“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Jim Ryun
Are you due for a complete makeover? When we hear of the word “makeover”, what usually comes to our mind is our outer image. This could be a new look or a new haircut or new outfits, clothes we normally do not wear, clothes that are completely not our usual style. But the makeover I will be talking about here is more on the self-improvement kind. Personal improvement in terms of your skills. More importantly, skills you need to do your job that will ultimately help you create your career.
Starting a plan of action for your self-improvement is not difficult as long as you know and have identified the skills you have now, the skills you want improved and the skills you don’t have but you need and want to have to help you perform your job. An honest assessment of yourself and open-mind will assist you in your makeover. Implementing the plan does need a lot of discipline and effort from you. Being consistent is the key in improving yourself. Continuous practice turns into a habit. Challenge yourself to create this habit.
Remember, self-improvement applies to everyone. Not only to those whose job performance is low. It is for all. As they say, “there is always room for improvement”. The only way you will be able to improve your skills is put in the effort, discipline and make it a habit to do a skills makeover every time. Like the people in those ambush makeover reality shows, you feel satisfied with your accomplishment.
This Month’s Action Plan:
Want to become better than you are now? Ask these questions:
Are you due for a complete makeover? When we hear of the word “makeover”, what usually comes to our mind is our outer image. This could be a new look or a new haircut or new outfits, clothes we normally do not wear, clothes that are completely not our usual style. But the makeover I will be talking about here is more on the self-improvement kind. Personal improvement in terms of your skills. More importantly, skills you need to do your job that will ultimately help you create your career.
Starting a plan of action for your self-improvement is not difficult as long as you know and have identified the skills you have now, the skills you want improved and the skills you don’t have but you need and want to have to help you perform your job. An honest assessment of yourself and open-mind will assist you in your makeover. Implementing the plan does need a lot of discipline and effort from you. Being consistent is the key in improving yourself. Continuous practice turns into a habit. Challenge yourself to create this habit.
Remember, self-improvement applies to everyone. Not only to those whose job performance is low. It is for all. As they say, “there is always room for improvement”. The only way you will be able to improve your skills is put in the effort, discipline and make it a habit to do a skills makeover every time. Like the people in those ambush makeover reality shows, you feel satisfied with your accomplishment.
This Month’s Action Plan:
Want to become better than you are now? Ask these questions:
- Do I know the skills I have now?
- Have I made an honest assessment of my skills? If I didn’t, why not?
- What skills can I improve on?
- What skills do I want to have?
- When do I want to see the improvements?
- Do I have the discipline?
- How much time will invest in these improvements?
- Do I have the discipline to address these skills improvement from start to end? Can I maintain them?
- Take stock of your skills. This means that you need to list down each skill and knowledge that you need for the job and examine each. When you give an honest assessment of yourself, this will help you create the action plan.
- Define your objectives. Rate each of your skill and knowledge areas from 1-5. 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. Be true to yourself.
- Develop Your Action Plan. For every skill area that you rated below a 3, develop a clear, quantifiable objective. List activities that you are willing to do in order to improve your skill.