These are the 6 elements of the FOLLOW framework
Over the years, I've been able to build the FOLLOW framework. It helps you reflect on who you currently are, what you want to learn and how to make sure that is succesful. And the beauty is, that it takes only 20 hours of focussed effort to get decent at something.
- Find. It all starts with knowing where you're at. Knowing what it is that excites you. What you're curious about. The easiest thing to do is to just write down everything that comes to mind when you think of excitement and curiosity.
- Outline. Here, we create a blueprint for our personal growth. What are your short term and medium term goals? As you probably know by now, I hardly ever plan for goals more than 3 months ahead. Get the 'lay of the land' and then go deep. In other words: write down what you know, so you see what you don't know. Learn that.
- Limit. As with anything, there's no point focussing on too many things at once. Limit yourself to only 1 or 2 things at a time. Sure, you can list more things you want to learn in the future but don't try and do it all at the same time. As with work, you won't be able to give anything the time it deserves when you're trying to cram your schedule.
- Learn. You've already determined what it is you want to learn. Pick any subject you're going to go deep on and go do it. Have fun with it. Explore that curiosity of yours. Do the thing that excites you. Learning new things should be fun and rewarding. Try learning by teaching others. It's one of the most rewarding learning methods.
- Observe. Monitor your progress. See what you've learned. Try to put it into practice and get external feedback. Try to find out if you can see your progress. Get feedback from peers, mentors or anyone you trust. This is an essential part of your learning curve and it can really speed up your progress.
- Win. There's nothing like a little bit of winning. Celebrate your achievements and actively reflect on the new skills you're aquiring. Understand that every little step forward is victory. Look back at the hurdles you've overcome. It's never easy but in the end it's always worth it.
Articles about Personal Growth
Here's a list of all articles I've written to explore becoming a better human:
Best books on personal growth
My personal productivity workflow is a combination of things I've learned from the books below. There's tons of useful information in these books. What works for you, depends on your personal preferences. So read more, and apply what works for you. For example, Focus Blocks I've taken from Tim Ferriss. Attention Management from Chris Bailey. Expectation Management from Covey. Only doing whatever's the most valuable activity (prioritization) by Cal Newport, Stephen Covey and Tim Ferriss. And finally, focus on Major Area's by Peter Drucker.
- James Clear - Atomic Habits
- Carol S. Dweck - Mindset
- Tony Robbins - Awaken the Giant Within
- Daniel Kahneman - Thinking, Fast and Slow
- Barry Schwartz - The Paradox of Choice