Making the decision to further your education should be a carefully considered one, factoring in what is involved, versus what you can expect from undertaking such a venture. In other words, what is the return on investment (ROI) of your time, money, resources and (perhaps most importantly) your expectations?

Are you willing to take on a new lifestyle of education, even if it is only on a temporary basis? If you don’t take the time to evaluate why you want this and what this course of action will garner you upon its completion, you may be disappointed in the end.

Ask yourself why you want to do this. In other words, begin with the end in mind.

Before making any commitments, including paying for a course, it is vital to examine why you want to pursue this path of action. If you are doing this for the wrong reasons you may regret moving in that direction.

Have you considered that you might just be keeping up with other people’s expectations of you, and maybe you have no interest in taking on any more commitments at this time?

It is better to take time to consider your motives before taking any action.

Consider some of the following:

Are you contemplating taking a course because you are just plain bored, and at least this will give you something to do? If so, then I suggest you don’t go any further because it is likely that you won’t continue, and instead will be unhappy and disappointed, plus out a few dollars.

Is your employer asking you to take up some instruction to advance your role in the company? Will this open up some doors to you in the future or allow you to take on additional job functions that would be rewarding either personally or financially?

By taking further education courses, do you believe that this will assist you in advancing your career even if this is not company mandated training? Will this position you for a higher role within your current company, improve your business if you are self employed or give you more options later on?

Will you receive some type of designation at the completion of your studies that is highly regarded within your industry?

How much time will be required?
Given the fact that you probably work full time, and hopefully have a life outside of work, where will you find the time to attend classes and complete the required work involved?

What changes in your schedule will you need to make so as to accommodate this new change in your life?

So what direction do you take?

Will you undertake a course at a local community college, university, private institution or through an association? What are the benefits of each of these?

Does your personal schedule allow you to attend one or two nights a week, or on Saturdays, or can you take something online? More and more I see opportunities to study through distance education, which can fit into a busy lifestyle.

What about the cost?

What are the costs for this course of study and all the other associated costs such as text books, transportation, baby sitting (if required)? Will your employer subsidize the cost or does the institution offer scholarships or payment plans? Is the tuition a tax deductible expense?

Sometimes we think we are too old…

Maybe you are holding back from going ‘back to school’ because you feel that you are too old now and have missed the chance. Instead you have resigned yourself to stay at the level you are currently at. Maybe you feel trapped in your current work situation because of lack of updated or advanced training.

Age has nothing to do with education, as it doesn’t matter how old you are. More and more, classes are being filled with adults who are eager to improve themselves either for personal fulfillment or to improve their employment prospects. Recently I worked with a 64-year-old woman who felt that her time had passed and there was nothing new for her to aspire to.

After working together for a couple of months, she came up with a list of 106 life goals she still wants to attain. Many of those goals were related to education. So if you are younger than 64 years old, don’t be outdone by her! And if you are 64 or older, just believe that you still have options.

Remember: when making your decisions on furthering your education, consider the end result. What is it you want to achieve, what is your heart’s desire?

^{• Sharon Worsley, CEO of Live With Intent, is a personal leadership coach and motivation al speaker. Her signature keynote ‘Live By Choice, Not By Chance’ assists individuals and organizations to become clear on how they can ensure the quality of their life or organization. To receive her monthly e-zine, send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with subscribe in the subject line.}