What’s next after attending a training?

I was preparing my ingredients to cook pesto today. However, when I started to blend the basil with olive oil, our blender unfortunately did not work. Then, I realized that we have not used the blender for almost 2 years and this is the cause of the malfunction.

This simple scenario reminds me of the things that we learned during trainings. If we will not use them, we will end up losing them.

Focus on what you want to apply

I heard you! You learned a lot of things after your training and so prioritizing on the key concepts you would like to focus on will help you to successfully apply what you learned. I suggest you to think of 2-3 things that directly apply to your current situation and create your action plans. I always tell my students to put timelines to challenge themselves. Remember, a goal without a timeline will just be a dream.

Find a partner to share your action plan

Look for someone to share your action plan to reinforce the commitment. He can be your mentor, manager, colleague, friend, or anyone who can relate with you and give you guidance if you need to. If you can, let him sign on your action plan as a witness to it. It is also helpful to have a follow through by setting up a recurring meeting as checkpoint of your progress in accomplishing your action plan. This is also a way to talk about whatever issues you have encountered and discuss ways to solve them.

Commit to your action plan

You are accountable to your development. Thus, do not lose the opportunity to leverage the learning you have acquired from each training. By committing to your action plan, this will guide you all throughout your journey of changing for a better you professionally and personally.

In a nutshell, participating in a training is a privilege you have to maximize by focusing on what you want to apply, finding a partner  to share your action plan and committing to it.