There isn’t a Tradie around who doesn’t know the “push through to Christmas” scenario. You and or your company are doing massive hours (which is great for the bank balance) in some cases working 6/7 days knowing that the Christmas shut down is coming.
You’re getting more tired by the day, It happens every year! People want shit done before Christmas – it’s seriously like they have had ALL year but with the break coming they want to enjoy the “new something and we need it by Christmas”!
At smoko time your mates are sharing their “Christmas war stories” and endeavouring to keep everyone happy as you limp into the break – looking forward to some downtime, a few beers and some chillax time. Sounds bloody awesome!
I’m writing this and screaming holy hell you don’t have to be a Tradie to be the only one whose picture is like that (there would be many an office worker who thinks that’s their reality right now too). It amazes me the frantic pace that some people get to at this time of year!
If you don’t want your life to be a “rinse and repeat” you’ve got to ask yourself, what is the one thing I can do to make incremental improvements in my life?
Make a list. What’s on your list?
No doubt there is heaps of things from going to the gym more often to get fitter, build muscle, lose weight (some might want to put on weight – ha who cares!) the point is we can have ten tonnes of “stuff” on our list, but what are you doing to improve your skills for next year, the year after and so on?
Like anything that is worthwhile updating or upskilling takes time and commitment. I hear you want to leave the page already – seriously who has extra time – you don’t – it’s about what’s important and then deciding that you and your future are the most important element in your life and you and only you are the C.E. bloody O and you can alter, impact and change absolutely anything in your day, week, month or year. However, that takes leadership – leadership of your own destiny.
We have all had friends or colleagues who have a whinge about their plot in life, oh they would like to do this or that, but they – yep here come the excuses – have no time, can’t afford it, are too tired, my boss is a dickhead and I won’t get paid anything extra, what’s the point, its bullshit anyway. Yep, they have their excuses down in spades!
And hey, sometimes you feel exactly that way too – and we totally get it – juggling friends, family and your own commitments; it’s super easy to put a whole lot of … well, excuses in the way.
It would be really cool to sit down and write your list with you in mind – and ask –
- What would I love to learn about?
- What don’t I know enough about?
- What could I learn which would benefit my work opportunities?
- Where and what do I want to be doing in 2 years, 5 years?
- What do I have to do/change to achieve that?
There are obviously a heap of other questions, but don’t over complicate it – besides, that takes more time! What’s on your list? Let me know.
OK, you’ve done your list now what?
Look at your list of questions with answers and then ask yourself, what is the one thing on my list that will add the most value to my life? Now that can be from a financial, physical, spiritual or emotional perspective. Whatever it is – that is entirely up to you to choose. This is all about upskilling in whatever area of your life you choose.
Here are a few added benefits of upskilling as your thinking about your list:-
- It’s a proactive approach to your learning and skills growth journey as it shows your prepared to invest in your future development (no matter which area of your life that is improving);
- It takes commitment and management (oh great skills there without trying!)
- You stay relevant in your industry
- Provides the opportunity to change industries (you might have thought of doing this but never had the required skills – go for it!)
- Upskilling can lead to greater employment and better pay prospects if you’re undertaking nationally recognised training
There are a bucket load of benefits and let’s be honest they’re too numerous to list them all here. Bottom line? There are way more benefits to upskilling than to not.
Ok so you’ve done your list, you’ve identified your “most valuable” upskilling opportunity – so now what? Look for who is able to provide you with what you want. Now, this is a whole different topic on what to look for when you want to upskill…but maybe next time, for now….
Sit back and take a well-earned break, recharge and refresh. Look back on the year, turn your mirrors around and look to your future and what that future will look like. Use your list of upskilling opportunities as your knowledge tree (a tree doesn’t grow overnight – it takes time!). We all have dreams of a bigger, better and brighter future, and I would suggest that we are our own “Genie in a bottle” and the only one that can grant you one wish (I can imagine what they would be – but let’s bring it back to some reality here!!). My one wish for you all ‘is that this holiday season, you take charge of your own life and invest in your future one skill at a time’.
Don’t look back on next year and say ‘should of, could have – didn’t’ – look back and say “I did and what’s next”!
You’ve got your list now, be your own tree of knowledge, plant it, care for it, grow it and nurture it – the health, strength and size of this tree is entirely up to you!