Personal Improvement Plan
In many ways developing a personal improvement plan can help prevent complacency, generate personal growth, and build self-confidence. The basic premise is based on the determination of specific goals, and developing strategies to achieve them. As a forty-seven year old college student, I’ve had my share of implementing improvement plans. Some bore excellent results, while others produced stress and anxiety. Cultivating improvement requires an awareness of your particular strengths and weaknesses, also diligence to work on those areas. In the past, I had a tendency to become depressed, or discouraged when I failed to reach a goal. I am a thinker by nature and apt to experience analysis paralysis, a state in which I become so caught up in planning that I cannot take action. The areas I struggle with the most are, stress management, time management, and finding an optimal learning method in class. It is my plan to overcome these challenges and attain a more empowering perspective, refine my university experience, and ensure that I successfully integrate personal and academic development effectively, in a way most beneficial to my future.
Goal One: Stress Management
My primary goal to manage stress is to achieve balance. According to Deborah Davis Ph.D., author of The Adult Learner’s Companion (Davis, 2012,2007) , “Physical and emotional balance can be a key to reducing stress. When your body and mind are in sync and balanced, you feel and look better, you think clearer, and you are more productive”. She also states that “a balanced mind is focused, directed, organized, and calm”. I have gotten a lot better at finding balance, yet I still wrangle from time to time with feelings of anxiety, despa...
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...ain a university degree. Implementing a personal plan only enhances this chance and I fully intend to do my part. However, I would like to acknowledge an Authority over my life that supersedes any plans I might have, and that is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My first priority is to focus on and increase in my relationship with God. The bible says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9, NIV). Presbyterian minister Eugene Petersen sums my feelings up most eloquently, “…so, my task is not relying so much on my will, or fixating on how I think things should be done “…but to become aware of what God is doing so that I can respond to it , and participate and take delight in it.” (Clapp, 1987) Earning my college degree would satisfy one step in my greater mission to fully realize my highest potential.
... well as other stress-related disorders, can lead us to answer questions about what happens to our bodies in times of stress and how we can learn to manage our stress and calm ourselves down. While we may desire to stay young forever and live carefree in the neverland, stress is not the fairy dust necessary to go to the second star to the right and straight on 'till morning.
Exercise regularly. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.
In March, my PSYC class was presented with a challenge - to identify a personal improvement goal and to address this issue using an Immunity to Change map. My lengthy list of personal struggles was quickly narrowed down to one item with focused reflection. My improvement goal was to engage in productive thoughts and behaviors that would provide better time management practices. I was initially looking to improve my behaviors at home so that it would translate into success in all areas of my life including my career. With thoughtful observation and consideration, the Immunity to Change (ITC) map provided a developmentally raw process that continues to help me focus on my improvement goal today. Although I am still working on this goal, this process created more opportunities to make significant development changes above and beyond my initial intentions.
...ing church at least three times a month, starting in March. Over the next year, I will also take time every night to read the Bible (at least three chapters) and pray to receive guidance on the direction my life should take and to further internalize my preexisting value set. Additionally, I will go on at least one mission trip before I am finished with my undergraduate degree.
If you are constantly making excuses for yourself, always procrastinating or otherwise finding ways to fail you need to conduct a thorough personal assessment and inventory the weaknesses and vulnerabilities that are holding you back and inhibiting your personal development, now! On the path of personal development it is important to remember to push yourself. Remember to always do your best and then go just a bit further. Always challenge yourself to go above and beyond the requirements.
Other techniques to reducing stress, is listening to music, pampering yourself a massage/spa day, talking it out to family/friends, baking/cooking, praying/meditating and even playing with your pet.
Find healthy ways to cope with stress, such as exercise, meditation, or spending time with people you care about.
...Three techniques that I use and other people can use to cope with stress are practicing emotion-focused coping, building time-management skills, and regularly practicing meditation. By using these techniques, I am able to lower my stress that I have from homework, socializing, and the newfound responsibilities I have gained since attending college.
Very important to my life after completing my education is having a family. It is my dream to become happily married and have children. Family has always been a great part of my life, and I wish to be a loving husband and parent. I am also looking forward to raising my children in the Catholic faith.
The academic journey from my childhood up to my ongoing college experience was an important role in defining who I am as an individual. Like any other person, I eventually gained the understanding and importance of essential qualities like time management, work ethic, developing strong mental mindset, and many other things throughout my years of education. Fortunately for me, I became aware of these things much earlier than my peers around me. However, being aware of these things was only a fraction towards success. Over time I’ve realized that the most critical part of success was gaining the discipline and willpower to apply these lessons and concepts.
Mental Imagery and Visualization: I have done this for almost a couple of months and I this is a much easier technique for me. I do find that it helps me relive my stress. Unlike cognitive restructuring, with mental imagery I feel more at control. I am able to guide my imagination anywhere I wish to and very seldom do I get distracted.
Stress is a normal part of everyday life. From what happens to you and around you, plus the many things that one does to themselves put stress on the body. The common causes of stress that most people encounter are problems in personal relationships, starting a new job, financial situations, daily hassles, illnesses and legal problems (webmd.com). When the body encounters long periods of stress like those our body begins to give off warning signs that something is not right. When we encounter these warnings they shouldn’t be ignored. Our body is telling us that we need to take it down a notch and give
We learned about money management and time management, smarter reading and note-taking, working in groups, using available resources effectively, making plans for life and of course, being happy. I found those extremely useful.They are not only for this class, but also for a working environment, for our daily life. One of my weakness is procrastination, which is the biggest challenge for me to achieve my goals. From the beginning of this quarter, I set up an daily agenda, and I had been using it for the whole quarter! It is amazing for me to get in the habit of making agenda and do work according to it. Time blocking, another strategy presented in class is useful, which reduces my
During this course I learned many stress management techniques. One of the first stress management techniques I learned was creating a list of things to do in order of importance. Before using this technique I left things to do all at once. This technique helped me by equaling out my work load. Another technique for stress I learned was yoga. Yoga helps me by relaxing my entire body. This technique helps me forget about the things that cause my stress. I use this technique when I have something on my mind that is
After meeting with the president and listening to the issues and concerns regarding, Jack I would highly recommend for a personal improvement plan (PIP) to be developed. I would suggest for the president to have a one-on-one meeting with Jack regarding the negative feedback he has received from the staff. Jack should be fully aware of the expectations that are being sought as a result of this improvement plan. When laying out the areas of improvement, the first concern would be the negative attitude he has toward his staff. Next, would be to address the several complaints on company surveys from his department as well as outside of his department. These situations take time so I would recommend a 90-day plan with a follow up with the employees immediately after the plan has exhausted. The purpose of the PIP would be to improve employee morale, create a healthier work environment, and assure that the employees are receiving adequate support and resources needed to perform productively. Jack would also be informed of the consequences he could face if he is not compliant and open to this PIP. I would suggest for an outside,