How to Create a Personal Development Plan

Learn how to create a personal development plan that can transform your life for success. As the saying goes "if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail". We will discuss how to create a plan for our personal development. It can help you get in touch with your internal feelings, determine exactly who you want to be, and how you want to live your life. 

 A personal development plan is often used by young people who are always pressured by their peers. However, adults like you can benefit greatly by creating your own personal development plan. This single step in drafting your plan can transform your life for good. Below I have expatiated 5 steps you can take to craft a personal development plan.

1. Make a List of What You Admire

It is imperative to first decide exactly what types of qualities you admire in people around you that you would like to internalize on your own. This may be qualities that are easy to measure such as staying physically fit or losing weight. It may also include taking on a better and healthier diet, or living a life full of integrity.

Choosing the right types of traits that you find in other people you admire should be on the top of the list. Again, decide which three qualities you would like to incorporate in your own life, in order to begin the process of transformation. The types of qualities you should focus on are the ones that are outside your personal comfort zone. Besides, they should not be unattainable, so as not to quickly discourage you from achieving that goal.

2. Learn to Set SMART Goals

In order to be successful, you will need to set goals. If the qualities you selected above are tangible, like physical fitness, you will need to understand exactly what the goal looks like. It may include participating in a marathon, simply walking the neighbourhood, or changing bad eating habits to healthier ones.

If the qualities include living a life with high integrity, you will need to detail exactly what that looks like to you. It may mean ending bad behaviours, making better habits, or asking for outside help to achieve the goal. Read more on goal setting here. 

3. Flesh It Out

Once the goals are firmly in place, it is time to flesh them out, to give them substance. It is time to expand the plan to add meat to the bones. It is impossible to skimp during this part of the process. Expanding the plan might include attaching some form of timelines or benchmarks where you need to reach a specific goal at a specific time. Be realistic, and flesh out the goals on a timeline that can be easily achieved.

4. Find the Support

It is much easier to obtain these types of goals in your personal development plan with support. You can solicit the help of a family member, friend, therapist, physician or an exercise buddy that simply wants to take the route with you. With enough support, it is easy to achieve nearly any type of goal as long as it has been set in a realistic time frame.

5. Celebrate your Success

Finally, a personal development plan should include a way to celebrate your success. You can do this by keeping a journal, or checking off a long list of necessary goals. You can also include taking stock of past experiences and activities so you can determine exactly how far you have come on the journey of success. Remember that failures are part of the process, and you will need to forgive yourself if you need to start the process all over again.

In a nutshell, learn to create your personal development plan with these five (5) simple steps and get on the way to become successful in life. It will take time but you will surely be transformed for good. 

You may also want to read these related articles.

1. What does personal development mean to you. 

2. How to set your career goals.

Personal Development, what does It mean to You?

Personal development is a very private matter and what it means to me may not necessarily be the same thing that it means to you. However, there is one aspect of personal development that is the same for each and every one of us - the need to improve.

To be able to improve something, you first need to identify what areas in your life could do with a helping hand. The ability to identify room for improvement lies in a good knowledge of yourself.

The best way to get to know yourself better is to grab a pen and paper and make a list of what you feel your strengths and weaknesses may be. On the reverse side of the paper write down what you feel other people think your strengths and weaknesses may be.

You may find it interesting that two sides of the paper do not exactly correspond. Others may identify a strength in you that you may view as a weakness and vice versa.

Now look at the weaknesses that you identified within yourself and pick one that is not listed on the opposite side of the paper. Think about why you feel that area is a weakness while others don't. Ask yourself whether you lack self-confidence or whether you portray a different picture to the rest of the world?

This could be the first step you can take to personal development. Once you feel you have improved in that area, repeat the exercise and see whether you get the same results.

You also need to pay attention to the strengths that you listed. If you feel you have a strength that other people don't see, why are you hiding it? Remember that strengths are not automatically better than weaknesses and there may be some room for improvement so that everyone will notice a specific strong trait.

Even the strengths that correspond on both sides could always use a bit of work. Most people believe that they need to address their weaknesses in order to become a better person. Starting by building upon and bettering one or more of your strengths can provide you with the foundation you need to address other issues in your weaknesses.

