Guide to Creating your One-Year Personal Development Plan

Young woman during personal planning. The Caucasian woman is working on a new plan. Business planning concept. Vector flat design illustration. Square layout.

It is a common question, “where do you see yourself in the next five years?” People are always looking into the future, and most times, this question will be asked by employers looking for the perfect employees. Well, I am here to tell you that a personal development plan is more than a gateway to the career of your dreams; it is a way to discover yourself and grow into the person you have always wanted to be.

Before deciding where you want to be in the next five years, however, I have developed a plan to help you figure out what you want your life to look like a year from now. Once you realize how easy it is to plan your future, you will be doing it in no time (I hope).

Knowing Where you were and where you are

You have to start somewhere, right? So take a look at the major aspects of your life that you want to change. Focus on the major areas of family, money, self-care, community, and so on. Take note of your past and your present, and using the two as building blocks, you should be able to make a strong personal development plan for your future.

Dare to Dream

The whole point of a personal development plan is to try and make you into whoever you want to be. Maybe you want to lose weight, or maybe you want to start reading more or traveling more; you have to imagine it in your mind and then start working towards it. Simply take out a piece of paper and write down the future you hope to have in the next year because that it the moment your journey will begin.

Animating your Personal Development Plan

This is the challenging part, but once you start, the plan will fall into place like dominos. You only have to take it one step at a time, and to do this, take one goal you hope to achieve and make it into a SMART goal. This is an acronym that stands for:

S- Specific

M- Measurable

A- Attainable

R- Relevant

T- Time-Bound

Having SMART goals is like having a map for your development plan. If you hope to lower your cholesterol by the end of the year, for instance, you could start by buying a fitness tracker and signing up for a regular exercise class.

You have to know what you want, and starting with the very basics, build your way up to your future.

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Get on with it

Well, now you have everything down on paper and have drawn a map to your future. The only thing left to do is implement your plan and get to work. The only thing worse than not having a personal development plan is having one and not using it. There is a point to all this, but it will only become clear once you get up and start working towards bettering your future. If you hope to save more, then start by putting away a dollar immediately, then keep doing it until it becomes second nature.

If you need more confidence read these articles first

Get ready for a more confident you! Part One

Get ready for a more confident you! Part Two

Get ready for a more confident you! Part Three

Get ready for a more confident you! Part Four

Get ready for a more confident you! Part Five

Do you know how to build your confidence if you are over 40?

 Good luck

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