My Complete Personal Action Plan

Personal Action Plan

Jennifer Korol

Colorado Technical University Online

INTD112

June 23, 2009

My main desire has been to improve my income level and the quality of my life.  I have had the idea of getting a College education for the past few years, because I wanted to learn more about marketing and business.  However, I found a tremendous amount of support through marketing over the internet and from the colleagues I have been working closely with; enough support to learn how to market a business on the internet. One of my partners, Shane Garrison, gave me the creative insight I needed to launch my new business.  I am hoping that returning to school will assist me with organizing my goals down to a specification, so that I can incorporate my new skills into what I am currently doing.  The thought of being able to create new, innovative software and designing, all together, had inspired me to take action toward acquiring new skills. I believe that making the decision to become educated in the IT field will help me to define what my goals are in a clearer picture.

For three years, I have been looking into different Universities such as:  Kaplan University Online, Ashworth College Online, and Phoenix University.  Yet, I did not find any catalogues available on the website or a downloadable PDF file that would give me enough information to make a decision about which courses I wanted to take and the Degree I wanted to earn upfront.  As a big communicator, the lack of immediate information did not make me feel confident enough to contact advisors from these Universities for more insight.  Rather than giving up on the goal of continuing my education, I would spend time searching the Internet for reviews and I would ask my colleagues about which Universities they thought had a good reputation.  I measured all of the information from the reviews against my Colleagues’ recommendations and had concluded that Colorado Technical University Online does have the best reputation.  This had given me the sense of confidence I needed to go to the website and find out if there was any information provided up front, and there was.  I found that CTU is accredited by the Board Of Education.  Knowing this gave me a sense that the University is very secure and legitimate.  From the information that was readily available, I looked through the courses and have decided that CTU has what I need to accomplish my goal of expanding the services my business provides.

I have made the decision that earning a degree was not just an option in this stage of my Business and in my life overall.  In my personal development, it is an opportunity to grow in the areas of critical thinking, self-organization, and problem solving in a scientific environment that also enhances my creative side.  After doing a lot of research, I have found that there is a need for Developers, Quality Assurance, and entirely new API web platforms to be designed for the next language generation, Web3.0.  Earning my Degree will give me the two options I could not, otherwise, have foreseen being possible. I found my options would be obtaining employment with a reputable company while running my business or to begin creating and developing on my own volition; becoming an innovator in business.  Knowing I have these options, I can say with confidence that my ultimate goal is to become an innovator by the time I earn my Degree.  I do understand that accomplishing my goals will take a lot of time and motivation.  One of the best ways I found my personal motivator was to look at my life as if it were five years from now.

As I begin to think about my future accomplishments, I had to look at my life for what it is like now and what it can look like after five years.  I created my “Virtual Time Machine” to help me envision my future and to envision a focused goal.  One of the things I saw to be important is the skills I would acquire.  As an IT Developer, it is essential to understand multiple web and database languages.  Knowing that I will be learning how to create databases and web applications out of languages really excites me.  To me, this relates to being able to cook a gourmet dish out of ingredients.  I like the thought of creating something that can be useful as well as entertaining to the users of it.  This can also open the possibility of creating web security databases that will eliminate viruses and the chances of identity theft.  Just thinking about what I can create for others really motivates me.  By assessing what my life will look like in the future, I have learned that I am a people-pleaser. However, I would not know where my motivation comes from without those who support me.

I am currently living with my Mother and one of my Brothers while growing as an entrepreneur and student.  With that in mind, I do realize the tremendous amount of support I have been getting while embarking on my new journey.  Any time I would feel a great amount of pressure, my Brother would always offer his perspective.  He would always find ways to create a solution out of seemingly complicated situations.  This does give me comfort when I start to feel anxious about doing everything right. My friends would usually respond in the same way my Brother does, but he is available more of the time.

My Mother has always been an excellent source of support.  Any time I felt disappointed, it would be written all over my face.  She always had a way of understanding me; even when I wasn’t articulate about it.  Every weekend, we would take the time to spend with one another.  This helps me, because she has always been a great listener and our time together strengthens our relationship.  Everyone goes through their struggles when attaining long-term goals that can affect our future, but having the support you need is valuable toward acting on your plans.

