can help you discover how to tackle a problem or give you trusted recommendations on ideas you’re exploring. And you can derive a lot of benefit from sharing and giving to your network as well.

You might ask yourself, “How do I network when I’m stuck working from home?” My answer is this: connect online, whether it’s with LinkedIn or Twitter. Send a message to an old colleague or a new connection that is of interest. Introduce yourself and highlight why you’re reaching out to them. Check-in with your network and offer to make introductions or help with a challenge they are going through. The focus is to take the first step and nurture the relationships that last.

Skill Learning

Earlier in my career, learning a new skill meant that you signed up, paid a fee, and took a course at the scheduled time. That’s no longer the case.

Nowadays, there is a range of online learning that is free and led by experts that can be completed at your own pace. For example, you can search for almost any topic on YouTube and watch instructional and insightful videos. There are also many websites, such as LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, and much more with training materials. Set a target for each week on learning one new skill. You’ll be surprised how much you will gain within a month.

Curiosity

I have found that someone’s curiosity is the single most important predictor for success. Those that are curious read books, explore magazines or watch videos from other industries and disciplines. These can be excellent sources of inspiration for new ideas and approaches. Discovery comes from observation, and being curious will help you identify patterns that matter.

Step out of your comfort zone and experiment with new ways to solve a problem that you might be facing. This experiment will lead to offering your colleagues creative solutions that others may miss.

Spending one hour a day will push you to stay on top of new developments and keep innovating. Not only are you growing your network or learning a new skill, but you are building steady habits. Set aside time for your learning. It will give you energy and leave you feeling strong from the start of your day.

Let us know what techniques you use to continue personal development and learning. We can all learn from each other.