You Know You have Passed the Self-development Test when You Produce a Performance Impact on 5 Levels

The proof of your self-development lies in your performance impact in your situation that you are going through. The key is you must go through that situation and be able to register for yourself a successful performance. This could be in form of a lesson learnt, a goal achieved, a sports competition won, an election won, an admission into a university, a job, a contract awarded, an Oscar invitation, an Oscar, a family re-union and many, so many others.

Self-development is defined as

"Development of one's capabilities or potentialities"

The American Heritage® Dictionary

"the state or process of improving or developing oneself"

Collins English Dictionary

Your Self-Development Must Have Value

Your self-development has to be an influence that moves you from one value state to a higher value state empowering you to become an active participant producing sustainable impact in intra-personal, interpersonal, group, organization and community relationships. You need to have a keen awareness of the value embedded deep inside you through an iterative treasure self-identification process.

Bruce J. Avolio and Fred Luthans must be referring to you knowing your value when they note in their book, The High Impact Leader, that:

"Your Performance Impact points for ALD (Authentic Leadership Development) range from typical to extraordinary… everyone in your organization should know two things about performance. What constitutes the range of typical performance? and What constitutes extraordinary performance? Do you know what constitutes each? Do others around you know?"

Do What You Need to Do

When you have decided to do self-development on an element of self, such as the 7 dimensions or 9 personal qualities, such as goodness, go ahead and do it. Then watch for the result and assess to extract lessons. Of course, you will remember to use the narration method or any other method you find best for you. Do this as you realize that you need to be better organized, systematic and efficient at impacting those 5 levels spoken about above with your potent performance. You may also realize that you have to make a personal development plan that will include all the elements that you are working on during this period of your life. You will pick these elements from the pages on self, self-identification, self-awareness and self-regulation.

The Elements of Your Personal Development Plan

The personal development process is a whole-life approach to continuing all-rounded self-development. Your core themes are the holistic and integrated balance of your spirit, soul and physical body all-rounded development. You are successful when all parts - spirit soul and body - are playing their positions effectively. You make sure that three things are always considered in your plans.

Self, 7 Dimensions, 9 Attributes or Qualities

You include these items in your plan as you assess each one from their angle to develop a clear view of self, self-identification, self-awareness, and self-regulation.

Draw Up Your Development Plans

You will have one big plan with sub-plans that zoom in on the development areas of your interest. You will do well to use a tool such as an electronic spreadsheet organizer. Most important here is your plan for deep personal reflection on each of your areas.

All-Rounded Building

You will integrate your building competency efforts, which is the biggest challenge. This involves interlinking the subject matter. If you invest in a tool such as spreadsheet, mind-mapping software, you will benefit a lot. In this way you will build effective behaviors to drive your response abilities to situations. For example, if you should plan for your personal all success, you had better start with your personal treasure self-identification process.

Now, Let's Revisit That Situation You Went Through...Do A Self Check

Did your development produce a performance impact on any of the 5 Levels?

Did your development have value?

Did you do what you consider you needed to do?

Do you have an all-rounded personal development plan?

Does the plan have elements of self, 7 dimensions, and 9 attributes or qualities?

Does the plan have sub-development plans including a personal reflection sub-plan?

Does you plan consider all-rounded building integrating all your parts?

If you said yes to any of the above questions it would be a good time to pause and reflect on what you can do to sharpen your response ability in that area. If you would like to here from us when more articles become available feel free to send us your message on our contact us page or go directly to our What's New! page.