Personal Learning Plan - Essay Example

Personal Learning Plan Personal Learning Plan Introduction As the saying goes, ‘Knowledge without action is a dream, and a dream without a plan is a nightmare.’ Since I do not want to be a victim of this adage, I have set a goal and a dream and the best of all-this action plan. Whereas my dream is to be an economist, my goal is to be a good time manager. So, to accomplish it, I have come up with this time-bound, achievable and realistic action plan to help me accomplish it. My Goal My main goal is to become a good time manager. As a student, I know for certain, that time is a valuable resource that needs to properly managed. Any wastage might be disastrous because it might not be recovered whatsoever. In my opinion, a good time manager is some one who plans all the activities and does them as per the schedule. More often than not, a student operates in a well organized system in which every activity is planned (Tan, 2011). Being fortunate to be undertaking an online study, I might not be subject to institutional tight schedules that are often imposed on learners. However, this does not exempt me from being conscious of my time. Everything that I do needs to be planned. If I fail to utilize my time well, I would have to regret. As an upcoming economist, I am war tat I need to do everything within my capacity to excel. Otherwise, I might not appeal to any employer. So, after knowing this, I need to do everything within my capacity to ensure that I do not even waste a single minute because it is for my own benefits (Roberts, 2006). Rationale The main reason why proper time management is my number one goal is because it will propel me towards succeed in my studies and job upon graduation. It is the most important one in my life as a student and a professional. Right now, I am struggling to complete my economics and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) courses. As an online student, I need to be very careful on the way I utilize m time because I am not in a physical contact with my tutors and colleagues. so, for me to pass all the examinations and get the highly regarded accreditation, I will have to properly use my time-read, conduct researches and do all my quizzes and exams without any failure (Ellis, Toft & Dawson, 2012). All these depend on the manner in which I plan my self. For me to be an outstanding economist, I have to be a good time manager. Time management, as I have observed, is a core value for any professional. It is one of the ways through which hard work, discipline and the determination of an employee is gauged. Meaning, by being a good time manager is equated to all the other important attributes that employers are looking for in their workforce (Fiore, 2006). So, I have to do my best to nurture myself as a good time manager because it will help me to succeed as a professional. Better still, the goal time proper management would be useful to me when I rise to a managerial level in my organization. It will guide me while attending meetings, conferences or honoring appointments. If such qualities would be emulated by my team members, the organization would be obviously destined for success. Action Steps Since I do not want my dream to be a nightmare, I will have to come with realistic, well-thought and achievable plans to achieve it. These include, but not limited to the following: i. Draw and strictly comply with a daily schedule: For me to carry out all the activities, I will have to have a personal daily schedule in which I outline al the tasks that I need to do everyday. This will be a good strategy because it will enable me to ensure that I accomplish all the tasks as planned (Fiore, 2006). ii. Prioritize my activities: As a student, I know that there are lots of things that I am interested in doing. However, of all these, there are beneficial and bad ones that can not help me in any way. So, as a good time manager, I would have to apply the principle of 80/20 which states that only 8% of all the planned activities can be discharged (Secunda, 2007). As a human being, I would not be worried if I complete the most priority activities. It will put me in the right path for success because it will open my mind to avoid any unnecessary influences that can distract me. iii. Translate key and important activities into a habit: By turning activities like punctuality, seriousness and commitments into a habit, I would definitely achieve this goal. They are important in helping me to succeed in whatever I do. iv. Carry out a self-evaluation: the best thing I will do is to conduct a self-assessment to find out the extent to which I fulfill my daily schedules. This will be done by keeping a daily journal of all the tasks completed as planned (Roberts, 2006). It will be a good step because it will enable me to recognize the weak areas on which I need to make improvements. Potential Challenges The potential challenges that I might face while implementing this plan include the following: i. Emergencies might erupt at any time. In case it happens, I will find it quite challenging to complete all the activities as planned. Should it persist, I may find it challenging to accomplish my goal of becoming a good time manager. Therefore, its solution is to design a flexible timetable and leave room for any emergencies that might erupt at any given time. ii. Lack of full autonomy on decision making. I acknowledge the fact that I do not live in isolation, but operate in the midst of others. So, there will always be a pressure and influence from external forces. Whereas the learning institution would be coming up with a schedule to complied with, my colleagues might compel me to leave whatever good I am doing to join them in their activities even if they might not be of any benefit to me at all. So, to solve this problem, I would have to be principled and be ready to say ‘No!’ in case someone wants to sway me to do what am not ready for (Lakein, 2008). How I will know that this Plan will Work I will be able to know that this plan will work because I will be constantly evaluating and reviewing it to make the necessary amendments. If I do this, I will be sure of formulating realistic goals that would be achievable within the specified time limit. Meanwhile, the success of the plan would be based on previous efforts made so far. All along, I have been doing my best to get the best out of my school time. This is a clear proof that if I continue with the same spirit, I would definitely achieve my goal of becoming a good time manager. Conclusion My main goal is to become a good time manager. It is a great skill that, if nurtured, will make it much easier for me to be a distinguished and successful economist that I have been yearning for. So, regardless of the numerous challenges, I would always be focused and dedicated on whatever I do (Ellis, Toft & Dawson, 2012). If I do this, I would be rest assured that nothing would bar me from success. References Ellis, D., Toft, D. & Dawson, D. (2012). Becoming a master student (5th Canadian Ed.). Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd. Fiore, Neil A (2006). The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt- Free Play. New York: Penguin Group. Lakein, A. (2008). How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life. New York: P.H. Wyden. Roberts, S. (ed.) (2006). Self, Peer, And Group Assessment in E-Learning. Hershey, Pennsylvania: Information Science Publishing. Secunda, A. (2007). The 15 second principle: short, simple steps to achieving long-term goals. New York: New York : Berkley Books. Tan, H. (2011). Student Self-assessment: Assessment, Learning and Empowerment. Singapore: Research Publishing Services. Read More