For a business owner, it is critical to continuously develop ones skill set in order to bring more value to the people we serve and lead. Doing this requires an investment from both a time and monetary perspective, which we often hear entrepreneurs say they are in short supply of, but the rewards we reap far outweigh this investment. Learning new ways to deliver value to our clients through new products and services, discovering better and more cost effective systems and processes to help our bottom line all require us to retain a childlike curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Sometimes, we need to ask creative questions in order to get creative answers and get the juices flowing again to better ourselves.

As children, we drove most of our parents crazy constantly asking questions. I came across some research recently that shows that mothers are the most quizzed people in the world, and on subjects far and wide. They were asked more questions every hour than a primary school teacher who averaged being asked 19 questions as well as doctors and nurses who averaged 18. The report found that the average mother faces a testing 12.5 hours a day of questioning, working out at one question every two minutes and 36 seconds.

Here are the five toughest questions mothers are asked:

1) Why is water wet? (35%)

2) Where does the sky end? (34%)

3) What are shadows made of? (33%)

4) Why is the sky blue? (20%)

5) How do fish breathe under water? (18%)

Though the number of questions kids ask falls with age, they increase in difficulty – so much so that 82% of mothers admit they cannot answer them and some even confess to secretly using Google to find the answers. As we age further and come out the other side of a structured education system our quest for knowledge can often start to fade.

In the ever changing world we live in today, in order to stay on top of your game and continue to be a leader in your field or industry sometimes putting your kid glasses back on and asking a lot of questions isn’t such a bad thing.

Here are seven reasons for investing in your personal and professional development beginning today:

1. Your confidence will grow. You will find that your self-esteem and self-concept will deepen with purpose and strength.
2. Your perspective and personal vision will increase with all of the new things you are learning. Knowledge is power.
3. You will attract different people into your inner circle. People are attracted to leaders who are growing, transforming and modeling leadership.
4. You will find you can adapt to change easier. When you grow personally and professionally you are already changing, and as a result, you will find you are able to respond more positively to what is going on around you.
5. You will make more powerful choices. As your awareness of yourself increases you will find yourself making more powerful choices which will ultimately lead to greater results.
6. You will gain new ideas for greater productivity and ways to lead and live as your knowledge deepens and your effectiveness sharpens.
7. You will focus more on the future than the past. By learning and developing you will be inspired to look forward to new opportunities and be more focused on your potential.

I would love to hear your thoughts or any additional reasons why you believe investing in personal and professional development is your #1 investment. Feel free to use the comments section below.

To Your Success!