My Personal Development Portfolio - Essay Example

My Personal Development Portfolio Introduction I hailfrom Kazakhstan, a predominantly-Muslim country that was once part of the Soviet Union. I was born during a time of significant widespread national reform, wherein a transition was taking place from a Communist mindset and framework to a more democratic one. I adopted such a mindset early on, thanks to my family which consistently exposed me to the new world order, such as the English language and Western values. This became an asset for me when I first went to Britain to study; I had already learned the ropes to a certain extent, and so I had at least some idea of what to expect. That being said, I still experienced some degree of cultural shock when first I arrived in the United Kingdom. For one thing, the legal system here operates with a higher degree of fairness, and the freedom of speech, too, is something, I admit, I had never experienced before. That being said, however, not all of my early experiences were pleasant. Russian being my primary language, I have no shame whatsoever admitting that learning the English language was rather difficult at first, though I’d like to think I have now been able to attain a certain degree of proficiency in it. Even so, I still intend to further improve in this endeavour. Last but not least, I aim to curb my issues regarding time management and procrastination. My Immediate Objectives My personal development plan places focus on rectifying my weaknesses. It has been my experience that among the weaknesses I mentioned, the most problematic is my still-developing prowess in the English language, not to mention my difficulties in time management and in public speaking. As early as now, then, I’d like to be able to get to address these problems early, so I can use my time later on to focus on more pressing concerns. In this case in particular, fixing my weaknesses will allow me to utilize my strengths to greater effect. For one, typing is a skill I want very much to improve on, but more importantly, I feel it necessary to further improve my command of the English language. Of course, I’m proud of the progress I’ve made on my own; so far, I’ve gotten by practicing with people I know. Formal classes may help me learn at an even faster rate, but if at all possible, I’d rather not have to spend more than I can reasonably afford to. The solution, then, is simple: I can learn on my own. Secondly, as already noted above, time management is among my less desirable habits that it would probably be good to minimize. I’m still capable of turning in satisfactory output despite these habits, but at the same time, I recognize that it’s not a very good habit, and that I shouldn’t be doing it if I can help it. That being the case, I hope to be able to practice better habits that will help me to excel here at LMU. Finally, I intend to improve on my skills with respect to public speaking. In this regard, Im happy to admit my fortune in that I lack the chronic shyness some of my peers still struggle with, and so I can say that Ive already progressed a fair bit on my own. That being said, my public speaking skills are but passable as of the moment; while Ive been getting by in my classes, I know for a fact that things will only get more challenging from here on out. In that case, the need is clear for me to get better at public speaking. Self-Improvement Strategy - My Action Plan Generally, my approach to learning is to take in everything I can readily observe around me. However, depending on the circumstances at hand, I sometimes find it difficult to get things down the first time, in which case I try to bolster interest on my part by relating the knowledge to be absorbed to real-life situations. All in all, my self-assessment is that I am a reflective and pragmatic learner. And indeed, it is because of my self-reflection, and my finely honed sense of pragmatism, that I have identified the need for me to improve on my English language proficiency, not to mention my skills with respect to time management and public speaking. First and foremost, I firmly intend to improve in the English language. As I have already mentioned, I don’t intend to take formal classes in the subject, at least not now. At this point, I’m still in the process of adjusting to a new environment, and so I’d like to take the time out to get my act together with respect to my academics before I even consider the idea of extra-curriculars. Needless to say, I’m gonna have to learn on my own. Fortunately, this is actually doable. Both Anita D’Souza (2005) and Kenneth Beare (2012) tell us that learning is something that happens gradually and not instantly, but it can, in fact, be done. First and foremost, the important thing is to make learning a habit. This means that it would be more useful to get in 10-20 minutes of learning each day, rather than spending 2 hours every weekend. In fact, I even listen to English as well as Russian music these days. This means that my playlist happens to be loaded with English singers and artists, such as Linkin Park, Bon Jovi, Velvet Revolver and the like. During my spare time, I even go out with my friends to karaoke bars to sing English songs. On a related note, Alex Case (2008) also suggests starting a blog