Enter every continuing education experience with the right attitude, and you may be able to walk away from each class with even more than you bargained for, when it comes to career-boosting benefits. The key aspects of the right attitude toward continuing education are keeping an open mind, seeking out lessons and insights, and staying positive.
Most professional massage therapists and bodyworkers enroll in continuing education for a variety of reasons that tend to follow one of several common themes. First of all, for quite a few practitioners, earning continuing education credits is a requirement for renewing and maintaining one’s license to practice. This may be one of the most common reasons why massage therapists and bodyworkers sign up for continuing education classes–but the desire to learn more and master new skills is probably a close second.
Another frequent reason a massage therapist or bodyworker may consider taking continuing education classes would be to somehow improve his or her practice. This might mean learning a new skill to better serve and attract clients, or it could equate to taking a continuing education course on marketing, accounting, body mechanics or any other topic that might benefit the touch therapist, his or her practice and clients.
No matter what your reasons may be for taking continuing education classes, one thing can probably be counted on—you want to get the most out of the time and money you are investing in the continuing education experience. This is where having the right attitude can come into play, as your mental state can play a large role in dictating how much you gain from your time in continuing education classes.
To begin with, you will want to try to focus on the positive aspects of the continuing education experience, such as how fortunate you are to have the opportunity to expand your knowledge base and pass along the benefits to your clients. By staying positive about your continuing education class, you should be better prepared to get the other two pieces of the puzzle squared away—keeping an open mind and seeking out lessons and insights.
As an example, let’s say your state or regional governing board requires massage therapists to complete a specific continuing education class, and it’s one you would not have chosen on your own. If you allow yourself to have a negative attitude toward the continuing education experience, not only will you affect your own mood for the worse, but you may also miss out on some valuable information or insights that come up during the class.
With a positive attitude and an open mind, you will be ready to absorb the helpful lessons or knowledge imparted during a continuing education class. In fact, you will probably be proactively seeking the most those lessons and insights. With this kind of fruitful approach toward each continuing education class you take, you should be able to make the most of the time and money you invest in continuing education.