Page 93 - Learning to Learn

LEARNING TO LEARN: BECOMING A SELF -GROWER 93
EXPERIENCE 4: S ELF-ASSESSMENT : THE ENGINE OF SELF -GROWTH READING
STEP 6 Organize a list of insights into common themes.
From these insights he derives some common themes: timeliness, efficiency, web design criteria, project testing,
time management, and setting priorities.
STEP 7 Identify key insights.
He comes up with the following key insights:
1. Keep a journal with daily responsibilities and use it to set priorities.
2. Test web projects in Firefox™, Internet Explorer™, and Chrome™.
3. Use a sophisticated web page editor and learn how to use it well.
4. Procrastination can sometimes lead to a more efficient performance.
5. Preparation is the key to well-designed projects.
STEP 8 Generalize key insights to a wider set of situations.
He arrives at these generalized insights:
1. Poor ability to judge time required to complete a task contributes to a hurry-up-and-crash situation, so he
needs to set aside more time to accomplish things or be more efficient with the time he sets aside.
2. Keeping organized lists either on paper or electronically can reduce procrastination.
3. Good preparation, use of productivity tools, and efficient testing can all improve the web design process.
4. Procrastination can sometimes lead to more efficient performance, but often at the expense of quality.
STEP 9 Determine whether there is a need to engage in other processes.
He observes that using a self-assessment process including a formal SII and short and long-term action plans
would be helpful in improving his project performance in the future.
STEP 10 Assess the quality of the reflection process.
He assesses the reflection process itself.
Strengths:
• He gained insights that have helped him better understand procrastination habits and their consequences.
• Walking helped develop a good flow of ideas.
• The rich set of insights will help him improve the project completion process in the future.
Areas for Improvement:
• He must find a way to jot down insights while walking, perhaps by carrying a notebook or by using a digital
voice recorder.
• It was hard to do the “what-if” analysis as a separate step, and perhaps he might combine Steps 4 and 5.
• He did not allocate enough time for the reflection process, so he needs to set aside more time in the future
so that he does not feel rushed.
Insights:
• The reflection seemed to center less on procrastination and more on efficient production of the web project.
• The reflection process is not really linear as thinking about one piece sends one off on a tangent. As a result,
some insights may not be directly connected to the original triggering event.
• Knowing why one procrastinates can help minimize this practice in the future