A process or method to organise and control your self improvement efforts may seem unnecessary, why not just get on with it?

A process or method to organize and control your self-improvement efforts may seem unnecessary, why not just get on with it?

And, for some self help action that may be fine: for example, a specific, short timescale, task such as learning the basics of a language in three weeks.

Other personal growth initiatives, however, will prove difficult to achieve without some goal setting; a plan that puts you in control; and a process of managing the activities involved.

For example, introducing change into your life that will require new habits or behaviors, outside your comfort zone, and that will be spread over months or even years (e.g. escape from quiet desperation; learn to sing your song; become debt-free).

In these circumstances, without a process, you may find yourself needing some stress management if the going gets tough.

WHY?

Well, no one ever told us that for our self-improvement efforts to succeed we will need to progress on TWO levels simultaneously:

level 1. we will need to achieve WHAT we want to improve - the CONTENT of our self-improvement journey (e.g. learn a new language; become debt-free; learn to sing my song and change my life), AND

level 2. we will need to manage HOW we improve - the PROCESS of our self-improvement (e.g. be proactive in managing change; program ourselves for success; let go of our limiting bad habits; take self-help action).

Most people, embarking on self-improvement, know about level one - it is self-evident - and therefore they give it their undivided attention. It is the easy bit.

Most people are not as aware of level two until they bump into it unprepared when it often then sabotages their efforts. Level two is the harder bit.

But it is level two that is the key to winning and realizing a high return on your self-investment.

The big self-improvement secret of success is to pay attention to both levels but, in particular, level two.

The i-c-s-i way is a simple and flexible process that you can tailor to suit your specific needs.

It is a good idea to capture the process in a learning log or journal.

The process comprises the following four steps:

Step 1: I stands for INVESTIGATE:

This involves some analysis - collecting and relating information so that a situation can be broken down into simpler bits.

Each part can then be examined and its significance to the total process more easily understood.

This then enables an effective goal setting.

Analysis makes it a bit like aiming at a clear target with a rifle shot (rather than blasting away with a shotgun hoping to hit something).

In practice, you may want to analyze your situation with the following two key questions:

* what are you feeling dissatisfied about and want to change?

* What is your vision of where you want to be?

This may require you to assume that you have completed your self-improvement content and exceeded your expectations - what would that look like?, how would you describe it?

Also, you will need to research your intended CONTENT (e.g. using Google) for information, alternatives, examples, practical tips and techniques, etc.

It will include investigating what you will need to learn, and what old habits, that may be hindering you, you will need to abandon, and what new habits to acquire.

Carrying out a self-diagnosis exercise and a personal swot analysis will provide invaluable insights into your needs and, therefore, self-improvement goals.

Why INVESTIGATE?

The purpose of this step is to put "fuel in the engine", as it were.

That is, to give your conscious and unconscious minds something to work on.

Besides, INVESTIGATE and analysis help you to re-frame whatever views you may already have about the content you want to learn - a really useful first step towards changing old habits for new ones.

If your analysis leads you to expect significant change to occur, investigate, if you can, the costs of that change.

That is, something is always lost when change occurs (even if it is a bad habit or pain). That bad habit or pain may have become part of your "comfort" zone and now you will lose that "comfort".

The costs of change, and our inability or unwillingness to pay them, are often underestimated or unforeseen.

Result? - no change. We cop-out and our self-improvement fails.

Investigate as thoroughly as you can re the costs of change and consider how you will pay them

Step 2: c stands for COMMIT:

This includes clarifying your purpose; setting your goals; and preparing your plan of action.

That is, HOW are you going to go about it most successfully?

Your action plan will often include:

* objectives to be achieved (i.e. what will success look like?, what will you have achieved?)

* method - i.e. what actions will be necessary, in what sequence, to achieve your objectives?

* controls - i.e. how will you measure your progress?, how will you know that you are succeeding?

* supports - i.e. what resources will you need? (including help from others)

You don't have to work out an a-z action plan with all the "i"s dotted and "t"s crossed, just the first practical steps to move you in the right direction.

This simple plan will allow you to review your progress regularly and modify the plan as needed in light of changing circumstances that you couldn't have predicted accurately.

Planning is defined as:

preparing a statement of intention to achieve certain objectives.

It is key to proactive action and control (see below).

Your plan is your prediction of what you think should happen.

Your plan needs to be an aid and not a liability. In practice, this means be willing to re-plan as necessary new or different routes to your goals.

COMMIT also needs you to take a "look in the mirror" at yourself (seek feedback and help from trusted others, if necessary) and your motivation.

