Harvey MacKay has a bestselling book entitled, "Dig your well before you're thirsty" that talks about building your network of friends and associates before you need it (His book is next on my list).  In my experience, I hear the all-too-common, "Now that I'm looking for a job, I need to start networking".  By the time you need a job, it's too late to "start" networking!  Networking needs to be something you incorporate into your daily life - something you live rather than something you "do".  That way, when when you do need help finding a job, you have already developed strong relationships with a number of people you can call on.  

This concept of "digging your well before you're thirsty" also applies to training.  I have worked with countless Project Managers (though this example applies to any profession) where an employer would have happily paid for training and had even budgeted money for it.  However, most times, no one took any training at all.  At one company, the leadership team desperately wanted to increase the leadership skills of their project managers and brought in training for their staff.  Unfortunately, attendance was sporadic because people were "too busy".  Too busy?!   Many of these people were the ones that needed it the most!  If anyone had taken the initiative to enroll in leadership or soft skills courses on their own, they would have shown their employer that they were interested in taking on more leadership roles and would have likely impressed their employer (and maybe even received a promotion).  What a missed opportunity!  
 
Over the years, I have received numerous emails or phone calls from friends and former co-workers that were previously "too busy" and then found themselves unemployed, asking me questions on how to become PMP certified, what professional organizations they should join to "start" networking, etc.  Why didn't they take the time to invest in themselves and their career when they had the chance?  Not only would their company have paid for their training (and/or annual memberships to professional organizations), but they could have started putting that knowledge to use in their corporate environment!  They could have brought real value to their employer and, in some cases, may not have ended up in the situation they (sometimes unexpectedly) found themselves in.  Sorry for the rant today, but this is something I feel strongly about; and I hate to see people I care about suffer needlessly.  

Bottom line - If your company pays for some type of training or professional development, take advantage of it now!  Do not wait until a day when you have the time.  You never will.  You have to MAKE time to invest in yourself today, so that you are successful in the future.  Further, learning something new keeps your skills sharp, renews your energy, and makes you more productive in your current role.  A good goal would be to take at least one training course each year (whatever format fits with your schedule - webinar, in-class, etc.). 

When was the last time you took a training course?  What could you learn about today that would benefit the work you are doing right now or in the future?  What's stopping you?!