If you are finding it difficult to distinguish between your strengths and weaknesses it may be beneficial to seek some professional help. A life coach or mentor is a great place to start or you could opt for more structured and traditional therapy in the form of counselling.

Professional help is not the only route you can follow and you can also turn to family or friends whom you respect and admire. They already know who you are and can help you more than you think.

Don't be afraid to ask for help along your journey of self development. It is very rare that people achieve any type of personal development or self improvement on their own and the more people you include in your journey the more likely you will be to experience growth.

What to do today

Which area of your life do you want to improve upon, write it down and start to work on it and you will love the results at the end.

Let me know what personal development mean to you. 

How to cultivate the Discipline of Courage

Courage requires that you make yourself do what you should do, that you deal with your fears rather than avoiding them.  

a)   The biggest obstacle to success in life is fear of failure, expressed in the feeling that, “I can’t! I can’t! I can’t!”  

b) Courage is a habit, developed by practising courage whenever it is required. As Emerson said, “Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.”  

c)  Make a habit of confronting your fears rather than avoiding them. When you confront the fear and move toward it, especially if it is another person or people or situation, the fear gets smaller and you become braver.  

d) Repeat the words to cancel fear, “I can do it!” over and over, to build up your courage and confidence.  

e) Identify one fear in your life and then discipline yourself to deal with it, to confront it, to do whatever it involves, as quickly as you possibly can. The payoff for identifying a fear and confronting it is tremendous, it gives you the courage and confidence to go through your life and deal with every fear-inducing situation. 

The discipline of courage is really needed if we are to succeed in our lives and careers. 

Do share with us any experiences you have with courage when it came to taking a major decision in your life.

How to develop the discipline of Daily Time Management

Rule: “Every minute spent in planning saves ten minutes in execution.” The more you plan, the bet­ter you use your time, and the more you accomplish.  

a.  Begin by making a list of everything that you have to do. The best time to write your daily list is the night before so that your subconscious can work on it while you sleep. 

b. Organize the list by priority before starting work.  

c. Practice the 80/20 rule, which says that 80% of your results come from 20% of your activities. What are they?  

d. Use the ABCDE method to set priorities. This is based on considering the consequences of doing or not doing a particular task.  

A = Must do - serious consequences for non-completion

B = Should do – mild consequences for non-completion

C = Nice to do – no consequences for non-completion

D = Delegate – everything possible

   E = Eliminate – everything you can to free up more time

e. Organize your list by A-1, A-2, A-3, and so on. 

f. Start on your A-1 task first thing in the morning.  

g. Discipline yourself to concentrate single-mindedly on your A-1 task until it is 100% complete.

The discipline of good time management spreads to all your other disciplines. It has immediate pay­off in improved results, and long term payoff in terms of the quality of your life work, courtesy - Brian Tracy. 

Hope you enjoyed the good habit development; do follow this blog for the next discipline.

How to Cultivate the Discipline of Daily Goal-Setting

Today, we will discuss the Discipline of Daily Goal-Setting, a habit that will help us both in our personal, career and in every aspect of our lives. Focus and concentration are the essential qualities for career and personal success. 

a)  Start by asking, “What do I really want to do with my life?” Ask this question over and over again until you get a clear answer.  

b)  Imagine that you had ten million dollars cash, but only ten years to live. What would you immediately do differently in your life? 

c)  Imagine that you have no limitations. That you could wave a magic wand and have all the time and money, all the education and experience, all the contacts you needed to achieve any goal. What would you do then?  

d)  Buy a spiral notebook and write in it every day. Begin by writing out ten goals in the present, positive and personal tense. Begin each goal with the word “I” followed by an action verb. For example, you could write, “I earn $xx,xxx by December 31, 2007.”

e)  Every day before you start off, rewrite your top ten goals in the present tense, as though you had already achieved them and you were reporting on this success to someone else.  

Rewrite your goals without looking back to the previous page. Rewrite them from memory. Watch how they grow, de­velop and change over time as you rewrite them each day. Many people have said that the discipline of daily goal setting has transformed their life and far faster than they had even imagined, courtesy – Brian Tracy.

