The Army defi nes self-development as planned, goal-oriented learning that reinforces and expands the depth and breadth of an individual's knowledge base, self-awareness, and situational awareness. Self-development will complement what you have learned in the classroom and on the job, enhance your professional competence, and help you meet your objectives.

## Army Self Development Handbook G G

The Army accomplishes a wide array of missions in diverse and unusual circumstances around the world. At the same  me, the Army is engaged in a massive and accelerated transforma on that will infuse new organiza ons, technologies, and capabili es throughout the Army. To meet the recurring challenges, Army personnel must supplement ins tu onal and organiza-  onal training and educa on with con nuous, planned self-development.

hnologies, and capabili es throughout the Army. To ersonnel must supplement ins tu onal and organiza-
nuous, planned self-development.

chieving your personal and professional goals. Maybe vel in your career or for a diff erent career track altodge. Or, maybe there is something you've just always wledgeable about. Whatever the case, you can use the Development Handbook to set your direc on for self-
Self-development is also important to achieving your personal and professional goals. Maybe you want to qualify for an advanced level in your career or for a diff erent career track altogether. Maybe you lack skills or knowledge. Or, maybe there is something you've just always wanted to learn or become more knowledgeable about. Whatever the case, you can use the informa on and exercises in this Self-Development Handbook to set your direc on for selfdevelopment and help you take ac on.

ou and the Army. Due to the diversity of the Army's lf-development topics to studyfrom gaining leader-
No ma er what you choose to focus on, you will make niza on more adaptable, agile, and resilient by adding Your personal growth benefi ts both you and the Army. Due to the diversity of the Army's missions and needs, there are many self-development topics to studyfrom gaining leadership skills to learning a new language. No ma er what you choose to focus on, you will make yourself and your current or future organiza on more adaptable, agile, and resilient by adding depth and variety of exper se.

the fi eld, nd applio provide designing m of self-
This handbook draws on lessons from the fi eld, educa onal and leadership research, and applicable Army regula ons and doctrine to provide you with state-of-the-art guidance on designing and implemen ng your own program of selfdevelopment.

## There Are Three Types Of Self-Development:

- **Structured Self-Development:**  Required  learn
 ing that con nues throughout your career
 and that is closely linked to and synchronized with classroom and on-the-job learning.
-  **Guided Self-Development:**  Recommended
but op onal learning that will help keep you
prepared for changing technical, func onal,
and leadership responsibili es throughout your
career.
-  Personal Self-Development:  Self-ini ated
learning where you defi ne the objec ve, pace, and process.

## How To Use This Handbook

The contents of this handbook will help you perform all three types of self-development. If you are pursuing personal self-development, this handbook off ers exercises and informa on you can use to determine your self-development direc on and start immediately working toward it. If you already have a direc on for your self-development, the handbook will help you achieve progress in that direc on.

Wherever you fi nd yourself in the journey for professional growth, this handbook is organized to assist with:

- Recognizing strengths and weaknesses (*What are you good and not so good at?*)
- Se  ng or confi rming self-development direc on (*Where should you go?*)
- Making the most of learning opportuni es (*How do you learn?*)
- Measuring progress and con nuing to move forward (*How well are you doing?*)
You are in charge of your own development, and you can use this handbook in whatever way fi ts your situa on. You can read through it in order and complete all of the exercises along the way, or go directly to chapters and exercises that interest you most. Either way, this handbook will help you take ac on to set and achieve your self-development objec ves. Selfdevelopment is intrinsically linked to self-awareness; each suppor ng the other and raising the capabili es of the individual. By being aware of yourself including your traits, feelings, and behaviors, you will become the agile and adap ve individual that the Army values in its leaders. Let's get started! The story of a fi c onal character named "Sergeant Marco Santoni" will appear throughout the handbook. Marco will describe how to apply the informa on in this handbook.

SGT Marco Santoni is a team leader in a Military Police unit. His primary responsibilities are to lead and train the soldiers in his team so that they can perform their law enforcement and other military police responsibilities in both garrison and the fi eld. In addition to leading and training his soldiers, Marco is responsible for briefi ng monthly statistics on unit law enforcement actions. Marco was promoted to Sergeant about a year ago and has been in the Army for a little less than fi ve years. He has had one stateside assignment, which included a combat deployment, and served two years in South Korea. He has been at his current post for eight months. All in all, Army life seems to fi t Marco. His career has gone well, and he has had a variety of interesting experiences. At this point, Marco defi nitely intends to make the Army his career.

## Step One | Identify Your Strengths And Weaknesses

Before you can set your self-development direc on you need to understand your current strengths and weaknesses. This is part of being self-aware.

-  What are you good at?

Maybe you excel at fi xing engines, teaching others, or performing physically demanding ac vi es. When using your strengths,  me fl ies by and you learn quickly.

"Each person's greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest strength."
Buckingham & Cli on, Now, Discover Your Strengths
-  What are you not so good at?

Weaknesses are the areas where you feel uncomfortable, bored, ineff ec ve, or frustrated. Maybe it's hard for you to speak in front of groups or to work with numbers. Chances are, you have more strengths than you think (and possibly more weaknesses). The fi rst step in iden fying your strengths and weaknesses is to think about what you do and how well you do it. At a minimum, this informa on comes from your own self-examina on. However, it is a good idea to get informa on about yourself from outside sources, such as formal assessments and others who know you, so that you can have this informa on in mind as you conduct a self-examina on. This chapter will help you iden fy your strengths and weaknesses by giving you the tools you need to:

- Collect results from formal assessments (such as evalua ons and tests). - Gather feedback from others. - Perform a self-exam. - Iden fy your strengths and weaknesses.
As you go through the following exercises keep your responses handy. You'll need them when it comes  me to fi nalize your list of strengths and weaknesses. First, we'll cover how to gather informa on from formal assessments.

## Collect Information From Formal Assessments

Formal assessments are a good place to start gaining insight into your strengths and weaknesses, as they measure your performance and compare it to a standard. Formal assessments include things like:

## 2 - Step One | Identify

- Performance evalua ons (e.g., NCOER, OER, and civilian evalua ons)
- Skills tests (e.g., Expert Field Medical Badge & Expert Infantryman Badge tests) -  Tests administered in resident and non-resident schools -  Field performance evalua ons, such as those at the combat training centers
-  Intelligence and ap tude tests (e.g., ASVAB and DLAB)
-  Occupa onal interest inventories (e.g., Strong Interest Inventory)
-  Personality assessments (e.g., California Psychological Inventory, 16PF)
You can also par cipate in a mul -source assessment and feedback program (some mes called a 360-degree assessment) where superiors, peers, and subordinates provide anonymous feedback (h ps://msaf.army.mil). Consider informa on from any relevant assessments you have taken and use the results later, when you do your self-exam and determine your strengths and weaknesses.

Like most soldiers, Marco has been tested in many different ways. Since joining the Army, the test that he has experienced most often is the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). Fortunately, he is in excellent physical condition and regularly earns a score above 285. He has also proven his fi tness as well as his ability to learn and work under pressure by earning the Air Assault Badge. Most recently, Marco's leadership ability and professionalism were recognized in his nomination as post NCO of the year. Marco has an aptitude for learning foreign languages. In high school, he took three years of Spanish and earned excellent grades. In the years since high school, his Spanish speaking skills have become a bit rusty, but he is still able to read and understand written Spanish fairly well. His aptitude for languages is refl ected in his high Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) score of 107.

Next, we'll look at how you can get informa on from others who have been able to observe your ac ons and performance.

## Gather Feedback From Others

Hearing or remembering what your peers, subordinates, superiors, family, and friends think about you can help iden fy your strengths and weaknesses that you haven't no ced before or have been reluctant to acknowledge.

