It’s easy for coaches, therapists and speakers in the Personal Development/self-improvement space to become complacent and to stop growing or worse still become stale.
Why we can become complacent
Most of us are trained to use a particular genre. Psychotherapists will have studied one style of therapy, two at most. Not that they aren’t relevant or valid, but we can fall into the trap of not developing our skills and growing as practitioners.
We then find a niche and work with a particular demographic. Now there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, as we should know who we’re aiming to speak to. Nothing wrong so long as we are aware of the need to challenge ourselves and to expand our skill set.
How to keep abreast of developments in your market
I believe it’s imperative to study developments in the field. It’s why we have Continuing Professional Development requirements, CPD for short. It’s one way we can illustrate to our market and those who may regulate us we are always learning and developing.
Besides CPD requirements, I like to read what others in my industry are saying and doing. I know my own readers are interested in Self-improvement, so I thought I’d share a few of the Blogs I respect. It’s only a sample, and I have nothing to gain from mentioning them.
I really respect the breadth of knowledge and scope of this blogger. She covers everything from mental health and physical health to relationships and productivity.
James Clear–How can we live better
James became an award-winning author with his book “Atomic Habits.” He takes a basic small is valuable approach to his advice. I always find something valuable in his writing.
Chris Guillebeau–The Art of Non-conformity
The title grabbed my attention when I first read it. Chris covers Life and work. Anyone suggesting we make our own rules rather than always following others gets my vote.
Arvind Devalia- Make it Happen
Last but by no means least, is my old coaching buddy Arvind Devalia. I first met Arvind when we were both training to be Coaches., far more years ago than either of us would want to admit!
Always upbeat and positive, his blog is a breath of fresh air and full of sound advice.
These are a small sample of my favourites, but I always gain something from reading them. They challenge and encourage me to explore different avenues.
In the quest to stay relevant and cover topics of interest to you, I have two questions.
- What topics would you like me to cover?
- What issues hold you back?