in the English language to help hasten the learning process. All in all, I feel optimistic with respect to my success in this endeavour. Another one of my issues I’ve identified and hope to address is my problem with respect to time management. According to Steve Pavlina (2008), time management boils down to deciding what one must do and then doing it – though of course, one needs to make sure to do it right. The to-do list, one of the most popular ways of managing time, has been especially questioned. Sandberg (2004) notes how most people spend more time managing their to-do lists than actually doing the listed tasks. Furthermore, strict observance of these lists may end up causing one to waste precious time on activities that are actually not that important in the long run (Hendrickson, 2005). To be sure, listing down what needs to be done helps one know and keep track of what needs to be done, though some activities are more important than others. Last but not least, I also intend to improve my skills with respect to public speaking. Here, at least, I can say that I’m luckier than most people in that I not only am not plagued by chronic shyness. Ian McKenzie (2012), in fact, offers some tips in this regard, the first of which would be to develop a deeper voice. The good news, then, is that there are exercises that help in this regard, breath exercises being the easiest. Apparently, there’s something in a deep voice that can’t help but captivate some people, such that it tends to carry more authority than a higher-pitched voice. If nothing else, I personally feel that Id rather have a baritone voice than one more appropriate Self-Improvement Strategy - My Timetable, My Conclusions Having identified the above goals, I intend to fully accomplish them within the span of a year. My specific objective in this regard is that by next year, I will have learned to speak fluent or at least correct English, eliminate or at least drastically limit my procrastination through the use of better time management, and to develop at least satisfactory skills in public speaking. As I repeatedly stressed above, learning does not, in fact, take place overnight, but is a gradual process; this being the case, I firmly intend to commit myself and my utmost efforts to the pursuit of these goals. Of the objectives Ive identified above, the easiest to my mind would be the development of my skills in spoken and written English. For one thing, given that I study in London, Ill definitely be relying heavily on the English language as I communicate with people on a daily basis, as well as in my written requirements in school. Aside from this, I really do intend to take every opportunity to further my progress by posting on an English blog on a regular basis. Out of my identified goals, then, to improve my English would probably be accomplished the fastest. To improve my time management, on the other hand, would probably be a little more difficult, as it takes much more of a conscious effort on my part to manage my time wisely. The definition I gave above - knowing what needs to be done, and then doing it - is easy enough to understand, but the challenge comes in actual application. For most of my student life, I have always taken things at a leisurely pace, and the art of cramming is one I happen to be intimately familiar with. All things considered, I expect to have made significant progress toward this goal in half a years time - if, and only if, I can commit to it, which I fully intend to do. Finally, public speaking is also a part of my goals. Even back home, I was never the type of student to raise my hand to recite, though Id manage to do well enough whenever I was called. Regardless, I realize the need for me to improve in this regard, and so I have resolved to do the breathing exercises mentioned above. Additionally, I have also begun to make it a habit to watch videos of speeches on the internet. All in all, this goal can be accomplished well within the projected time of one year. References Beare, K., 2012. How to improve your English. About.com. [Online] Available at http://esl.about.com/od/englishlearningresources/ht/how_to_improve_english.htm [Accessed 07/16/12] Case, A., 2008. 70 ways to improve your English. UsingEnglish.com. [Online] Available at http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/70-ways-to-improve-your-english.html [Accessed 07/16/12] D’Souza, A., 2005. 10 tips to improve the way you speak English. Rediff.com. [Online] Available at http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2005/sep/02accent.htm [Accessed 07/16/12] Hendrickson, E., 2005. The Tyranny of the “To Do” List. StickyMinds.com. [Online] Available at http://www.stickyminds.com/sitewide.asp?ObjectId=6656&Function=DETAILBROWSE&ObjectType=COL [Accessed 07/16/12]  McKenzie, I., 2012. 10 ways to improve your public speaking. Ian’s Messy Desk. [Online] Available at http://www.ismckenzie.com/10-ways-to-improve-your-public-speaking/ [Accessed 07/16/12] Pavlina, S., 2006. Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth. Hay House. Sandberg, J., 2004. Though Time-Consuming, To-Do Lists Are a Way of Life. The Wall Street Journal. [Online] Available at http://www.careerjournal.com/columnists/cubicleculture/20040910cubicle.html [Accessed 07/16/12] Read More