"It takes humility to seek feedback. It takes wisdom to understand it, analyze it, and appropriately act on it."



Stephen R. Covey, First Things First There are two ways to get feedback from others. You can either watch how they act around you to fi gure out what they think of you or you can ask them directly. Your supervisor has an explicit role to be involved in your development. Your supervisor can be consulted in the event that you need guidance about a direc on for development or any other aspect of the self-development process.

## Exercise: Watch How Others Act Toward You

Watching how other people act toward you and the decisions they make that aff ect you will give you an idea of what they think about your skills and exper se. When observing others:
-  Make several observa ons on diff erent occasions.

 Watching the same person several  mes will help you see trends that may be a sign

of a fi rmly held opinion of you. Watching someone once isn't very reliable, as their

behavior may have been a result of other issues.

-  Consider the circumstances.

 What outside factors infl uenced the person's decisions and ac ons? For example, if your supervisor selected someone else to perform an important task, was it because you were too busy or unavailable? Answer the following ques ons about your supervisor, peers, and subordinates to help reveal their opinions of you.

## Supervisor

- Who gets the most challenging

 assignments in your work group? - Who does your supervisor go to in an emergency or to get tough problems
solved? - Who does your supervisor praise the most in your work group? - What kinds of tasks does your supervisor give you versus others? - How does your supervisor react to your sugges ons compared to others' sugges ons?
-  Does your supervisor listen to your opinions on certain subjects much more or much less
than the opinions of others in your work group? If so, what are those subjects?

## Peers & Subordinates

- Do peers and subordinates come to you for help or advice? On what topics? - Do they understand you or seem confused or overwhelmed by what you say? - Do they repeatedly contact you for help, or do your contacts tend to be one- me

interac ons? -  Does their enthusiasm and interest remain high or increase when they interact with you, or
does it seem to diminish?
- What does their body language communicate? Is it relaxed, apprehensive, reserved, etc.?
A er you consider these ques ons, analyze your answers to determine the opinions that the person may have of your strengths and weaknesses.

## Asking For Feedback

You can learn a lot about others' percep ons of you by observing their interac ons with you, but your conclusions will only be educated guesses unless you ask them directly. When asking for feedback, try to talk to people who know you in diff erent ways. The goal is to fi nd out:
- What a person actually saw you do and that person's impressions of your ac ons
- That person's impression of how well you did -  How you react in certain situa ons. For example, "When a subordinate challenges your authority in front of others, you seem to get fl ustered and be at a loss for words."
authority in front of others, you seem to get fl ustered and be at a loss for words."
To gain as much insight as possible when getting feedback from people, use the tips below.

Who to Ask To gain as much insight as possible when getting feedback from people, use the tips below.

Who to Ask

- Ask people who have been able to observe you
enough to off er useful informa on.
Ask people who have observed you from
diff erent perspec ves.
- Ask a form
r
er or current supervisor, mentor, or
- Ask people who have been able to observe you
enough to off er useful informa on.
Ask people who have observed you from diff erent perspec ves.
- Ask a former or current supervisor, mentor, or
teacher who may have greater experience in an area of interest.
teacher who may have greater experience in an areaa of f f f inininininininininnininininininininininnte
te te te te tee te te tee tee te tee te te te te te te tee teere
r st.

## Types Of Questions To Ask

-  Get descrip ons of your behaviors and what they thought about your behaviors. -  For feedback about a recurring problem, ask about the situa on in which the problem
occurs, your ac ons in the situa on, and the usual outcomes that result.
-  Ask for sugges ons for other ways of handling problem situa ons.
 Things to Remember When Asking Ques ons - Be respec ul of other people's  me, and prepare ques ons ahead of  me. - Listen carefully and respec ully.
- Ask for clarifi ca on and examples when points are unclear. - Summarize the points to make sure that you understand the person correctly. - Thank the feedback providers for their  me and assistance.
Compare the feedback you receive from diff erent people to look for common themes. These themes will help to iden fy your strengths and weaknesses.

Now that you have gathered informa on from outside sources through formal assessments, observing others, and reques ng feedback, it is  me for you to examine your own behavior and performance.

Marco has had considerable success in his work and personal activities. He has noticed that his commander often comes to him with special projects, especially projects that require creative ways of communicating with others. For example, last fall, the commander asked Marco to help advertise the Provost Marshal's safe driving campaign. The clever posters and Post TV spots that Marco designed made the campaign such a success that Marco was awarded an Army Achievement Medal for his work. More recently, the commander gave Marco an even bigger challenge when she asked Marco to help plan a new youth outreach program. In addition to the commander tapping Marco's talents, the First Sergeant has repeatedly asked Marco to design and deliver NCO professional development training to noncommissioned offi cers in the company. A few weeks ago, Marco asked Lucy Morgan, the head of his church's Outreach Committee, to give him some feedback on his performance as a member of the committee. Lucy told Marco that she was very impressed with Marco's ability to interact productively with others, especially those of different faiths and cultures. This ability was critical when Marco represented his church at a meeting of the Area Interfaith Network to determine how food donated to the local food bank would be divided among Network member organizations. On the other hand, Lucy told Marco that his late submission of the monthly Resources Reports hampered her ability to plan ahead.

## 6 - Step One | Identify

you had to give a briefi ng to a senior leader, maybe you should work on your briefi ng skills or comfort level working with senior leaders. If you lacked knowledge or a skill that you needed to achieve a goal, you may want to work to gain that knowledge or skill. If you felt confi dent or performed well, you could iden fy the strengths (knowledge, skills, or abili es) that allowed this and then work to make them even stronger. By knowing how your ac ons aff ected the situa on and your thoughts and feelings associated with those ac ons, you can work to become more self-aware and able to consciously choose the most produc ve ac ons. In addi on to iden fying specifi c strengths and weaknesses, your situa on analysis may suggest broader interests that you would like to pursue or things that you want to avoid in the future. Keep in mind that if you see the same factor at work in mul ple situa ons, it is likely to be a signifi cant strength or weakness that you may want to develop. These are only a few of the ways that a situa on analysis may suggest selfdevelopment objec ves.

What do your situa ons suggest?

Marco has many pastimes that he enjoys, including his volunteer work as a member of his church's Outreach Committee. He is very interested in seeing and learning about other cultures. He likes to read about the people and geography of other countries and enjoys stories that take place in exotic locations. He also likes to travel when he can. Marco even volunteered for an assignment in South Korea so that he could see a country and culture that were very different from his. When he considers why he likes to do these activities, he realizes that they help him understand human behavior and feel comfortable in dealing with people who are different from himself. In addition, his work with the church Outreach Committee gives Marco the opportunity to help others, which he fi nds to be very rewarding. Although most would fi nd law enforcement activities to be stressful, Marco fi nds this to be the best part of his job in garrison. He is excellent at assessing unclear situations and making the right decisions. He readily understands the perspectives of others and can calm people down and defuse tense situations. Marco's talents really stand out when he works and trains in the fi eld. His most memorable fi eld experience came during his Korean assignment when he had the opportunity to work closely with Special Forces and Military Information Suport Operations personnel in a major fi eld exercise. He loved the physical and mental challenges of the special operations worklong-range operations on foot in the Korean mountains, working with the local population and South Korean Special Forces, and coming up with creative solutions to unique problems. On the other hand, he hates the drudgery of gathering law enforcement statistics, preparing written reports and briefi ng slides for the monthly commander's briefi ng, and delivering the briefi ngs. He fi nds the routine, repetitive tasks of compiling statistics and preparing reports and briefi ngs boring and draining. Although he manages to come through with a good job on the statistics, reports, and briefi ngs, he fi nds the work so painful that he usually puts it off until the last minute.

