🎓 My Foundations Learning Plan 🎓
My Long Term Goals
My long term goal is to become more focused on the process (learning, creating, learning) and less outcome oriented; this is how i am trying to overcome my tendancy to set goals which i become far to oriented to, loosing engagement and enjoyment in the process as a result.
With that in mind i still have some longer term ideas about what skills i want to learn and what i may be able to do with them. I aim to become proficient as a full-stack software developer, with these skills i would like to be involved in leading creative teams and projects.
. I also have loads of enterprising thoughts and ideas circulating my head at any given time, having the potential to bring some of these ideas to life through development is another long term goal.
Describing My Strengths & Limitations Related To Learning
My ability to conceptulise and visulise will help me with the design aspects of the learning journey. Problem solving is a strength of mine and will help me to break down issues when they arise, after that i will be able to use brainstorming and sound decision making skills to come to a well judged solution.
One of my big limitations i will need to overcome is that i will be part of the online cohort, i am better engaged when in a working enviroment around others; I intend to overcome this by being as disciplined as possible in my daily routines and schedules and by making a concious effort to be heavily involved in utilising communication channels with facilitators and other students.
I will also need to keep tabs on my tendency to be a perfectionist, i will do this by having reminders stuck to the wall behind my desk and by having the self awareness to know when it is unnecessarily creeping in.
Soft Skills I Want To Develop During EDA
One major skill or outcome i would like to develop during EDA is a more natural focus on the process of learning/doing and less focus on the outcome. This outcome based thinking has been a limiting factor in my learning and career previously so i want to try a different approach with this new journey.
I would also like to develop my engagement & networking skills, time managment, and ability to deliver.
Managing My Workload
Having been recently made redundant, the temptation to jump back into work is high, but having explored some part-time roles, I made the decision to dedicate all of my time and effort to Dev Academy over the next 3 months. This forms the basis of my commitment to managing the workload of the program.
The structures I have put in place to manage the workload start with a weekly & daily goal setting. This will start on a Sunday (or whenever I finish the previous weeks' goal) and will involve reviewing the content for the following week and setting a goal around it. On a daily basis, I have set reminders on my phone and stuck notes to my monitor to set a goal for the day at 8am. This ensures I am starting my day early and with focus, which will lead to productivity. I also believe this will help me to be focused on the content of the day and really enjoy the learning process.
Working remotely is going to be a limitation of mine. This is going to require a dedicated effort to regularly connect with other stakeholders each and every day. My written communication skills are a strength, so I believe my ability to communicate in this way will be an asset during the process.
When the stress response kicks in, mindfulness and breathwork will be two of the main tools I use to bring myself back to a neutral, present mindset where I can remind myself to enjoy the process and the present moment.The pomodoro technique has also been helpful so far in being able to manage my time and rest. I will continue to use this throughout. Goal setting will also form an important aspect of managing my stress. When I am getting away from my weekly/daily goal, I will be able to look at my post-it note on my screen and remind myself where I need to prioritise my time.
Seeking Help In A Timely Manner
I need to make a concious effort to be active in the slack channels and other communication vectors on a regular basis, this will help me to form connections with other stakeholders in my learning journey and feel more comfortable leveraging them for help when required.
My Expectations Of The Facilitation Team
I appreciate the hands-off approach so far, this really does suit one of my core values which is independence. Things that i will require more assistance with include delivery/deadlines, i can sometimes slip in this area, so having someone check in on my progress does help keep me focused.
Other than that, i don't really expect much apart from honest feedback and a steer in the right direction when i am struggling with a concept or technical aspect.
Other Commitments
I have no other big time commitments during the 3-4 months of EDA, there was temptation to take on a part-time job but i thought that through and decided it was best to really focus on myself and the learning journey. My wifes work schedule can be changeable, i will be working my study time around her work schedule in order to maximise the free time we have to spend together.
I will try complete all my coding and study time mid-week, allowing me the weekends to spend on the leisure activities i enjoy; However, I am realistic that some weeks i may be required to put in extra time at the weekend.