How often do you hear that? I was talking to someone today about attending training courses and SBE Certification, and he said he wanted to attend more and add another certification, but there just isn’t enough time.

It’s easy to think that. I know I do sometimes. It really comes down to deciding what’s most important. When 5 o’clock rolls around, you probably just want to go home — if you can. Getting outside the regular or irregular routine isn’t easy. Setting aside an hour or two to attend even on online webinar seems like a loss of a large chunk of time.

But what’s the return for the time? With SBE Certification, if the formal exam windows aren’t convenient, ask for private proctoring. That can be scheduled at any time. As far as the webinar, can you eat lunch during the presentation? You have to eat anyway. I don’t recommend you try to check logs during the webinar; that takes the focus away from the lesson.

I’m as guilty as you are about making the excuse. Why not find one item to attend and make it a point to complete it. Put it on your schedule. If someone requests a meeting, ask for a different time. (Obviously if you’re off the air, take care of that.)

Do one thing to improve yourself and not only will you benefit, but so will your employer.