The amount of support I have been getting is incredible.  As someone who grew up being timid and introverted, I would often struggle with my confidence.  Sometimes it wouldn’t matter how great something I created would come out.  I would still question the credibility behind my work.  I believe that after earning my Bachelor’s degree, I will be able to have more confidence in myself and in the work I choose to do.  Having confidence and credibility are important to have in order to meet my specific goals, but having specific goals will get me to my destination point.

I have personally been using the internet for eight years and am very fascinated with how it has helped me to work at a faster pace.  However, there have also been many times I would run into technical issues and system failures.  One of the most important things I would do to make sure my system is running and operating when I need it to, is making maintenance a habit.  As soon as I turn my system on, I will go into my Control Panel and delete any paper trail (i.e. cookies, browsing history, saved passwords, temporary files, and filtered data).  When you don’t make it a habit to clear this out, your system’s IP Address can be found by Malware and Phishing software that will trace your most personal information.  I have made this my daily routine as an effort to protect my information while online and offline.

One thing that will always be the most important to me in the course of my studies is a reliable system that can operate with speed and security.  I have come to realize that a computer will not back up any lost data unless I have a dual processor (two hard drives) and/or an external hard drive hooked up with a USB cable.  When I’m worried about losing an assignment I haven’t saved to my files yet, I would go into the back up settings and have the system automatically back all of my files up to the second hard drive.  If I do not have a second hard drive with a certain system, I would use an external hard drive to back up all of my work.  This ensures the security and ability to find any lost documents.

Another technical issue we all run into from time to time is the colossal crash.  One way to avoid losing any important information during a crash is to make sure everything is backed up on an external hard drive.  My dual processor may be of aid while my system is operating, but using an external hard drive will save me a lot of aggravation when a crash occurs.  I personally use a Western Digital USB Hard Drive 160 GB (Western Digital, 2001).  The only advice I can give here is to automatically save all of your work to your external hard drive while your computer is still operating.  There is nothing more frustrating than attempting to save your data while your computer is crashing.  It is ineffective and you will end up losing the majority of your work.  Do not procrastinate while taking these security measures or you will lose out.  Be prompt and diligent when backing up all of your work.  This way, should a crash occur while you’re handing in your assignments early, you won’t feel as anxious while waiting for your new computer system.  Important Note:  Always have your warranty extended so that you won’t incur any extra costs while replacing your system.  You will save more money and the arrival of your system won’t take as long.  Even though being able to take responsibility for my computer system is important, I have to recognize what my personal goals are.

I was very nervous when I started classes with CTU.  Even though I had a vision about what I will be doing after graduating, I never gave much thought into what I need to be doing now to support my education.  With that said, I came up with a plan that will help me with my short-term goals.  I was speaking with a gentleman by the name, Jim Tarantola. He had come up with the Hydrogen Cell which is an alternative fuel that is promised to run more efficiently than the new hybrid vehicles.  He saw that I have experience in marketing, managing projects, and building businesses.  So, he appointed me as the project manager for the launch of his eBooks.  He will be paying me commissions per affiliate marketer who agree to resell his eBooks.  I will be responsible for managing the databases and for paying each affiliate their due commissions.  This will enable me to concentrate more on my studies and will also help me to familiarize myself with different databases that are being tested.  This will help me to pay off my tuition fees without worry as well.  For anyone reading this, remember to stick to your commitments and don’t be afraid to venture out while studying.  This is a great way to create a job that may not be in the classified advertisements.  For more suggestions and job resources, click on the careers tab at the top of your VC.  I am also keeping in mind that not all jobs are permanent and I will need to establish a way to acquire a full time income while working from home.  The career sources in the VC have opened my eyes to the work-at-home opportunities that are available and this will help me to pay off my tuition.

Another immediate goal I need to work on is managing my time between studying and work.  Right now, I do have a schedule, but it is always changing.  I realized that in order to be able to carry out my responsibilities as a project manager and student, I need to reevaluate my schedule or daily plan of action.  For three years, I have been watching The Momo Zone on YouTube.  From his channel, I have learned how to reinvent myself and manage my time.  Since most people who are self employed struggle with this, I tuned into Momo’s channel in hopes for a definite answer.  One thing that Momo taught me is how to organize my day by the hour.  I am no stranger to having multiple projects, so I listened close.  What Momo had pointed out is how to attend to each project for one hour in a day.  This helped me with managing my stress while focusing on each project while helping me to see my assignments to completion.  I am going to keep using this method throughout my experience with CTU and after graduation.  Along with knowing what is available to me through CTU, I have a great amount of support in my immediate surroundings.

