Finding More Time In Your Week To Spend On CPD

So we’ve just passed into July, the half-way point of the year.

I’ll put money on the fact that you are NOT currently engaging in as much consistent learning, CPD and personal development compared to the start of 2019.

Why do I know this?

Because so many New Grad Physio’s, like you, tell me this every week!!!

So many of you start the calendar year with big goals and objectives related to your learning and personal development with the aim of becoming a better equipped New Grad Physio.

But things get in the way…

Maybe you’re a student and have had to split your time between your academic work and clinical placements and not found the time for any additional learning.

Maybe you’ve already qualified but the commitment of working full-time and getting your head down to spend time on your continued development is just not happening.

You might even have the best intentions and actually make time in your busy week to learn, but become overwhelmed and frustrated as you don’t really know what you should spending your time and effort reading or listening to.

As a result, you become demotivated and don’t do any CPD at all.

Whichever statement sounds like you, this blog will help you out…

Continue reading and I will show you what to do right NOW to make more time in your week to really kick-start the remainder of your year and make time for the learning you need to progress your career at the rate you really want.

Firstly, you need to consider what has happened?

Why don’t you engage with more CPD and learning?

You know you need to learn, you want to learn more, to improve the skill-sets you have to treat the patients you see in best possible way.

But you just can’t find the time.

But why is it that others can?

After all, we all have the same 168 hours in a week, we work (or study) for a similar amount of time each week yet some New Grad’s seem to have loads more time than you.

The key to this is working out WHERE you are spending your time right now…

The easiest way to do this is to map your normal week.

There will be times in the week, like your working hours or time at University, that are set in stone and cannot be altered.

You may also have other commitments with family or friends, sports, hobbies etc that fall at specific times during the week. Mark these down.

It will only take you a couple of minutes but once you have done this, next you need to…

Prioritise WHAT you need to focus on.

This is the one of the biggest mistakes New Grad’s make and probably the result of your University training.

At University you covered such a broad spectrum of content that it’s only normal to think this should continue once you qualify.

But that’s where your wrong.

There are big differences between the specifics and challenges you will face working in NHS, private practice or sport.

There are also big differences between the specific skill-sets you need to learn to become competent at each stage of your development as a New Grad Physio.

The more specific you can be about exactly WHAT you need to know, then only then can you go into the detail you need and ensure you are making the best and most efficient use of the limited time you have available.

Being specific like this you will ensure you are spending time on the actual challenges you are encountering right now and spend the time improving skill-sets that will therefore actually improve your day-day practice and the results you get with your patients.

If your struggling with this, just thing about the last 5 patients you have seen.

What didn’t go as well as you would have hoped?

Why was this?

What skill-sets would help you be better prepared next time if the same patient walked in again?

Next, the most important bit…

What do you do next?

You just need to START.

You now know where in the week you can make a realistic same commitment to your learning.

You now know what you need to prioritise, specific to the challenges you are currently facing as a New Grad Physio.

So all you need to do now, is start.

Start making a small investment in your time towards your continued learning.

Book a date with yourself and block it in your diary.

Doing it this way will ensure you stay on track, you continue to learn and you accelerate your skills…

I do exactly the same thing myself…

Since enrolment closed on my New Grad Physio Membership at the end of May I have been very busy mentoring the new group of therapists that joined.

Alongside this teaching, I was away consulting with my International football commitments, firstly for a few days at the St George’s Park (The National Football Centre) then flying out to the South of France for two weeks, followed by a trip to Luxembourg with GB Taekwondo, then holidaying with the family in Ibiza.

And all whilst running my own private practice!!!

Despite been so ‘busy’ I also found the time to put together some new FREE content, just like this blog, which I will launch over the next few weeks.

A lot of plates to spin, but with some clarity about what I needed to achieve (the tasks I had to complete) and when I would do it (scheduling these tasks) it all got done and with plenty of time to spare.

Now its your turn to do the same.

Andy Barker
The New Grad Physio Mentor

If you found reading this blog post useful you will also find BIG value in my book ‘How To Become A Competent, Confident & Competitive New Grad Physio.’

In the book I show you WHY you need the 3 C’s; COMPETENCY, CONFIDENCE & COMPETITIVENESS, and HOW to gain these skill-sets to enjoy a successful start to your career as a New Grad Physio, Sports Therapist or Sports Rehabilitator.

Find out more about the book here.