-  Strengths are usually indicated by repeated success or exper se in a par cular
type of ac vity. These abili es may come easily to you even though others fi nd them diffi  cult.
    What did you note as being your favorite things to do, learn about? What do other people turn to you for help with? What do your recent assessments show are your strengths?
-  Weaknesses are tasks that you struggle to learn; have diffi  culty performing; or fi nd
boring, draining, or tedious.
    What did you note as being hard or not fun to do? What did other people suggest as a limita on of yours? Did formal assessments point out any defi ciencies?
Iden fy where these descrip ons apply and make a list of your strengths and weaknesses. You will need this list to be able to set a clear direc on for your self-development eff orts, which is the subject of the next chapter, Where Should I Go?

Marco reviews the information he has gathered to identify his strengths and weaknesses. He likes physically and mentally challenging activities in the outdoors, activities that allow him to work face-to-face with people, situations that require him to use his judgment in making rapid decisions, and learning as much as he can about other countries and cultures. On the other hand, he tries to avoid administrative work that he sees as dry and impersonal. Marco determines that his strengths include cultural understanding and the ability to work with people from very different cultures, creative problem solving, physical strength and endurance, and learning foreign languages. His weaknesses include administrative tasks, analyzing data and statistics, writing reports, and most indoor solitary work.

Keep in mind that it is o en easier to improve upon your strengths than your weaknesses, as you will generally learn more quickly and eff ec vely when concentra ng on your strengths. If there is a par cular weakness that is holding you back, however, you may want to concentrate on improving it. There is no formula for choosing a direc on for your development. The exercises you have completed suggest areas in which you may want to develop yourself. Key considera ons in se  ng your self-development direc on include:

- Personal strengths - Personal weaknesses - Current or future roles - Army needs - Your interests
Your self-development direc on is a personal choice and should be made based on the experiences and goals you would like to achieve in your military career, as well as your interests, needs, and resources. Ideally, your self-development direc on will give you a long-term professional aim that you will work toward by doing a variety of ac vi es that may be big or small. When you have weighed your op ons and selected a selfdevelopment direc on, complete the sentence below.

"High expecta ons are the key to everything."



Sam Walton, Founder of Wal-Mart My self-development direc on is to:

Considering his strengths and weaknesses, roles and responsibilities, and the needs of the Army, Marco decides that he wants to reclassify his military occupational specialty (MOS) from Military Police (31B) toMilitary Information Support Operations (37F). This change in MOS will allow him to perform work that better fi ts his interests and abilities. As a MISO NCO, many of his pastimes and personal interests will become important parts of his job. He will have to become profi cient in a foreign language and expert in the culture, geography, economy, and other aspects of a region of the world. MISO, especially tactical level MISO in support of Special Forces and Ranger operations, also fi ts his love of physical and mental challenges.

From Marco's perspective, switching to 37F is ideal because it will put his career and life-long personal interests in other countries and cultures on the same track. As a result of his two-year tour in South Korea, he is especially interested in mastering the Korean language and learning all he can about North and South Korea and other countries in the region.

My self-development direc on is to:
prepare to meet the requirements for reclassifi ca on to MISO and become an expert in the region of the Korean Peninsula.

## Plan Milestones To Keep You On Track

Once you've set your self-development direc on, you can create one or more milestones to get you started in the right direc on and help you gauge your progress. Each  me you reach one of the milestones, make another one that will stretch you even more. Your milestones can be short term or long termwhatever works for you and keeps you on track. The milestones don't have to be complicated, but they should:

-  *Be specifi c and measurable*: They need to say what you will accomplish so you can tell if
you've met the milestone or not.
-  *Be meaningful:* They should help you achieve your self-development aims. -  *Provide a challenge:* Milestones should stretch your abili es and be challenging to accom-

## 20 - Step Two | Go

plish. Challenging milestones increase mo va on. Milestones that are too easy or hard
hurt mo va on.
-  *Have a  me limit:* Time limits will help mo vate you and will help you gauge success.
-  Be fl exible: Build in some fl exibility so that obstacles can more easily be overcome or
milestones can be revised if your situa on changes.
-  *Be realis c:* Make sure that you're able to reach the milestone with the resources you
have. For example, if you know that you will be deployed for the next 12 months, don't set a milestone that would require you to a end college during that  me. Keep in mind
that you'll likely be faced with obstacles along the way.
-  *Be cost eff ec ve:* The benefi ts that you are likely to gain must be worth the eff ort,
resources, risk, and other costs of reaching the milestone.
Every milestone requires at least a minimal amount of planning. Once you set your fi rst milestone, create a plan to achieve it. A plan can increase your chances of success by:

-  Making sure that you have iden fi ed all of the ac ons you must take
-  Iden fying the resources you will need to meet the milestone
-  Establishing  me es mates and deadlines that help you track your progress
-  Keeping you from being overwhelmed by dividing large tasks into bite-sized pieces -  Iden fying obstacles that you may encounter and the ac ons and resources that you will
need to overcome them
-  Helping you make the best use of your  me and other resources
Complete the exercise below to create a plan for achieving your fi rst milestone. A er you've reached it, use this method to plan future milestones.


Exercise: Plan to Meet Your Milestone
"He who fails to plan, plans to fail."

Unknown Author List your fi rst milestone below and iden fy the main steps you will need to take to reach it. Be sure to consider all of the developmental resources the Army has to off er, such as the Army Correspondence Course Program, Army eLearning courses, Army University Access Online (eArmyU), and MSAF Virtual Inprovement Center, Army Training Network, and ATRRS Self Developemnt Center, as well as others from civilian sources. Iden fy poten al enablers and obstacles before you begin, to be er prepare yourself for diffi  cul es along the way.

Collabora ng through Army Knowledge Online (AKO) forums and interest groups with others in the Army who share your interests may help your development and encourage you to s ck with your plan.

Marco decides that his ini al milestones will focus on improving his chances of ge  ng his reclassifi ca on request approved. Because language ability and regional exper se are vital to MISO, Marco decides to work on improving his knowledge in these two areas. During the two years he spent in South Korea, Marco learned to speak enough Korean to hold simple conversa ons in the language. He also learned Hangul, the Korean alphabet, well enough to sound-out wri en words. Marco realizes that although this is a start, he will eventually need to become fl uent in both spoken and wri en Korean if he is to focus on the Korean Peninsula as a MISO NCO. Even though his DLAB score is probably high enough to support his reclassifi ca on request, Marco fi gures that enhancing his Korean language skills can only improve his chances for reclassifi ca on. As he works on his language skills, Marco also will study the culture, history, geography, economy, poli cs, and other aspects of North and South Korea.

his chances for reclassifi ca on. As he works on his language skills, Marco also will study the culture, history, geography, economy, poli cs, and other aspects of North and South Korea. Marco wants to improve his language skills quickly so that he doesn't have to delay his reclassifi ca-  on request too long. He plans to imm mmerse him-
Marco wants to improve his language skills quickly so that he doesn't have to delay his reclassifi ca-  on request too long. He plans to immerse himself in the Korean language as much as he can by combining computer language lessons with individual tutoring. He has some Korean-American friends who can help SSG Kim, a squad leader in B Company, and Reverend Yi, the minister of a nearby Korean church, who Marco met through his work with the Area Interfaith Network. Both have invited Marco to a end local Korean gatherings where Marco can hear Korean being spoken, prac ce his own speaking, and learn more about Korean culture. He can sign up for online Rose a Stone language training through the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) website, and the Post learning center also has Korean language CDs and textbooks that Marco can borrow.

self in the Korean language as much as he can by combining computer language lessons with individual tutoring. He has some Korean-American friends who can help SSG Kim, a squad leader in B Company, and Reverend Yi, the minister of a nearby Korean church, who Marco met through his work with the Area Interfaith Network. Both have invited Marco to a end local Korean gatherings where Marco can hear Korean being spoken, prac ce his own speaking, and learn more about Korean culture. He can sign up for online Rose a Stone language training through the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) website, and the Post learning center also has Korean language CDs and textbooks that Marco can borrow. p p p g y Now that you have set your self-development direc on and created a plan for reaching your fi rst milestone, it's  me to take ac on. Most of your self-development ac ons will focus on learning new knowledge, skills, or a  tudes. To help you make the most of your self-development eff orts, prac cal  ps and methods for improving your ability to learn are provided in the next chapter, How Do I Learn?

ity to learn are provided in the next chapter, How Do I Learn?

