People like to learn and grow. This is generally true from our earliest days through our last days.

In the workplace, however, this desire for learning gets lost. It isn’t generally due to a lack of opportunity. Companies spend large amounts to create training options for employees, from online classes to extensive leadership development programs. Studies consistently show that growth is the most important variable in employee retention. Younger generations are even more likely to value personal growth over increased pay at work.

If you want to grow professionally and truly expand your capacity, then take the reins. Most professionals have both opportunity and motivation, they just need to adjust how they orient themselves to learning so it becomes energizing. Consider these guidelines:

1. Determine what skills you’re excited (versus supposed) to learn.

Work-life is full of “shoulds.” People have many ideas about what someone in their role should be learning, whether it’s a new software package or how to motivate a team. Too often, what you feel like you have to learn isn’t what you want to learn, and this makes growth exponentially harder.

Do the upfront thinking work to determine what you’re excited to develop. Adults typically enjoy learning what’s immediately relevant, practical and applicable, so that may be a good place to start. Make a list, notice how you feel about the options, and rank them accordingly. Start with the areas that seem exciting, interesting or fun. This doesn’t mean that you won’t ever have to learn any of the “shoulds” but if you start in a topic that intrigues you, you’re more likely to gain context that makes other skills more interesting.

2. Find out what’s available from your company, and also consider alternatives.

Most professionals don’t see how much their company actually supports the training and development areas. Whether from lack of marketing from HR or overwhelm from the employee base, there tends to be a gaping hole of information around learning. If you have a skill you’d like to pursue, start by going to your company and asking if they support any related programs. You may be surprised at your options.

Additionally, there are countless options outside your company if you want to go in a different direction or there’s nothing internal that fits. There are free and paid independent training programs, leadership coaches, university-sponsored sessions, and public access Ivy-league classes. There are so many options it can be overwhelming. Do some crowdsourcing by asking around to see what your peers have found interesting. Whether it’s inside or outside of your company, your time is valuable so choose what appeals to you.

3. Be honest with yourself about how you prefer to learn.

We all have ideas for what we’d love to do if only time and money were no object. But they are likely big objects! Be realistic about how you prefer to learn given your current situation. Sure, devoting one week a month to attend a leafy college campus’s leadership program might seem like just what you need, but if you never find the right time then it stays an idea. The same is true for online learning – it’s easy to sign up and just as easy to blow off.

Make the barrier to commitment, and growth, as low as possible for yourself by selecting learning options that work with your learning style. This doesn’t mean that you can’t try new things, just that you’re honest about what’s likely to work and what’s a stretch.

4. Adopt the attitude that you can always learn something new.

Having spent time in programs with thousands of leaders from their 20s to their 70s, I’ve seen how genuine curiosity and an openness to learning greatly impacts growth. Some people, regardless of their expertise or success, take a posture that they can always learn something new. They show up to learn, and the funny thing is that everyone learns the most from them. They ask questions, share, interact with others and contribute to the greater learning environment. They take responsibility for their own learning and seek out what’s relevant. They expect to grow, and they give themselves the space to do it.