Principles
There is a multiplicity of principles that not only inform the direction of my higher education and its relation to professional work but also make the decision-making process both unique and challenging. The first principle is embedded in the fact that I am personally responsible for determining what I need to learn in higher education programs to make my professional work more meaningful and purposeful. The second principle revolves around the fact that I should base all my learning on clear and identifiable outcomes that will go a long way in improving my professional work. This means that it is of importance to first assess my needs in professional work life in order to determine which direction to take in my academic or scholarly life.
Another principle revolves around the fact that my learning engagement in institutions of higher learning should have the capacity to equip me with various life and professional skills, not to mention that it should help me to develop and actualize the needed intellectual, personal and social resources that will fuel my potential in the professional domain. Other principles include engaging with valued forms of knowledge, recognizing the importance of prior experience and learning, as well as identifying with informal learning mechanisms.
Habits of Mind
It is my firm belief that various habits of mind can be effective in assisting me to achieve the goals that I have set for myself in higher education and professional work; however, I need to continually fine-tune and improve these habits to ensure optimal effectiveness. Some of these habits include
- thinking flexibly as well as thinking about my own thinking (metacognition) in order to develop the capacity to listen with intent in class and work-related settings,
- taking responsible risks to increase my capacity to reach my fullest potential,
- thinking and communicating with clarity and precision to demonstrate a higher level of understanding,
- finding humor to avoid stress and maintain an appropriate equilibrium between my academic, professional and personal life,
- thinking interdependently in order to develop strong analytical skills,
- applying past knowledge to new situations,
- striving for accuracy,
- managing impulsivity (thinking before acting) to demonstrate maturity and control in my academic and professional domains.
These habits of mind, in my view, will help me to not only achieve the goals I have set for myself in higher education and professional work but also to develop the skills and competencies needed in the 21st-century academic and work environments.
Benefits of Decision-Making and Goal-Oriented Work Life
The capacity to make important decisions and remain focused on one’s goals is of immense importance in work-related settings. At a personal level, learning the process of decision-making and goal-oriented work life will benefit me in terms of gaining respect among my peers, managing impulsive behaviors, striving for accuracy in my work-related endeavors, and demonstrating to my seniors that I have what is needed to be trusted with leadership or supervisory positions within the organization. I will also benefit in terms of engaging in continuous professional development as my goals in my work-life will always be synchronized with my intellectual capacity.
From the financial perspective, it is evident that learning the process of decision-making and goal-oriented work-life will act as the main trigger to financial success as I will develop financial discipline and capacity to make critical decisions on how I invest the rewards that arise from my work life. The goals for making particular investments and ignoring others will be much clearer and focused due to the knowledge learned.