Planning Personal Development (PDP) is an approach in which people take responsibility for their own learning and development. The PDP is an action plan based on knowledge, goal setting, reflection, interests, and preferences. It is a structured and reflective process carried out by an individual regarding their own learning and performance, in order to plan their personal, educational and professional development.
The main objective of a PDP is to achieve a change in people so that they obtain the ability to improve the organization of your future and the way they handle and understand learning. As a process, it is largely based on the ability to reflect, which empowers students to assume their own learning, performance and achievements.
Video: "Flourish and prosper"
When used in the context of college, the PDP can be used to understand what and how you are learning, and to review and take responsibility for your own learning. Thanks to personal development planning, you reflect on your achievements and goals in a structured way. Any study program that encourages students to participate in some type of organizational process provides the opportunity to plan their future, adding value to their training and increasing the chances of success. However, planning is not an easy process as it requires time and commitment; but it is certainly worth it for the benefits it will bring in the future.
Commitment to Personal Development Planning helps to better manage the diversity of situations that arise in the academic world, at work and even in life itself. It is vitally important to take responsibility for your own learning, explore our feelings, understand everything that influences us, respond to changes and take time to reflect on our development.
Through the PDP we evaluate ourselves in relation to the occupational role that we have or that we wish to obtain. This is an important discovery because sometimes the way we behave in our roles is preconceived and comes from other people in that role and what must be done is to get to know ourselves and develop our own professional style in relation to to our role.
Students who effectively put Personal Development Planning into practice get interesting benefits among which the following stand out:
• Develop the skills necessary for critical reflection.
• Improve future professional prospects.
• Increase learning capacity.
• Improve self-confidence and the ability to manage necessary changes.
• Define clear goals about the life and work you want.
• Increase confidence when making decisions.
• Improve problem solving skills and planning skills.