Write the vision and make it plain. Habakkuk 2:2
It is not enough to say that you want to change, you actually have to commit to it. One of the best ways to adapt to change is to begin with the end in mind. What you may be saying is how would I know the end if I am just starting? Creating an individualized personal development plan is your blueprint for designing the life you want to live. Getting started may be intimidating so before you quit before experiencing a transformation do these four things.
Decide what you want by creating your personal vision: Think about what you want and how you plan to get there. The goals you begin to set for yourself today will guide your life in the beginning stages of identifying your true self. You start small with what you can accomplish today, then move into what you can get done in a month. The stepping stone goals lead into bigger things as you establish your good habits that lead into you understanding your strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes you are so reliant on your strengths that you hinder yourself from experiencing real growth because you are operating in your comfort zone. You are here now because you have hit a plateau and recognize that it is time to do something different. So now it is a matter of figuring out your direction in life so that you align your goals and vision to make your personal development impactful.
Identify your opportunities to grow: There is no such thing as too much focus on your skillset because ultimately that is what you use everyday as a part of your daily routine. Each year, or even each day for that matter should be an opportunity to reflect on how you spend your time. You already know how to operate in your strengths but sometimes you neglect the work you need to do to become more well-rounded. There are some external factors that are out of your control that present barriers to your growth. However, dealing with your internal factors is the work you have to do when you know you are not performing at your highest potential. Speaking in the positive about your weaknesses leads to you acknowledging what you need to do to create opportunities to grow that will eliminate threats to your continued progress. You have to be willing to be uncomfortable to experience growth and that is the missing link sometimes when you are complacent.
Create your action plan: Once you have adjusted your mindset to your impending change you must then get specific about what you want. The buzz word is SMART goals but what does that look like? Set your BIG THREE GOALS for the week because this helps you accomplish smaller tasks each day that take priority in your life. Your action plan must speak to your ultimate destination in life with specific steps you will take to begin to check things off of your list. Get an accountability partner that believes in your transformation and will offer you encouragement along the way. Realistically, facing your shortcomings was the push behind your change in the first place. You create this plan with the understanding that even when you feel like giving up, you have to stay the course to change the trajectory of your life to really maximize your skills and talents.
Remember that your plan can be adjusted: From week one to week 12, a full quarter of work is enough time to examine your progress. Do you need to regroup and redirect your energy? If you find that the plan you initially created for yourself is not getting you the desired results, it is perfectly fine to redo your plan. You may even find that what you initially thought you wanted to do is no longer of interest to you. Get yourself unstuck when you find that your personal development plan is not serving you any purpose. Your timeline may get shortened or extended depending on your productivity and after all the goal is to grow and truly take up space in your life differently than you have before. When your skills strengthen and your interests change, so should your plan of action.
Last note, remember things may change, but when you work on one goal at a time, you’ll be pleased to look back on where you started and realize that you have been putting in the work and it’s only up from here.
~LaTilya
latilyarashon.com 