## Step Three | Learn How Do I Learn?

Self-development requires learning. Knowing how to learn is the most important competency required for self-development. Because learning is so crucial, this chapter is devoted to helping you learn how you can learn be er. Understanding yourself, se  ng your self-development direc on, and planning your milestones (discussed in previous chapters) all infl uence your ability to learn. Beyond that, eff ec ve learning requires that you:

- Be mo vated and persistent. - Make the most of all learning

 opportuni es.
- Use eff ec ve learning methods.
- Prac ce deep processing.
- Learn eff ec vely from books.
"The illiterate of the future will not be the person who cannot read. It will be the person who does not know how to learn."
This chapter will help you "learn to learn"
so that you can make the most of learning opportuni es and recall your new knowledge or skills at will.

## Be Motivated And Persistent

Self-development may require hard work over a long period of  me, especially if you hope to become an expert in an area or undergo signifi cant personal growth. It will take more than just good inten ons to keep your self-development eff ort aliveit will take mo va on and eff ort. Genuine mo va on provides las ng energy because it is the internaliza on of your goals and your desire to achieve them. Use the  ps below to stay mo vated and to persist in the eff ort required to make signifi cant changes:

- Recognize the benefi ts of your self-development eff orts. Think about:
  Why the results of your eff orts are important to you.
  How you will feel when you have reached your self-development milestones. The posi ve impact your eff orts will have on others.
- Plan learning ac vi es so that they:
  Are connected to the real world. Teach you knowledge, skills, or a  tudes that will help you understand and func on be er.
  Sa sfy your curiosity.
-  Set specifi c and diffi  cult milestones to help move you along your developmental path.
Milestones should:
  "Stretch" you enough to provide a sense of accomplishment and sa sfac on when
 you have achieved them. Not be so diffi  cult that you stand a high chance of failing (know your limits).
- Reward yourself for accomplishing your learning tasks and milestones.
  Decide on the reward before you begin learning.

## 26 - Step Three | Learn


Alvin Toffl  er


  Keep the size of your rewards appropriate for the size of the task. Don't give yourself the reward if you don't accomplish what you planned.
- Treat working on your self-development like it is your job.
   Pick specifi c  mes during the day to work on self-development tasks. Make it part of your
rou ne.
- Keep up your momentum.
  Don't start a learning task then put it down for too long. Work on the task a li le every day un l you have accomplished it.
  Break a big task into smaller ones that you can accomplish in a reasonable amount of  me.
- Get support from others.
   Find other people (family members, friends, supervisor, etc.) to encourage you, recognize
your accomplishments, and act as sounding boards.
   Observe people who have successfully achieved their goals. Learn and model what they
do.
- Review what you have learned so far.
   Think about the progress you've made, how you've grown, and the challenges you've
overcome.
  Learn from your mistakes and don't repeat them.
Marco knows that keeping his motivation high and making a steady effort are essential to accomplishing his developmental goals. Marco is enthused about the milestone that he has set for himself. He wants to reach elementary profi ciency in speaking, listening, and reading the Korean language within six months. This is a "stretch" milestone for Marco. It is ambitious enough to be a challenge, but within his ability to accomplish if he gives it a solid effort. By improving his Korean language skills, Marco hopes to increase his chances of getting reclassifi ed to the MISO career fi eld. He keeps his motivation high by reminding himself of the benefi ts he will gain if he is able to transfer to MISO. He'll have a fascinating career path that will allow him to travel to different parts of the world and work with people from many countries. He'll also have the opportunity to become a recognized expert in the Korean region of the world and make important contributions to the Army. Marco imagines the physical and mental demands he will face in a MISO career and is excited by the prospect of testing himself against these challenges. Whenever possible, his weekend activities will include involvement in Korean cultural events and exposure to native Korean speakers through the local Korean church and Korean-American Club.

This direct involvement with native Koreans will help personalize his learning. To connect his studies to the real world, help improve his interpretation skills, and expand his cultural knowledge, Marco also will watch the news and selected programs on the Korean language cable TV channel.

## Make The Most Of Learning Opportunities

You can learn from deliberate planned ac vi es, or from the unplanned experiences of daily life. Whether planned or not, you should make the most of each learning opportunity as it presents itself.

 Planned learning  can be imbedded into your job or rou ne by using normal events as learning opportuni es, or it can be a completely separate, scheduled ac vity designed to accomplish something specifi c. Prepare for the unexpected  mes for study by having appropriate learning materials with you. It is a good idea to take advantage of  me as it opens up such as from transporta on delays, wai ng for appointments, or cancelled events.

 Unplanned learning  happens when something unexpectedly captures your a en on during the course of your day. Your interest in the topic causes you to stop, pay a en on, and learn. You can actually prepare your unconscious to draw your a en on to informa on related to your self-development aims. Do this by thinking about your developmental aims in detailwhat you are trying to accomplish and why you want to accomplish these things. Review what you know and what you need to learn. Remind yourself of key terms and ideas related to your subject as well as who the experts in the fi eld are.

## Use Effective Learning Methods

The purpose of each of your learning ac vi es will help determine the learning principles you should use to make the most of your learning. Your purpose may be to learn new knowledge, a new skill, or a new a  tude about something.

No ma er what your purpose, there are general principles of learning that apply.

General Learning Principles

-  Use as many of your senses as you can. Your memory stores informa on according to your
senses (how it looks, sounds, feels, etc.). The more senses you use while you are learning, the be er you will remember the informa on and be able to recall it later. Involve several of your senses by wri ng, highligh ng, reci ng informa on aloud, observing, etc.
-  Space out your learning sessions. Don't try to learn a large amount of informa on or a
complex skill in one long session; try to study material a li le at a  me.
-  Study the informa on or prac ce the skill on mul ple occasions.
-  Know the  me of the day when you learn best and study your most diffi  cult material during
that  me.
-  Design your learning ac vi es so that they mimic real life as much as possible. If you can't
duplicate the condi ons in which you expect to use the informa on, try to imagine the
condi ons as vividly as possible.
-  Review informa on soon a er you learn it, such as right a er class is over. Using the informa on is a good way to review and test your memory.
-  When learning an en rely new fi eld, go slow at fi rst to make sure you thoroughly understand the basicsit's important to have a solid founda on to build on.
-  Learn in layers. Start with what you know and then determine what the fi rst level of understanding, informa on, or skill is that you need to learn. Learn that level and then determine
what the informa on you just learned suggests that you need to learn next. Each level builds on the previous and usually becomes more detailed and connected.
-  Learn like a scien st. Scien sts adopt the a  tude that all knowledge is tenta ve and that new
discoveries may prove old beliefs or assump ons wrong. Start your inquiry with a problem or
ques on. Find evidence that answers the ques on and test possible explana ons to gather
evidence. Analyze the evidence and develop your explana on.
Marco uses spaced and repeated practice as his basic approach to learning the Korean language. Marco realizes that learning a language takes time and requires a lot of practice. He makes his language studies part of his daily routine. He knows that his mind is clearest and he does his best thinking in the morning, so he plans to spend a half hour each morning before work completing the Rosetta Stone language lessons available through AKO. He also will load speaking drills into his MP3 player so that he can use them to build his vocabulary and practice listening and speaking whenever time permits. He can even connect his MP3 player to his car radio so he can practice while he drives to and from work. Marco also plans to spend two hours studying Korean language, culture, and related information on the weekends. His weekend work will include interaction with local Korean-Americans to add realism to his studies and help involve multiple senses as he learns.