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How to Advance Your Career – Seven (7) Disciplines

There are seven (7) disciplines you must develop if you want to achieve all that is possible for you and your career. You can learn these disciplines through practice and repetition until they become automatic in your life. 

Discipline No. 1 - Goal Setting

Every morning, take 3 to 5 minutes to write out your top goals in the present tense. Get a spiral notebook for this purpose. By writing out your 10 goals at the beginning of each day, you will program them deep into your subconscious mind. 

This daily goal writing will activate your mental powers. It will stimulate your mind and make you more alert. Throughout the day, you will see opportunities and possibilities to move more rapidly toward your goals. 

Discipline No. 2 - Planning and Organizing

Take a few minutes, preferably the night before, to plan out every activity of the coming day. Always work from a list. Always think on paper. This is one of the most powerful and important disciplines of all for high performance. 

Discipline No. 3 - Priority Setting
The essence of all time management, personal management, and life management is contained in your ability to set proper priorities and use of your time. This is essential for high performance.

Discipline No. 4 - Concentration on your Highest-Value Activities
Your ability to work single-mindedly on your most important task will contribute as much to your success as any other discipline you can develop. 

Discipline No. 5 - Exercise and Proper Nutrition 
Your health is more important than anything else. By disciplining yourself to exercise regularly and to eat carefully, you will promote the highest possible levels of health and fitness throughout your life. 

Discipline No. 6 - Learning and Growth 
Your mind is like a muscle. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field. 

Discipline No. 7 - Time for Important People in your Life 
Relationships are everything. Be sure that in climbing the ladder of success, you do not find it leaning against the wrong building. Make time for your relationships every day, no matter how busy you get. 

Action Exercise 
These 7 disciplines will ensure that you perform at the highest level and get the greatest satisfaction and results from everything you do. Study these 7 disciplines and then make a plan for how you can incorporate each of them into your daily life. (Courtesy – Brian Tracy).  

I encourage you to follow and subscriber to this blog to help you master the habit of self-discipline and learn more on self-discipline. 

How to Set Your Career Goals

This article will address goal setting as it specifically relates to career planning. Part of the career planning process involves setting goals. These goals, both long and short term, will be used to develop a Career Action Plan. The career action plan describes steps you will take to reach your goals. In this case the goal is usually a particular career objective. It can be a particular occupation, a rung on the career ladder, or an earnings level.

Goals may be either short or long term. Long term goals can take about three to five years to achieve, while short term goals are reachable in one to three years. Short term goals are often a stop along the way to our long term goals. 

We actually set goals regularly when we plan what we want to accomplish that day, that week, or even that month. Those are usually fairly simple goals, i.e. clean the house, finish an assignment, do laundry. You decide what you want to do and then figure out what you need to do to achieve your goal. Then you get into more complicated goals -- your plans for the future.  

One way in which we plan for the future is by setting goals. Merriam-Webster OnLine defines a goal as "the end toward which effort is directed." 

One of the most important things you will do during the career planning process is set goals. A goal is something you want to achieve; the end to the means, so to speak. In order to achieve a goal, you will need to exert some energy — generally a lot of it.

You should set both long-term and short-term goals:

Long-term goals: these are goals that you should be able to achieve in about three to five years.

Short term goals: these are goals that you should be able to reach in one to three years. 

In order for your goals to be achievable, they must meet certain criteria. Your goals must be: 

· Conceivable: you must be able to put your goal into words; 

· Achievable: you must have the attributes, energy, and time to accomplish your goal; 

·  Believable: you must believe you can reach your goal; 

· Achievable Within a Certain Time Frame: you must be able to state how long it will take you to reach your goal;

· Clearly Defined: you must know exactly what your goal is;  and 

·  Flexible: you must be willing to modify your goal as necessary. 

Once you have defined both your long-term and short-term goals, you can go on to develop a career action plan. 
The career action plan will list all your goals and the steps you must take to reach them. If your goals meet the criteria listed above, you are more likely to be successful in achieving them.

