Do you have a Personal Development Plan?

Several years ago I became interested in understanding the secrets to success. This curiosity led me to research the subject and I learned key principles and practices . I was astonished to discover that among the most successful people in the world, they all shared a common principle. They believed in having a personal development plan for their lives. 

What is a Personal Development Plan ? 

A personal development plan is the establishment of aims and objectives, understanding  what you want to achieve or where you want to go, in the short, medium or long-term in your life .It helps to identify needs for skills, knowledge or competence to help you with your achievement. We can also look at it from a different perspective.  Let's say you are going on a trip to a different country, wouldn’t you like to know where exactly you are going, how to get there and what you would need to get there? I am sure that you would demand all the necessary details before leaving. So why do so many of us live our lives without a plan? 

We all have dreams and aspirations but oftentimes we allow the vicissitudes of life to determine whether or not we will pursue them. Life has many challenges but having a personal development plan can help bring clarity and support to your aims and objectives. 

How to prepare a  personal development plan? 

A PDP as I like to call it, can be simple or comprehensive depending on your personal preferences. However, I  would like to share with you three (3 )simple steps to help you get started with your personal development plan:

• Create a  vision - You need to have a clear mental picture of where you want to be in the future. A vision allows you to clearly see what you want to achieve, it brings clarity and provides direction for your life. I know that many people do have a vision  of where they would like to go in the future but only few take time to write it down and make it clear. All you need to do is to set aside time alone with a blank sheet of paper and pen,  write everything that you want to achieve. Don’t allow negative thoughts to affect you, once you can envision it, you can achieve it.  Writing your vision down is very important to your personal development plan, so don't skip this step. 

• Take a self assessment test - This provides an opportunity for you to understand your strengths, weaknesses and areas of development. One simple way to do this is by doing a personal SWOT analysis. You might have heard about this being used in large organizations but it can be applied to individuals as well. SWOT is an acronym  for Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats. A personal SWOT analysis also allows you to focus on what are the most important aspects of your life, areas of development and it helps with strategic planning as well.  Most people focus on the weaknesses and threats when performing this analysis. However, I suggest that you look closely at your strengths and the opportunities because they provide inspiration to get started when executing your  personal development plan.  

• Build your personal development plan - This is where you get down to work. You will need to be specific about your aims and objectives. There are some key questions that you will need to answer for the formation of your plan. For example: What are your goals ? What resources will you need? How are you going to accomplish them? Who are the people you need to connect with ? What time frame is required for completion ? By asking the right questions you will begin the process of creative thinking, this will then help you to make your plan more specific. Additionally, you will need to create a support system within your plan. This can come in many different forms, from habit formation to an accountable buddy that you report to at a certain time.  Your personal development plan is your guide on how to get to the life you really want, creating it takes time so don’t rust, keep building and tweaking as often as you can. 

Now that you have the 3 simple  steps for creating a personal development plan, it's time to get started. When I created my plan it took a few months to get it right, but it was worth the time. I became confident, focused and inspired. I am sure that you will experience the same, having a plan ensures that you avoid unnecessary hindrances . It will put you on a path for success and fulfillment. If you feel encouraged to share it with others , do so because it can act as a support system for you.  Your personal development plan is a great way to be successful.  If you find this article helpful then I encourage you to share it with others. 

God Bless you.