My Mother has been helping me with financial advice along with lending me money from time to time.  Since beginning my education with CTU, I have not had enough time to grow my business on a consistent basis.  This had put me in a situation that is temporarily leaving me without the necessary funds to pay my bills every month.  Since we have tenants who are timely with paying their rent, my Mother gives me a small amount to cover my bills.  I don’t know what I would do without her.

There are times when I would become stressed out with my financial situation and I would end up blaming myself for the position I am in.  Instead of letting myself sulk for hours, I would talk with my Brother when he has time off from work.  He has always had a way of simplifying a complicated situation.  If he wouldn’t give me advice, he would offer to go bowling or we would play a video game.  The mindless entertainment is a great stress-buster.

I also have two very close friends, Bill and Karen, who are willing to give me advice and spend some time with me when I need them.  I have known Bill for eleven years and Karen for three years.  They are engaged and are almost like extended family to me.  Since Karen is also putting herself through college, she has been an excellent source for support.  We would always chat online or call one another when things get stressful.  Sometimes we would even e-mail each other funny jokes or send each other graphic comments on MySpace.  If we’re not doing that, we would spend a day together during the weekend.  I like asking her for advice, because she is honest, caring, and very resourceful.

Bill is usually working a long shift and it can be hard to get a hold of him at times.  When he’s not working, he is usually helping Karen with their two children.  Though he is busy for the most part, I would still visit with him when he has time off from work or we would talk on the phone for a while.  He has always been a good friend to me and my family.  Any time my family members or I would need him, he would always be there without complaining or expecting anything from us in return.  By giving that kind of unconditional support, I consider him a part of my family.  When he has the time, he would come over to visit and we would talk for hours on end about everything.  This is usually when I would update him on my accomplishments and open up to him about my stress.  He’s usually good with coming up with solutions and being strong for others.  So, I rely on him a lot to help me in my times of need.

All of the support I can have is quite rewarding in itself.  Though this is true in its right, I need to learn how to reward myself when I have accomplished a goal.  One of the short term goals I would have is to pay my bills every month without my Mother’s support.  Every time I accomplish this goal, I would reward myself by shopping for my favorite foods and I would cook up a good meal.  Most of the time, I would find myself baking a pie or cooking a baked pasta dish.  Since I’m a huge fan of cheese, I usually lean toward making a baked pasta dish.  Being able to cook a great meal reminds me of what I work hard for and it feels good to do it.

My main long-term goal is earning my Bachelor’s degree.  I remember when I graduated High School, my family took me out for a nice dinner.  Since I am already rewarding myself with dinners, I would like to reward myself by traveling.  I usually like to visit Pennsylvania or New York on my time off and that helps me to get focused on life while enjoying my time off.  However, I rarely travel outside of the destinations I’m used to visiting.  One of the states I would like to visit after earning my degree would have to be Florida for two weeks.  I have never been there and I’m sure the water rides in Orlando are a lot of fun.

Since I am working to earn my degree now, I need to focus on how I will be able to support myself after graduation.  My family and friends are a great source of support and advice.  However, I may end up talking with Karen and Bill about where I can find employment on the internet.  Since they are both on the internet most of the time, I have confidence that they can help me with finding the sources I need.  I may also speak with my career advisor about setting up a professional resume to obtain employment on the internet.  Since I am earning my BSIT, going into the IT field will be a great way for me to gain the experience I need to become a professional.

In the course of my studies, reviewing my personal action plan will be a great way to keep track of my progress.  The best times for me to do this will be before and after each course.  This will help me to stay familiar with my plan as well as staying focused on what I am doing at the moment.  By reviewing my plan of action, I will know what my goals are and I will stay on top of my tasks.  This will create a sense of being organized and a sense of self control when it comes to holding myself accountable for the work I am doing.  This will help me with my study habits and my personal development as a student.

Right now, I feel like I am on top of everything.  I have been handing in my assignments early and have made sure to do the best I can.  If this doesn’t give me the confidence I need, I don’t know what does.  Though there is room for improvement, I am glad that I have been able to develop the healthy study habits needed in order to succeed with CTU.  The amount of support I have is excellent and I have enough confidence to say that I can do it.

~ by bytemymedia on June 24, 2009.