Self-Assessment
For this task, I carried out self-assessment focusing on my desired work-life balance and my short- and long-term professional goals. For that purpose, I used an available template that could be found online. The assessment revealed that the factors that contributed to my work-life imbalanced come from different spheres of life such as family and personal relationships, social life, workplace communication and dynamics, personal habits, and the structure of work that I do. During this self-assessment, I listed the exact factors causing the imbalance and analyzed which of them I could control. Further, I compared my desired work-life balance with the one I could achieve potentially by addressing the aforementioned causes. Also, I worked out my actions in case I fail to meet my goals.
Personal Development Plan
The main contributors to work-life imbalance revealed during my self-assessment were poor self-organization, low time-management skills, and demanding nature of my work. They were confirmed by the feedbacks of my colleagues. As a result, the following personal development goals can be outlined:
- Improvement of self-organization and personal discipline (creating time-schedules and to-do lists for one day, avoiding multitasking)
- Training to boost time-management skills (using materials, exercises, and techniques available online)
- Coping strategies for occupational stress (leisure activities, more active lifestyle)
Professional Development Plan
- Resolution of work time problems:
- S: Minimizing time spent on simple and medium tasks at work
- M: By measuring the time spent currently and establishing desired time goals
- A: Eliminating distractions to stimulate progress
- R: Will help save time for more leisure and personal activities
- T: Ongoing practice for 40 days before estimating progress
- Professional improvement (short- and long-term)
- S: Becoming a more efficient worker by boosting work-related skills
- M: Measured by listing topics for mastering and going through them gradually
- A: By more free time dedicated to self-development
- R: Will help save time, generate better results, and develop career
- T: Ongoing practice for 30 days starting 10 days after the onset of the first goal. This term will be extended gradually upon completion of each 30-day term.
Action Plans for Professional Development Goals
- Resolution of work time problems (actions):
- Measure the time spent on easy and medium tasks
- Measure approximate time spent on distractions during work
- List distractions and create strategies how to avoid them
- Create reminders to stay aware of distractions
- List positive outcomes that can be generated by following the plan
- Professional improvement (actions):
- Listing work-related skills that require improvement
- Finding books, articles, courses, and classes that can be used for self-improvement
- Creating a list of topics to master and scheduling work on each with daily plans
- Creating time to work of these tasks during leisure hours and adding these activities to daily schedule
Career options and skills:
- Leadership coaching (communication skills, leadership theory mastery)
- Middle management jobs (people management and communication skills, leadership mastery, teamwork skills)
Recourses:
- Coaching training
- Professional experience
- Online resources
Plan for Meeting Personal Priorities
- During tough times and urgent tasks the timeframes for goals will be recalculated and transferred in case of emergencies
- Adherence will be met using more flexible schedules compensating for skipped days
- The internet will provide resources and information
- Networking will be accomplished through the participation in online forums with professionals from similar specialties, reading work-related news sources, and participating in real-life discussions.