How to develop the Habit of Continuous Learning

“To earn more you must learn more.”Jim Rowan says: “Work at least as hard on yourself as you do on your work.”

a)  Read in your field 30-60 minutes each day. This will translate into one book per week, 50 books per year.  

b) Listen to CD’s in your car as you drive from place to place. This will amount to 500-1000 hours per year.  

c)  Attend seminars and take courses given by experts in your field. One idea from one course can save you years of hard work.  

d) The average income in America increases at 3% per annum. With compound interest, the average person doubles their income every 22 years. 

e) With the additional knowledge and skill you can apply to get better results, you increase your income at 10%, 15% and even 25% per year.

f)  10% per annum increase means that you double your income in 7 years and 2 months.  

g)  25% increase per annum means that you double your income in 2 years and 8 months. (Credit; Brian Tracy) 

Work on yourself as if your future depends on it, because it does. Continuous learning will make us to sacrifice our time for sleeping, leisure and family, however, the long term benefits far overrides the sacrifices we may go through today.  

Go ahead start reading that book, sign up for that online course; start listening to the language audio CD today and see where you get to by the end of this year.  

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How to Cultivate the Discipline of Hard Work

Goal: Develop a reputation for being a hard, hard worker. 

“The harder you work, the luckier you get.”- Thomas Jefferson

a)   The average work week in America is 32 hours. 

b)   The average person wastes 50% of the workday in idle chit-chatting with co-workers, extended cof­fee breaks and luncheons, personal business, reading the newspaper and surfing the internet.  

c)    Rule: Work all the time you work!  

d)   Start one hour earlier, and immediately get to work.  

e)   Work harder, through your lunch hour, all day long; don’t waste time.  

f)    Work one hour later; be the last to leave. Use this time to wrap up all your work and plan your next day.  

g)   Three extra hours of work will translate into 6-8 hours of productivity.  

h)  Ask; what is the most valuable use of my time right now? Whatever your answer, work on that every hour of every day. 

i)    If you get distracted, or interrupted, repeat over and over, “Back to work! Back to work! Back to work!” (Credit: Brian Tracy)

Working hard will not hurt or kill us as individuals and employees. Therefore in order for us to succeed and become wealthy, fulfilled individuals, we need to work hard at whatever we are doing.  

Dear friends, in order for us to make it in this life, we need to be hard working and develop the habit of managing our time daily.  

You are welcome to follow this blog, to read more tips on self-discipline, personal and career development success. 

How to develop the Discipline of Clear Thinking

Developing the discipline of clear thinking helps us to focus on our career and personal goals without wavering or changing our minds. This article will help us to develop the habit of thinking clearly when making career decisions.

Thomas Edison once said, “Thinking is the hardest discipline of all.”  

It has been said that there are three types of people. There are those who think (The small minority); there are those that think they think, then there are those who would rather die than think.

a)   Take time to think though the critical issues and problems in your life. Put aside long, unbroken chunks of time, thirty, sixty and then ninety minutes. 

   Peter Drucker said that, “Fast people decisions are usually wrong people decisions.” In addition, fast decisions with regard to your family, career, money or any other major issue are usually wrong decisions.  

b)  Sit quietly for 30-60 minutes to think. Practice solitude on a regular basis. “Go into the silence.” 

c) Whenever you practice solitude for more than thirty minutes, you activate your super conscious mind and trigger your intuition. You get it right from the “still, small, silent voice within.”  

d)  To think better, take a pad of paper and write down every detail of the problem situation you are facing. Sometimes, the right thing to do emerges as you write down the details.  

e)   Aristotle once said that wisdom (The ability to make good decisions) is a combination of experience plus reflection. The more time that you take to think about your experiences, the more vital lessons you will gain from them.  

f)  Go for a walk or exercise for 30-60 minutes. Very often when you are exercising, you will get insights or ideas that help you to think better and make better decisions. 

g)   Talk your situation over with someone else who you like and trust, and who is not emotionally involved; Very often, a different perspective can totally change your viewpoint.  

h)  Always ask, “What are my assumptions?” What is it that you are assuming to be true about the situation? 

i)  What if your assumptions were wrong? What if you were preceded on the basis of false information?  

Always be open to the possibility that you could be completely wrong in your current course of action. Be open to doing something completely different, courtesy – Brian Tracy. Don't forget to get your copy of the book on Goals!: How to Get Everything You want - Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible by Brian Tracy.