## Principles For Specifi C Types Of Learning

While the general learning principles described above apply to all types of learning, there are also learning principles that apply based on whether your learning ac vity focuses on learning new knowledge, a new skill, or a new a  tude.

-  Learning new  *knowledge*  requires that you link the new informa on to informa on that
you already know. You do this by deeply processing the informa on that you want to learn.
Deep processing and the related mental skills of cri cal and refl ec ve thinking are described
in greater detail below.

-  Learning or improving a  *skill*  requires repeated, deliberate prac ce. Deliberate
 prac ce is not just repe  on of a skill. Deliberate prac ce involves:
   Making your best a empt at performing the skill,
  Analyzing the results of your a empt (some mes with the help of a coach or

  teacher) to iden fy ways of improving your performance, and A emp ng the skill again using the improvements you iden fi ed.
+

-  Learning a new  *a  tude*  about something requires repeated exposure to and tes ng of the
a  tude. Taking on a new a  tude might involve realizing that a viewpoint that you had is
counterproduc ve to your goals. Changing your a  tude can be done in two ways:
   You can behave as if you have already adopted the new a  tude. If you do this o en with
posi ve results, it is likely that you will actually adopt the a  tude.
  You can observe another person behaving in a way that refl ects the a  tude. If

  you respect this person as a role model and you see the person gaining some

  benefi t from the behavior, you may eventually come to accept and adopt the

  a  tude for yourself.

## Practice Deep Processing

Your ability to learn and recall informa on depends upon what you do with the informa on when you are trying to learn it. The diffi  culty or eff ort of your thinking is not as important as the kind of thinking you use. Deep processing requires that you analyze the new informa on, pick it apart, use it, and connect it to informa on you already know. There are many ways you can think deeply about the informa on you want to learn:

-  Relate the new informa on to things you already know.  This is the most important factor
in learning . The more connec ons you can make, the more ways you will have to recall the
new informa on.
-  Think about confl icts between the new informa on you are learning and your previous
understanding of the topic. Resolve the confl ict in your own mind and be sure you can explain your fi nal conclusion and how you reached it.
-  Summarize the material you are learning in your own words.

## 30 - Step Three | Learn

-  Study the structure of your subjectthe way that facts, ideas, and principles are

related to each other. Draw pictures or diagrams that show the connec ons between   components. Diagrams can also be useful for learning the steps in a process.
-  Organize new informa on into categories. For example, group illnesses by their

 symptoms, exercises by their physical benefi ts, or aircra  by their purpose.
- Ask and answer ques ons that will make new facts, ideas, and principles useful and

important to you. For example: "How does this relate to what I already knew?" "What does this imply?" "What other examples of this can I remember?" "Why is this important to me (or others)?" "Where else could this apply?" "Where or how could I use this?" - Think of what the new informa on you are learning reminds you of. Develop meta

phors and comparisons for the informa on you are learning. - Explain or teach the material to another. Did you get it right? Did you cover it all?

Does your explana on demonstrate that you understand it? Using the new informa

 on with others will test your mastery of it, and their reac on may help you under

stand more. - Argue one or both sides of an issue. You can do this with yourself to help you think

about the truthfulness of a posi on. Get your ego involved by pretending that you are
 in a hotly contested debate or trial. - Personalize the informa on you are learning by rela ng it to experiences you have

had or expect to have in the future.
As Marco studies the Korean language and culture, he applies the principles of deep processing in a number of ways. Drawing on the experiences of his two years in Korea, he recalls events in which he could have used the phrases and vocabulary he is learning. He visualizes himself having conversations in these events using the new words and phrases he is learning. As he reads and watches TV shows about South Korea, he is especially alert to depictions of culture, conditions, lifestyle, and so on that differ from his own observations. He considers why his personal perceptions might be different from his study sources and discusses the differences with his Korean friends to resolve the discrepancies. He compares written descriptions of North Korea with descriptions and personal observations of South Korea to identify both differences and similarities. He is also alert to differences and similarities between Korean and American culture and society so that he can better see the world from a Korean perspective. He tries to see how the elements of the Korean culture fi t together to make a social system that works.

Realizing that countries and their cultures evolve and change over time, Marco tries to understand the historical infl uences that helped shape the two Koreas to their present forms. To help him visualize and understand these infl uences, Marco draws a timeline of the major events of recorded Korean history and how they affected North and South Korea. As he studies Korean language and culture, Marco notices and thinks about how the culture is refl ected in the language. For example, he sees that the Korean language contains a number of words that show respect for others who are older than the speaker and concludes that this might show the infl uence of Confucian values, especially esteem for the elderly.

Using cri cal and refl ec ve thinking skills is essen al to being an eff ec ve learner and gaining exper se in any subject. Cri cal and refl ec ve thinking are important ways of deeply processing informa on that you wish to learn.

## Critical Thinking

Cri cal thinking involves ques oning what you see, hear, read, or experience. Cri cal thinking requires you to analyze, compare, contrast, make inferences and predic ons, evaluate the strength of evidence, and draw conclusions. Cri cal thinking also requires the self-discipline to use reason and avoid impulsive conclusions. Here are examples of ques ons that you can use to guide your cri cal thinking:

-  What is the evidence for and against this conclusion? -  What are the alterna ve or compe ng theories, explana ons, or perspec ves?

## 32 - Step Three | Learn

-  Why is this important? -  What are the implica ons of this?
-  Is the logic of the argument or reasoning sound? -  Do the numbers, quan  es, and calcula ons make sense?
-  Do the suppor ng facts agree with other sources?
-  Why or how does this work? - How likely is this?
Most  mes cri cal thinking comes down to applying an a  tude of high quality in your thinking.

Quality translates to intellectual standards that have been suggested by Doctors Richard Paul and Linda Elder from the Founda on for Cri cal Thinking:

-  *Clarity* - What is really meant, what is the problem?
-  *Accuracy* - Is the point true, is it possible? -  *Precision* - What are the specifi cs related to an asser on or proposed solu on?
-  *Relevance* - Does it ma er, is there a good connec on to the larger issue?
-  *Depth* - What factors make this diffi  cult, what are the most important complexi es?
-  *Breadth* - Is there another perspec ve that is helpful? -  *Logic* - Does a conclusion follow from the evidence, does everything fi t together? -  *Signifi cance* - What is the central issue or idea, what is most important to consider?
-  *Fairness* - Would any reasonable, unbiased person view this as fair; have opposing, mul ple
viewpoints been treated fairly?
Learning and applying these thinking standards is what makes critical thinking most effective.

## Refl Ective Thinking

Refl ec ve thinking is closely related to cri cal thinking, but it seeks to build understanding, interpret experiences, and resolve ques ons. Refl ec ve thinking requires that you think through the informa on you have gathered in detail to organize it, apply principles, make connec ons, and form conclusions.

-  What does this informa on mean?
-  What conclusions can I draw from this? -  How can I use this informa on?
-  How does this fi t with my exis ng knowledge and past experiences?
-  What are the implica ons of this for me or others?
-  What is the big picture and how does this fi t into it?
-  What is the best way to learn about this subject? - Where should this take me in my studies and self-development?
Cri cal thinking and refl ec ve thinking do not apply solely to learning but are good and essen-
 al prac ces for du es across the full spectrum of Army opera ons.

