To stay successful, you have to invest in your own professional and personal development. As you do, though, it's important to make sure that the investment you're making is the right one for you.

I'm winding down a busy time in my life when I put a lot of time and money into a leadership program. It served as an impetus to make more time to focus on my goals, and to surround myself with a motivated peer group interested in growing and taking things to the next level. As I got deeper into my program, though, I realized that it wasn't teaching me any "secrets" I didn't already know. And the heavy travel and long hours were taking a personal toll on me and time out of my life that I wanted to use for other things.

So I canceled my trips for the last two conferences, and am continuing with investing in an executive coach for myself. I'm coming away from the experience with a critical reminder: We don't always have to look outward for the answers. Sometimes we just need to create capacity to leverage what we know.

At times my executive coaching clients think they need new or different ideas to keep moving forward. But I remind them that they already possess a gold mine of strategies and insights based on their experiences. Together, we tap into the wisdom that they already have (their personal best practices) and then determine if we need to supplement it.

When you want to grow and take things to the next level, start by defining the outcome you want to achieve before you brainstorm options to accomplish it. As you identify different ways to achieve your outcome, don’t overlook the importance of exploring what you already know before you sign up for something else. Try this simple, three-step process to access your own wisdom before you seek answers elsewhere.

Training programs and other development opportunities can help you get clear on who you are and who you aren't, and expand your network. To make the most of them, be intentional about what you want to get out of them and how you’ll apply what you learn to build on what you already know. And if you want that extra boost to help you take action, consider working with a coach.

If there are skills and knowledge you'd like to build, explore our products and services. You'll find options that fit your needs, whether you're looking for an in-depth program or quick-hit strategies from books, audio training or videos.