For example, ask yourself:

* WHY are you doing this? Why are you REALLY doing this?

* Whatever your reason, why is it important to you? (are you passionate about it? Is it a top priority for you?)

* What benefits are you expecting? (and at what price?)

* What risks, if any, do you see? (for you?, for others?)

* How will you commit the necessary resources? (e.g. time, money, support from others) What are you putting at stake?

* Are you in a fit enough mental, physical and emotional condition to deliver outstanding results? (if not, what are you going to do about it?)

* Are you programming yourself for success? (or failure?)

Why COMMIT?

The purpose of this step in the process is to provide focus, boost motivation and help to set you up for success.

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there - eventually, but you may wonder about all over the place.

COMMIT helps you to have a clear direction and, therefore, achieve success more quickly and easily.

Step 3. s stands for START:

This is the action bit, where you apply your efforts in line with your plan.

This is what actually happens as you do things, learn, change, etc.

This means, take action. DO IT. DO IT NOW. Give it your best shot.

"It", in this case, maybe learning new techniques; acquiring new knowledge; applying what you learned; practicing different approaches; implementing and improving your plan and developing new habits.

Why START?

The purpose of this step in the i-c-s-i way is to ensure action, progress, and stackability.

INVESTIGATE and COMMIT will not get the job done by themselves.

If you get stuck, or are unsure what to do, try (START) something different (e.g. use a different way of thinking from the whole brain model).

Also, INVESTIGATE and COMMIT may be thought of as preparation steps (and, as the old saying goes, "failure to prepare is to prepare to fail"), but must not become excuses for procrastination - paralysis by analysis.

Part of COMMIT should be to take action to achieve your self-improvement goals every day.

When you haven't got time today to take action on your personal growth goals, get into a proactive START mindset and say, "I'll just do five minutes". Then do 5 minutes (and see what happens) and plan to do 10 minutes tomorrow etc.

Also, START includes being an achiever so that your motivation, determination, and self-esteem are enhanced.

One view is that success is 5% inspiration and 95% perspiration.

Keep going, especially when it feels hopeless or useless and when others would give up.

One effective way of doing this is: as you put your plans into action, tick off your successes as you go.

You may choose to celebrate your successes in any way that is meaningful for you.

Keep START-ing and trust the process.

Step 4. I stands for INTEGRATE:

This means making the changes needed to build new habits that make your self-improvement learnings automatic - that's how you do things now, without having to think consciously about it.

Why INTEGRATE?

The purpose of this step is to ensure that you reach a state of unconscious competence.

This is where you really get the benefits of your self-development program. This is where the returns on your investment are.

INTEGRATE may require you to do some re-organizing of your time or activities or behavior patterns so that your new habits can be absorbed and reinforced,

Also, INTEGRATE often includes control - that is, comparing actual to should to identify variances.

This, in turn, stimulates more INVESTIGATION and analysis (see above) for learning, feedback, and iteration with the i-c-s-i way.

INTEGRATE also connects you back to COMMIT regarding your purpose and how well you have achieved it.

Sir Thomas Buxton, 1786-1845, is quoted as saying, "The longer I live, the stronger becomes my conviction that the truest difference between the success and the failure, between the strong and the weak, between the big and the small man, that separates the boys from the men, is nothing but a powerful aim in life, a purpose once fixed and then death or victory. And no perfect speech or manners, no culture or education, no pull or influence, can make a two-legged creature a man without it".

Although these four steps have been described as a linear sequence, in practice, you will find that you iterate between them and each one can add to, or modify, the others.

Depending on your purpose, and the nature of your self-development content, you may need only a superficial use of the i-c-s-i process (e.g. if you intend to learn the basics of a language in 3 weeks, you may not need to go very deep with the steps).

If, however, you are intending to make significant changes to your life (e.g. become debt-free; create the future you want), using the i-c-s-i process will facilitate your success.

Take the above suggested i-c-s-i process and tailor it to suit you and your needs.

As above, though, keep it simple, practical, and common sense so that it works - change it if it doesn't, but don't give up.

This process will put you in control and make the achievement of your self-improvement goals easier and more satisfying.

It will cause you to proactive and boost your self-worth as a result.

It will help you to sing the songs of your choice.

The i-c-s-i questioning process will most likely require you to do some serious thinking.

We each have our own unique thinking style and it can be very useful to know what your preferred ways of thinking are.

The whole-brain model expresses thinking preferences in terms of left and right brain thinking and cerebral and limbic thinking.

The i-c-s-i process will likely need you to do some of each.

Be sure to adapt the i-c-s-i process to be proactive and in control of your self-improvement.