Marco considers the implications of what he is learning for the work of a MISO NCO. For example, he builds a list of specialized vocabulary words and phrases to learn that he believes will be useful for MISO work. He also thinks about how knowledge of Korean culture might affect the way a persuasive MISO message is crafted. He looks for general principles or guidelines for considering culture when writing a persuasive message. He relates the cultural knowledge he is gaining to his own experiences in Korea and begins to see some of his experiences from a different perspective. Marco also frequently takes stock of his learning to determine what he has accomplished and what he should focus on next.

## Learn Effectively From Written Materials

Books and other wri en materials are likely to be key learning resources for your self-development. To maximize your learning, you must approach reading for learning diff erently than you do casual reading. Deep processing of wri en materials is essen al to your ability to understand, recall, and use the informa on contained in the books and other documents you read. Even though books may present informa on in a logical way, you must take an ac ve role in teaching the informa on to yourself.

you do casual reading. Deep processing of wri en materials is essen al to your ability to understand, recall, and use the informa on contained in the books and other documents you read. Even though books may present informa on in a logical way, you must take an ac ve role in teaching the informa on to yourself.

The SQ3R reading method makes extensive use of deep processing principles. Developed more than 60 years ago, the fi ve ac vi es of the SQ3R method comprise one of the most widely recommended and eff ec ve ways of learning from wri en materials.

The SQ3R reading method makes extensive use of deep processing principles. Developed more than 60 years ago, the fi ve ac vi es of the SQ3R method comprise one of the most widely recommended and eff ec ve ways of learning from wri en materials.

1.
 *Survey:* Before you begin to read, look over the chapter, ar cle, or other material you are about to read to build a mental framework or outline of the material and establish a purpose for reading it. This mental framework will help you understand the purpose of the material, set your expecta ons so that your a en on will be drawn to important informa on, ac vate
your memory of what you already know, and give you a skeleton of understanding that you can add to as you read. Survey the material by leafi ng through it and doing the following: -  Make predic ons about what you think the sec ons of the document will discuss. It doesn't
ma er whether you are 100% accurate, but it helps you be more ac ve in understanding
the material.
-  Note the  tle, headings, and subheadings so that you can see the sequence of topics and
how they relate to each other.
- Look at graphs, charts, diagrams, and pictures, and read their cap ons. - Read quota ons, vigne es, and other short statements that are set off  from the main text. - Scan footnotes to get a sense of where ideas come from or what they mean. - Note words and phrases that are highlighted (e.g., bold, italic, underlined, colored text). -  Read the introduc on, abstract, and summary if there is one; if not, read the fi rst and last
paragraphs.
- Read the fi rst and last sentences of each paragraph. -  Review other learning aids that the material may have, such as study guides, advance organizers, chapter outlines, learning objec ves, or review ques ons.
- Decide what you want to learn from the material.
2.
 Ques on: As you survey the material, write down ques ons that you want to have answered
as you read the material. Developing ques ons to guide your study increases your interest in the material, makes you more alert to important informa on, helps you stay involved with
the material, and relates the new knowledge to what you already know. To develop ques ons:
-  Turn the  tle, headings, and subheadings into ques ons. For example, if a subheading says
"The Four-Step Calibra on Process," your ques on might be, "What are the four steps of
the calibra on process?"
-  Ask ques ons about graphs, charts, diagrams, and pictures. For example, a graph showing
an increasing rate of traffi  c fatali es in the United States could lead to the ques on, "Why
have traffi  c fatali es increased in the United States?"
-  Consider ques ons that the author includes in the document, such as in call-out boxes or
review ques ons at the end of a chapter. It can help to rephrase these ques ons in your own
words so that they are more meaningful to you and easier to remember.
3.
Read: Read the material one sec on at a  me. Use mul ple senses by reading, wri ng, highligh ng, and maybe even reading aloud. This will help you understand, remain interested, and
retain the informa on.
- Look for the answers to your ques ons and write your answers in your own words.
-  Look for more ques ons that you need to answer and important informa on that you had
not an cipated.
- Use deep processing to relate the new informa on to things you already know.
-  Highlight important informa on, especially informa on that answers the ques ons you
wrote.
-  Write notes in the margins of the document or on separate paper. These can be key words
or phrases, defi ni ons, reminders to guide your studying, and other useful points to remember.
-  Make diagrams that show how a process works,  meline, sequence of events, or the rela-
 onships that exist between diff erent components.
-  Respond to points made in the document by wri ng your ideas about them in the margins.
This will help you personalize the informa on and relate it to informa on you already know.
For example, you might write a note about why you disagree with a point, how a stated idea relates to another idea you learned elsewhere, gaps or ques ons that remain in the
informa on, or implica ons of the informa on.
-  Look for connec ons, discrepancies, comparisons, and rela onships between informa on
presented within the document and other readings, lectures, personal experience, etc.
4.
 *Recite:* Reci ng tests your knowledge and understanding of the informa on you read. Tes ng
yourself is a method of deep processing that can enhance your memory. Reci ng as you learn
also helps ensure that you don't leave gaps in your knowledge. -  Stop reading at the end of each sec on and summarize the material in the sec on from
memory.
- Ask yourself the ques ons you previously wrote for that sec on.
- Explain charts, graphs, diagrams, etc. without referring to the text or your notes. -  If you have problems, go back and review the sec on un l you can recite its important
informa on and concepts from memory.
 Review: Reviewing helps refresh and strengthen your memory of the material you read.

## 5.

-  Review immediately a er you have read the en re ar cle or chapter. Review the document
again within 24 hours and again several days later.
-  A er you have read the en re ar cle or chapter, fl ip back through it, looking at headings,
subheadings, graphs, charts, diagrams, and so on. See if you can recall the important informa on for each item. Study the material to fi ll in any gaps.
-  Go back through all of the ques ons you wrote and see if you can answer them from memory. Study the material to answer any ques ons you missed.
-  Explain how all of the sec ons or chapters of the document fi t together. What are the overarching points and principles?
- Explain how the informa on in this document relates to your self-development goals. -  You may fi nd it useful to review with a friend who has studied the same document. The
interac on can help keep you alert and focused, provide you with diff erent perspec ves on
the material, and clarify diffi  cult or misunderstood points.

## Expanding Your Reading

Documents o en suggest related documents that you may want to read to expand you knowl-

## 36 - Step Three | Learn

edge of the subject. Related documents may be listed at the end of a chapter, or you may want to take a look at the bibliography, footnotes, or end of the book to iden fy informa on sources that the author used in preparing to write the document. To help narrow your search, make notes as you read the document of any reference that sounds interes ng and relevant to your self-development focus.

## Journal Your Learning

Many people fi nd it useful to keep track of their chosen direc on for development, their milestones, and interes ng points they encounter during learning. Journals also are useful to record observa ons about the most eff ec ve ways to learn, new interests, future milestones, and any other notes that apply to planning, conduc ng, or tracking your self-development.

The exercises and worksheets in this handbook should be essen al entries in your learning journal. The methods and principles of learning in this chapter will help you become a more effi  cient and eff ec ve learner. Use these  ps to make the most of your self-development eff orts. Put-
 ng your plan into ac on and persis ng un l you have achieved your self-development outcomes is the topic of the next chapter, How Do I Move Forward?

## Notes Step Four | Achieve How Do I Move Forward?

Now that you have set your self-development direc on and discovered new approaches to improve the way you learn, it's  me to get started to achieve your fi rst self-development milestone. Your self-development eff orts will take  me and eff ort. To stay on track:
"There are no secrets to success.

It is the result of prepara on, hard work, and learning from failure."

- Let your milestones guide you. - Overcome self-development roadblocks. - Work effi  ciently. - Maintain forward momentum. - Assess your progress. - Make course correc ons.
- Set your next milestone.

