Topic 1: What is engaging in self-development?

Engaging in self-development is the competency that includes both the intrapersonal skills of self-awareness, self-management, willingness to learn and reflection and the interpersonal skills of collaborating with others to elicit feedback and support during the learning process. Each of the interrelated components plays an essential role.

  • Engaging in self-development implies:
  • Self-Awareness: Reflecting on past experiences to evaluate one’s own strengths, limitations, motivations, interests, and aspirations within different learning contexts. 
  • Initiative and Ownership: Taking responsibility for learning, finding purposeful driving questions, shaping opportunities to fit personal interests and approach to learning and, and seeking input from others. 
  • Goal Setting and Planning: Developing long-term goals, establishing meaningful learning targets, identifying effective strategies, and planning out steps. 
  • Engaging and Managing: Seeking out relevant resources and information to support learning goals and refining strategies; maintaining effective pace, reaching short-term benchmarks and long-term goals.
  • Monitoring and Adapting: Evaluating progress, adapting strategies, seizing failure in order to grow from mistakes, and attributing success to effort, persistence, access, opportunity, help, and time.