Professional self-determination, development, and achievement of professional skills within the framework of a career take quite a long period in the life of any person. It is in the course of professional development and career advancement that a person has an opportunity to realize his/her personal potential. At that, personal self-actualization is possible not only within the framework of professional activity but also in the conditions of a harmonious combination of professional career, social activity, creative self-expression, and family well-being. The analysis of the relationship between individual behavioral strategies, many of which reveal themselves already in childhood, with the parameters of life success occupies an important place in the study of the problem of life success. The most effective and universal strategies combining requirements for personal, cognitive, and professional qualities which I am going to use are clear planning, intuitive action, and imitation of examples.
On the road to success, it is important to make it as concrete as possible, which requires developing the skill of planning and goal-setting. My personal experience has shown that setting goals based on the SMART strategy are effective. According to this technique, the goal should be specific (clearly defined, specific), measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. For example, when formulating a goal, I always need to answer the questions: What exactly do you want to achieve? Who else is involved in the desired process? Where and when is the desired result to be achieved? Under what conditions can your goal be achieved? When formulating a foal, I include criteria for measuring the degree of achievement of the result. Therefore, it becomes possible to decompose the final result into constituent measurable elements. Besides, a balance point between fears and unreasonable ambitions must be chosen.
My goals should be realistic and relevant. It fits into your life and relates to your own larger goals and other circumstances. Finally, it is necessary to set a clear timeline for achieving the goal, both final and intermediate, to check the schedule as we approach the goal. Any goal worked out under the SMART goal-setting strategy gets a better chance of being realized. Second, an important strategy is addressing intuitive acting in unpredictable situations, which involves trusting oneself and one’s inner potential in matters where unknown and volatile factors are at play. Such a path involves knowing one’s values and needs in a given world and accepting all possible outcomes of a situation that one has not had the resource to influence. This model makes a person mobile, flexible, and adaptable to reality. Finally, following authority and example is a significant strategy; it is important for everyone to have a mentor, a more experienced professional whose path will be a source of motivation. Moreover, there is an opportunity to borrow models of action and individual techniques that are not outlined in textbooks and manuals.
The development of personal strategy is a special approach to achieving personal goals, based on an in-depth analysis of the life situation and development trajectory, identifying true needs and opportunities, as well as creating a strategic plan for achieving goals balanced by time and resources. Work with personal strategy can be occasional or constant, as people live in a constantly changing world. Therefore, the development of personal strategy includes work aimed at analyzing the life situation and trends in society, identifying reasonable long-term goals, finding opportunities, and identifying threats. The dynamics of modern society are such that life in accordance with its momentary fluctuations requires the use of strategies of clear planning, intuitive behavior, and work with models to follow.