The Three Ideas That Take Economic Development and Make It Personal

I saw something the other day that kind of took me by surprise but as I thought about it, it helped me understand personal responsibility in how I need to continue to develop myself both personally and professionally. This came from a webinar through the local Chamber in reference to Economic Development. What it stated was that it had three goals. 1. Retention of existing industry. 2. Industrial product development and 3. Recruitment of new industry. Let me explain how this equates to personal development.

First – Retention of Existing Industry

To me this is foundational because it covers my wellbeing. This past year both my wife and I have been to the Doctor who was encouraged to see that we had both lost a little weight. My wife’s Dr. mentioned the COVID 40 which seemed to be a number that people had gained in pounds during the pandemic. Last year was hard but on my health journey I know that I had to make some changes. I can tell you that there was one change that I made that was simple and easy but made all the difference in the world. I have more clarity in my thinking, I have virtually eliminated the feelings of age and my workouts have improved. I am getting better sleep which leads into self-care.

I hope that the pandemic gave you a chance to think about this. It did reset a lot of people and definitely was a challenge for many who had to work from home and deal with kids and juggle family. I have heard many people say that it has helped them gain a better understanding of their priorities and values. My journey has made this clear that it is more about people and experiences than money. Again, I hope that what happened this past year will have given you a chance to think about what is important to you and to be more purposeful about self-care. Spending time with family, taking time off and just enjoying life! This is critical for me to enjoy the people I am with and to surround myself with amazing people!

Second - Industrial Product Development

The idea here in terms of personal growth is that this emphasizes growth which usually means professional development but don’t limit yourself to just that. Professional development takes into consideration that you are learning more about your job and the technical side of it. In my world it really boils down to your interpersonal skills. Depending on your work to grow and move up in an organization you will be interacting with people and when you get to the manager level or above it is overseeing people. I have found that many individuals get placed into a job because they were successful in one area but when moved up are not prepared or have the people skills to propel them further. What happens is people fail or have challenges which they will learn from (hopefully) and make the adjustments and improve. People skills will give you the edge on moving up the corporate ladder.

I say don’t limit yourself to only professional development because I am learning more and more the value of taking care of my body and how that effects my interpersonal skills. Fueling your body and getting the needed rest as well as exercising has great value to you. So often the business of life and the challenges with work engulf our lives where self-care is neglected. What is your challenge in this area?

Thirdly - Recruitment of New Industry

This goes along with personal and professional development but takes it a step further in having goals and dreams. The first two ideas are foundational to growing but there should be something to be striving for. I used to be in the camp of looking to have more things and have a bigger salary or a bigger house. There is nothing wrong with that, but I truly believe that although we need those things (money, a place to live, etc.) my dreams have changed to be more relational as well as the idea of helping others along their journey. That is one of the reasons why I got into coaching.

People need guidance and direction. Whether it is the challenge of being overwhelmed with life, being put in a position that they don’t feel they are ready, qualified for, or have the capacity for, or just need some help sorting out their life, I love to guide people to the answers. The foundation of coaching is not to offer advice but to guide people to make the decisions. You have greatness within you and by processing through the exercises and conversation you can make the decisions, go in the right direction and live a more fulfilled life!