GEN Colin Powell This chapter will help you achieve your fi rst milestones and keep moving forward.

## Let Your Milestones Guide You

In Chapter 2, you set your self-development direc on, created one or more milestones, and developed a plan to reach those milestones. Use your fi rst milestones as your guide to get started, as they will help you:

- Avoid impulsive ac ons that may be ineff ec ve and leave you discouraged.
- Keep the big picture in mind. - Work eff ec vely toward your self-development direc on.
- Take advantage of resources and overcome roadblocks. - Measure your success.
Adjust your plan to reach your milestones as needed. You should be willing to update your plan to improve it, change its direc on, deal with roadblocks, take advantage of resources, and refl ect accomplishments.

## Overcome Self-Development Roadblocks

In making your milestone plan, you iden fi ed obstacles to reaching your fi rst milestone. No ma er how prepared you are, there is always the possibility of running into roadblocks along the way. Below are possible internal and external roadblocks you may encounter as you work to develop yourself.

## Internal Roadblocks

Procras na on is a major obstacle to self-development. People procras nate for a lot of reasons. Some come to realize that their milestones are too ambi ous, complex, unclear, or diffi  cult. Others are hesitant because of the eff ort and discomfort that the work requires.

## 38 - Step Four | Achieve

S ll others lack the mo va on to get started. If you fi nd yourself procras na ng, here are techniques to help you get back on track.

+ + + + + +
- Write it down: Write down your direc on and milestones and post them where you will see them frequently.
   List the benefi ts of doing the work. Write down your next planned ac on and your deadline for doing it.
- Involve others: Tell others what you intend to do and your deadline for doing it. Talk through the task with someone else. Schedule  me with someone else to study or work together. - Break it down: Break big jobs into smaller tasks so you can, "eat the elephant one bite at a  me."
   Make a list of the small steps required to accomplish each milestone. Start with easy steps then gradually build to more diffi  cult steps.
   Mentally rehearse a diffi  cult task or talk through the task with someone else.
- Make a rou ne: Pick a rou ne  me to work on your self-development ac vi es.
   Use good  me management skills and make a schedule.
   Plunge into the task immediately to gain momentum, then keep it going. - Know yourself: Know your habits. Recognize what you do to avoid things you don't want to do. Confront
yourself when you see yourself doing these things.
   Iden fy self-defea ng a  tudes and replace them with posi ve ones.
   If you repeatedly put off  a task, decide if you really intend to do it. If not, remove it from
your plan.
   Be open to devia ons in your plans and milestones. If you fi nd an area that is not at all interes ng
or overly complex, then consider an adjustment for a higher poten al path.
-  Get mo vated. Review the  ps for staying mo vated and persistent in your learning
described in Chapter 3, How Do I Learn?
A poor a  tude also can interfere with your learning and make it hard for you to understand and remember informa on. For example, thinking that math is hard or that you do not like history can interfere with your ability to learn anything related to math or history. Other a  -
tudes, such as closed mindedness, infl exibility, or rigid adherence to beliefs and assump ons, also can interfere with your learning.

To combat poor a  tudes, you'll need to no ce when you're working with a poor a  tude and iden fy a more produc ve replacement. Prac ce thinking and behaving with the more posi-
 ve a  tude un l it feels natural and becomes a habit.

## External Roadblocks

External factors like your workload or other personal or professional obliga ons may hinder your self-development eff orts. You also may encounter resistance from other people, such as from your spouse who may resent  me away from the family or friends who may pressure you to spend  me with them.

A lack of resources is another common roadblock. Resources include anything you might need for self-development including people (teachers, coaches, mentors), facili es (schools, libraries, museums), and things (training programs, books, equipment). External roadblocks are best handled by careful planning and crea vity.

## Work Effi Ciently

Most people have busy lives before adding self-development to the mix. By effi  ciently managing your workload and personal life, you can increase the amount of  me you have to spend on self-development. Here are some  ps to help you be more effi  cient.

-  Take care of yourself. You need food, exercise, and rest to func on at your best.
-  Keep a running "to do" list. Priori ze each task according to its importance, the amount
of work required, and how soon you must complete it. Remove low-priority tasks from
your list.
-  Look for ways to accomplish daily ac vi es
and rou nes in less  me. For example, combine several errands in a single trip instead of making individual trips.
-  Learn to quickly locate and obtain the informa on you need for your self-development
and other requirements of your daily life.
-  Organize your work and living areas so that
the informa on, tools, and workspace you
need are readily available.
Marco plunged into his self-development program with great enthusiasm. He enrolled in the Korean language course offered through AKO, borrowed Korean language CDs from the Education Center, downloaded phrase guides from the Internet, purchased a Korean language textbook, and checked out library books on Korean history, culture, economy, and geography. He immersed himself in his studies, exceeding his plan from the very start by getting up early enough to spend an hour or more on language lessons before going to work, reading late into the evening, and spending most of the fi rst weekend reading and studying.

By Tuesday of the second week, Marco began having a hard time completing the work he had laid out for himself. It seemed like there was always something that interfered with his studies. As the days passed, it became increasingly diffi cult to get out of bed early enough to work on his language studies. In the evening, he found himself watching more and more TV. He would promise himself that he would watch just one TV show and then get back to work, but one show would lead to another and soon the evening was gone. He also lost one entire evening by going to the gym with a couple of friends. Each night, when he prepared for bed, he felt guilty about the time he had lost that day. He told himself that he would work extra hard the next day to catch up, but when the next day came, he found himself procrastinating again and falling even further behind. By Friday of the second week, he was discouraged by how little he had accomplished and his initial enthusiasm had diminished noticeably. He thought about the diffi culties he was experiencing and realized that he was procrastinating to avoid the discomfort and isolation of long hours of study and loss of his favorite pastimes. He still believed that his milestone for improving his Korean language skills and regional knowledge was worthwhile, but he knew that he wouldn't succeed if he continued to procrastinate. Recognizing and confronting his self-defeating behavior was a useful fi rst step in overcoming the problem, but knew he needed to do more. Marco realized that he had jumped into his studies so completely that he had quickly burned himself out. He decided to address "burn-out" and make adjustments to feel better about learning. He decided to reduce his morning study time to the half hour that he had originally planned, and he established fi rm limits on the amount of time he would spend studying in the evenings and on the weekends. He also broke down his milestone into a series of smaller objectives that could each be accomplished in about a day. He wrote the objectives on his calendar to set deadlines for their completion. He also planned small rewards that he would give himself for completing each objective. To help gain the support of his friends, Marco told them about his self-development milestone and discussed the work he would have to do to achieve it. Finally, to avoid isolating himself from his friends, he set aside times during the week that he would spend with them.

## Maintain Forward Momentum

It is important to keep your developmental momentum moving forward. You may have a tendency to slow down a er comple ng an important self-development step or to become discouraged by setbacks. Taking a rest a er a strong eff ort is natural, but too much rest may make it hard for you to get started again. Maintain your momentum by:

- *Keeping a Posi ve A  tude:* Let go of setbacks and start each day with renewed enthusiasm. Each morning off ers an opportunity for a fresh start.
-  *Making Consistent Progress:* Try to accomplish something, however small, related to
your self-development milestone each day.
-  *Recognizing Benefi ts:* Look for the benefi ts of your eff orts. Benefi ts can be tangible
results like increased pay, awards, and abili es or intangible results like pride, a sense of accomplishment, and sa sfac on. Remember that important benefi ts o en require hard work, some mes more eff ort than was an cipated.
After revising his plan, Marco had successfully followed the new plan for fi ve days. He decided to put his initial diffi culty behind him and just focus on continuing to follow his study schedule and accomplish the daily work objectives he had set for himself. By setting reasonable objectives, rewarding himself for accomplishing his objectives, and setting aside time for his friends and family, he had achieved a better balance in his life and actually made his self-development efforts fun. Although the daily work objectives were still a challenge, he was not overwhelmed and knew that he was capable of achieving them one at a time. Marco could see how his daily objectives formed a clear path to his milestone and was excited by this promise of success.

