Make self development a priority

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sergeant Larry Blake
  • 60th Medical Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  What efforts have you engaged in lately to develop yourself and move toward your goals?
How long has it been since you read a book, attended a seminar or took a college course? Charlie Jones, author and founder of ExecutiveBooks.com, said it best, "You will be the same person tomorrow, next week, next month, next year and in five, 10, 20 years except for two things - the people you meet and the books you read." I argue there are two more: the things you watch and the things you listen to. I have come to the realization lifelong self-development is essential for survival in the future Air Force.

We live in a world where the sum of all we know doubles every seven years. This increase in available knowledge will continue to expand exponentially. The Air Force is counting on us to be educated, current and well-read. Former secretary of the Air Force, Michael W. Wynne was quoted in an Air Force white paper on learning and the future of Air Force education and training. He said, "We have all heard the phrase 'flexibility is the key to airpower.' I would like to add that knowledge-enabled Airmen are the key to flexibility. It is this knowledge that will ensure we remain the world's supreme air, space and cyberspace force in the future." So how does this apply to you?

Well, if you are an average American here are some things to consider. According to the folks who monitor television ratings at the A.C. Nielsen Company, the average American watches four hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or two months of nonstop TV watching per year). Imagine what you could do if instead you invested one hour each day doing something that contributed to your self-development.

If you are active duty, you can take advantage of the great educational benefits offered and complete your Community College of the Air Force degree fairly quickly. If you already enjoy the benefits of a CCAF degree you could earn a bachelor's degree. You may also choose to pursue a graduate degree or complete grade-appropriate professional military education. All good choices.

If you are a civilian member of our great Air Force team, you may choose to take advantage of educational benefits offered by the government or your employer to complete a degree program. You could also use the time to take a class or get a certification that may qualify you for a better paying position within the civilian personnel system. The possibilities are endless.

We cannot be the same Air Force tomorrow that we are today. Our rapidly advancing world and adversaries will not allow it. We must continue to grow as individuals because, in the words of Albert Einstein, "the significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." With that thought in mind, develop a passion for learning and you will never stop developing. So what have you done lately?