What does personal development mean to you?

Personal development (or self-improvement) means different things to all of us. It is such a vast and important topic that to cover all aspects and really do justice to the title would require a book, not a short article like this one. However, I will do my best to give my brief synopsis on a topic that I think is very important and something that I have practiced for many years.

Perhaps we should start with a definition of what Personal Development definitely is not. It is not a short-term, quick, or sometimes painless activity. Personal Development cares about our long-term continuous improvements that help and guide us to achieve our goals and objectives and ultimately to achieve our dreams. It is not simply about learning a new skill, but about developing our personality, identity and potential so that we can become the best we can be.

Personal development is a journey that takes many twists and turns during our lives and will change as our careers and lives develop. Do not be afraid to amend your plans, like everything in life, change is not a bad thing, it just needs to be understood and accommodated within your new goals and dreams. The beauty of a Personal Development plan is the fact that it is staffIt’s your plan and you can make it what you want. Its strength is that it gives you documentary evidence of what you are trying to achieve, whenever you question or doubt where you are going, you can go back to your development plan to gain the confidence to move forward and regain that focus.

Where do I start?

So where do you start? This is the part you have to do on your own. You need to go to a quiet place and spend some time writing down your dreams or goals…as these will become your reason why. Why would you be willing to work that extra hour, why would you do that extra task, or why would you make those endless cold calls? When everything seems too difficult and you are about to give up, it will be your dreams and your reason why that should be strong enough to sustain you and help you persevere until you finally succeed.

and after the dreams

Once you have recorded your dreams, you can begin to develop the actions you need to take to achieve those dreams. The actions you develop should follow the SMART acronym to ensure they are achievable: Smart, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Some of your actions may involve learning new skills, so you may also need to define an education plan as part of your plan. All of this information is recorded in your Personal Development Plan. There are a multitude of formats for Personal Development Plans, but don’t get caught up in the format, as it is the content that is really important. You need to cover the following information:

• Long-term dreams/goals – This must be more than 5 years. Include both personal and professional dreams…and dream BIG!
• Mid-term dreams/goals – This should be in the next 5 years.
• Action plan – It must cover the actions that you are going to carry out during the next 12 months and must be written using the SMARTER methodology
• educational plan – What do you need to learn to help you achieve your dreams?

now the hard part

In many ways, creating the plan is the easy part of the process. The hard part and where most people ultimately fail is in executing the plan. If carrying out all actions and achieving all your dreams were easy, then the world would be a very happy place. However, to complete the actions requires commitment, tenacity and dedication to simply do it. If you need to change your plans because your circumstances change, then that’s fine, but try not to change because it’s too hard… Isn’t it worth sacrificing your dreams a little?

If, like I did, you need help with your planning or support with your execution, join and consider joining a community of coaches. It was a breakthrough for me when I joined a community. I discovered an online community that not only teaches how to become a successful online business person, but provides a support group of like-minded people to help you get through those tough times. Whichever you choose, it will help you stay true to your personal development.