## 42 - Step Four | Achieve Assess Your Progress



##

Assessing your progress can encourage you to keep going if things are going well or to guide changes if they aren't. You can assess your progress at any  meas you work toward a milestone or a er you have completed one. Here are  ps to help you assess your progress.
- Use objec ve and subjec ve measures.
    *Objec ve measures*  are things that you can see and that can be expressed in numbers,
such as a score on a test,  me required to perform a task, number of books read, or number of college credits earned.
    *Subjec ve measures*  are things that can't be easily observed or expressed in numbers,
including feelings of sa sfac on, accomplishment, personal growth, diffi  culty, and so on.
Subjec ve assessments of your progress can come from both your own judgment and from feedback from others who have observed you. Subjec ve indicators are suffi  cient
for tracking most self-development ac vi es.
-  Compare your milestone plan (developed in Chapter 2) to what actually happened and
adjust the remainder of this milestone plan or future milestones to account for any lessons learned.
  *Timeline:*  Did you meet your  meline? If you were well under or over your  meline,

 fi gure out why. Maybe the  meline wasn't reasonable, you worked more or less

  than you had an cipated, you received extra help, you encountered roadblocks, or

 the material was more involved than you ini ally thought. *Ac on Steps:*  How successful were you in accomplishing the steps you iden fi ed for

 reaching your milestone? What helped or hurt your success? Were the steps you

 iden fi ed the right ones?
    *Resources:*  Were you right about the types of resources you needed to achieve the milestone? Were there any that you had le  out when you made your plan? Were you able to
get the resources you needed, and what did you have to do to get them? Are there any other resources that might have worked be er?
    *Obstacles:*  Did you encounter the obstacles that you iden fi ed in your plan, and was your
plan for overcoming these obstacles successful? Did you encounter any unexpected obstacles?
-  Decide if you are sa sfi ed with your progress or if you need to make changes to your milestones or your general self-development direc on. Indicators that you should consider in
making a course correc on include:
  Unsa sfactory progress
   Too much stress or eff ort required on your part to complete developmental ac vi es
   Loss of interest in achieving your self-development aims or change in the benefi ts you can
expect from achieving your aims
   Changes in your professional or personal situa on that confl ict with your self-development ac vi es or direc on
   Being dissa sfi ed with your development
After completing the fi rst two months of his milestone plan, Marco assessed his progress. Throughout this time he had taken numerous quizzes and tests as part of his online Korean language lessons and had scored high on most. His greatest gains had been in speaking and listening. The list of Korean words that he could speak and understand had grown impressively long. He found that he could have more complex conversations in Korean and that he could understand more of the Korean TV shows that he watched. His written Korean skills also had progressed but not as rapidly. Because Hangul is a phonetic alphabet, he could sound out written Korean words, and he could write most Korean words, but his reading speed was slow and he had diffi culty writing full sentences. When he compared his milestone plan to what he had actually done during the two months, Marco was generally satisfi ed. Even though he had suffered a setback in his second week, he had made adjustments to overcome his initial procrastination, followed his plan, and made satisfactory progress afterward. The main obstacles that he had encountered were the huge study load he had initially tried to handle and his isolation from friends and favorite activities.

The adjustments he had made to his milestone plan had been crucial to his success. By dividing his plan into small steps with clear objectives he was able to set a pace of work that he could handle and still make substantial progress. Marco hadn't yet reached the language profi ciency and regional expertise that he wanted, but his milestone plan had been effective, and he was sure that if he continued to follow his plan he would continue to progress. Although he had made good progress in his speaking and listening abilities, he was concerned by the slower progress he was making in his reading and writing skills.

## Make Course Corrections

Self-development occurs over a long period of  me and in a dynamic environment that includes your professional and personal responsibili es. It is likely that at some point you will encounter an obstacle or other challenge that will force you to change your plans. If your progress assessment shows that you need a course correc on, you will need to determine what type of correc on is warranted.

-   *Direc on:*  Your self-development direc on or milestone may have turned out to be too
diffi  cult, too easy, or just not what you had hoped. If so, use the exercises in Chapter 2 to examine other possible self-development direc ons or milestones. Try to iden fy why you
selected an unsa sfactory direc on or milestone, and avoid repea ng any missteps.
-   *Ac on Steps:*  If the ac on you took to achieve your milestone were not eff ec ve, fi gure
out why they didn't work, and then develop more eff ec ve ac ons. To be eff ec ve, you

## 44 - Step Four | Achieve

must be capable and willing to perform the ac ons with available resources. If you are making a course correc on because of roadblocks you encountered, then create new ac on steps that avoid or solve these roadblocks. Your ac on steps should form a logical path from where you currently are to achievement of the milestone.

-   *Resources:*  The resources you iden fi ed for your milestone may have turned out to be
inappropriate, inadequate, or unavailable. If so, analyze your planned ac on steps to determine the resources ( me, money, equipment,
facili es, help, etc.) you will need to perform these steps. Determine if you can obtain the resources.
"In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends un l we die, and the choices that we make are ul mately our responsibility."


                             Eleanor Roosevelt

Marco decided to continue to follow his milestone plan, but he wanted to increase its emphasis on reading and writing skills. He spoke with his friends, SSG Kim and Reverend Yi, about ways to improve his reading and writing abilities. They gave Marco copies of newspapers and other documents written in Hangul and had Marco read portions of them. Sometimes Marco would immediately read and explain them aloud, and at other times Marco would read the articles at home and send them an email, written in Hangul, explaining the main ideas. Marco also would handwrite short translations of written and spoken English and show his translations to SSG Kim or Reverend Yi for feedback.

## Set Your Next Milestone

With your fi rst self-development milestone achieved, you have fi nished a full cycle of selfdevelopment. It's now  me to con nue your self-development journey by se  ng and pursuing your next milestone.

## Exercise: Set Your Next Milestone

Select your next milestone by iden fying the next logical step that you should take in your self-development direc on. Of the objec ves you might pursue, which one would make the greatest contribu on to your overall self-development aims? Pick the milestone that will make the greatest contribu on while s ll being within your capabili es and resources.

## Self-Development Throughout Your Career

The gravity of the Army mission and the dynamic nature of the world make con nuous learning and self-development crucial to our na on's security and your personal success.

Changes in technology, knowledge, and society happen so fast that lessons you've learned in Army and civilian schools are o en incomplete or quickly outdated. Courses are o en too general to meet individuals' specifi c needs. To thrive professionally and personally, you must engage in lifelong learning and self-development. Professionals at all stages of their careers are challenged to fi nd the proper balance between their professional work and personal life while also planning their career development. Most career planning models have the following common steps:

1. 2. 3.
 Conduct a self-assessment (abili es, characteris cs, needs, responsibili es, objec ves, etc.)
to determine your strengths and weaknesses.
 Weigh the possibili es to choose a direc on and milestone objec ves for your self-development eff ort.
 Make a self-development plan that uses eff ec ve methods of learning.
 Implement the plan, overcoming obstacles and measuring progress.
4.
This handbook has sought to help you implement these steps while also allowing you the fl exibility to use methods that have worked for you in the past or to customize the steps to your individual preferences. The chapters and tools contained within this handbook should assist you in planning and pursuing your lifelong path of self-development regardless of your career stage, developmental interests, or career goals.

## 48 - Step Four | Achieve

For further informa on or to submit comments on this handbook, contact the Combined Arms CenterCenter for Army Leadership at
(913-758-3160 or h p://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/CAL