U.S. Air Force Col. Jonathan Cartwright writes about leadership, the military, and organizational development. In the following article Colonel Jonathan Cartwright discusses personal development techniques that deliver measurable results.
Personal development is the process of assessing your skills and abilities, setting goals, and achieving them. Colonel Jonathan Cartwright of CA says it involves activities that improve your self-awareness and identity, develop your talents and potential, build your confidence and self-esteem, and help you strategically plan for the future. It takes learned skills and reflection to effectively grow and improve.
Colonel Jonathan Cartwright believes in the student athlete for life concept. In the US Air Force, we complete annual fitness tests regardless of the career field. Service Members regularly take computer-based and in-class training to enhance skills for their specific career fields to stay one step ahead of our adversaries. This holistic approach to personal development applies to Corporate America talent and individual pursuits. An active and healthy employee uses less sick leave and is more alert at work. Investing in the training and development of employees leads to continuous innovation, business process improvements, internal controls, safety, and efficiencies. As individuals, we work a significant portion of our lives, we should strive to stay healthy and sharp into retirement to actually enjoy our retirement.
Measurable personal development can take months or even years but, with patience and dedication, it’s possible to transform into a fully actualized version of yourself. Here, Colonel Jonathan Cartwright explores effective approaches to personal development and paths to growth.
Set Realistic and Achievable Goals
Colonel Jonathan Cartwright explains that one of the most important aspects of personal development is setting realistic and achievable goals. This may seem like a no-brainer but, all too often, people set goals that are either unattainable or too vague to be meaningful.
Colonel Jonathan Cartwright’s advice is, “A goal like “I want to be rich” or “I want to be fit” is much too vague to be effective. On the other hand, a goal like “I want to earn an annual salary of $100,000” or “I want to lose 20 pounds this year” is much more specific, and therefore, more likely to be achieved.”
When setting personal development goals, it’s important to be specific and quantifiable. Write down the goals and then break complex goals into smaller, more manageable pieces. Colonel Jonathan Cartwright says, “If your objective is to get into shape, you can breakdown the generalized idea into a measurable goal of “I want to lose 20 pounds” or “I want to complete a 5K race.” Next, you need to determine if you have a goal date. “I want to lose 20 pounds in 2022.” If this is your New Year’s Resolution to achieve by the end of the year, you can have sub-goals or milestones to lose those 20 pounds measured as an average of 1.7 pounds per month.” Colonel Jonathan Cartwright recommends monthly or quarterly milestones. “People tend to lose weight quickly in the first month of training and it slowly tapers off. They also tend to gain muscle while training, a positive outcome, that can skew weight loss. These all factor into hitting your milestones. Generalized goals of “I want to be rich” or “I want to lose weight” are just ideas until you put effort into defining your actual goal, build a path to achieve it, and then follow up with consistent efforts to do so,” says Colonel Jonathan Cartwright.
Most importantly, ensure your goals are achievable. U.S. Air Force Col. Jonathan Cartwright says if you’re not in the habit of exercising, it’s unrealistic to expect you’ll be able to complete a marathon in the next six months. There’s also the increased danger of long-term injuries. Start small, and then build up to more challenging goals as you become more confident and capable. Create padding for small failures and setbacks. Failures happen, but don’t allow them to be catastrophic.
Create a Support System
Personal development does not have to be a solo endeavor. In order to achieve a goal, it’s important to have a supportive network of family and friends. These people can offer encouragement and motivation when you’re feeling down or discouraged, especially after setbacks.
U.S. Air Force Col. Jonathan Cartwright explains it’s also a good idea to seek out a mentor or coach. A mentor is someone who’s been successful in the area you’re trying to improve. For example, if you want to get in shape, you might seek out a mentor who’s a personal trainer or has experience in the fitness industry. With today’s technology, mentors across the globe are only a mouse click away. In our organization, we have employees with mentors on both Coasts and in austere deployed environments. Use of Microsoft TEAMS, Zoom, Slack, etc. have exponentially expanded communication opportunities across time zones.
A coach is similar to a mentor, but is more focused on helping you develop specific skills. For example, U.S. Air Force Col. Jonathan Cartwright says if you want to improve your public speaking skills, you might seek out a coach who can help you overcome your fear of public speaking. Both mentors and coaches can offer valuable insights and guidance so, if you’re serious about personal development, it’s worth investing in support.
Monitor Progress and Celebrate Accomplishments
Colonel Jonathan Cartwright says personal development is not a one-way street. In order to grow and improve, you need feedback to monitor progress. Feedback allows you to assess noticeable changes and identify areas for improvement.
There are a few different ways to get feedback, such as by asking your family, friends, and teammates at work for their input. You can also seek out professional feedback from a mentor, coach, or counselor. Another option is to take an objective personality test or skills assessment. These tests can provide valuable insights into your strengths and weaknesses.
Whichever method you choose, U.S. Air Force Col. Jonathan Cartwright says ensure you’re open and actively listen to feedback. Don’t get defensive or take it personally. Simply use the feedback to identify areas for improvement and be willing to change. After all, personal development is about letting go of old habits and beliefs that are no longer serving you. There’s a difference between constructive and critical feedback. Although we want constructive feedback, sometimes people lack tact and don’t know how to effectively articulate it, so focus on the details that add value.
Colonel Jonathan Cartwright says, “In my USPFO organization, we have our annual goals on posters on the walls of offices. We keep a “Top 20 Goals” with three categories: Combat and Civil Support Readiness (Mission), People (Talent), and Effective Organizations and Innovation.” Each year, Colonel Jonathan Cartwright reminds his team of the leadership’s objectives. Then the employees across the state email or anonymously provide their ideas for our goals. Every employee gets a chance to provide input, usually 50-100 ideas come in. Then supervisors and division chiefs get an opportunity to trim the list down to a Top 35-50. Finally, Colonel Jonathan Cartwright and the command group finalize the Top 20-25 Goals from that list and publish it. This ensures understanding of the guidelines for the employees, included all employees in the process and allowed the leaders to have the final say. It’s an inclusive process with buy-in at all levels. The goals are tracked monthly but provide statuses to the organization on a quarterly basis. At the end of the year, Colonel Jonathan Cartwright and everyone involved in the goal-setting process celebrates the accomplishments during a Town Hall.
Practice Self Appreciation
One of the most important, yet often overlooked, aspects of personal development is self-love. In order to grow and improve, you need to nurture and care for yourself. This means taking the time to do things that make you happy, such as taking a relaxing bath, going for a nature walk, or spending time with friends and family.
U.S. Air Force Col. Jonathan Cartwright says this is a great time for self-reflection and means being accepting and forgiving of yourself. We all make mistakes and, when we do, it’s important to learn from them and move on. The saying goes, fail fast and fail often, but move forward. Holding onto feelings of guilt and shame will only prevent you from growing and achieving your goals. When you take care of your mental and spiritual health, you’ll have more energy and motivation to pursue your goals.
The Bottom Line
Colonel Jonathan Cartwright notes that personal development is a lifelong journey. It’s not something you achieve overnight, or the goals were too easy. However, by following the above steps, you can set out on the path toward measurable growth and transformation. Remember to be patient and consistent, and the change will come. Be a student athlete for life.
