How to Create a Personal Growth Plan
Do you have a personal growth plan? Where do you see yourself in a year, 5 years or 10 years?
A personal growth plan is a handbook for life: Your goals, skills that you need to sharpen, and habits you want to develop. It can cover areas such as career, business, education, relationships, and self-improvement.
A personal growth plan provides clarity and focus to help you reach your goals and dreams.
This plan asks you 3 main questions:
What do you want?
Why do you want it?
How will you get there?
G=Goals
What are your personal and professional goals? What do you really want out of life and how are you going to get there? How will you stay motivated and focused on your goal?
R=Reality
Where are you in life? The first step on the journey to greatness is facing some truths about your current situation. It requires you to ask and find answers to some tough questions.
O=Options
What options and resources do you currently possess? Take a self inventory and make a list of all of your gifts, talents and skills. You can also ask a trusted friend or mentor to help you with this exercise. Sometimes, it takes someone from the outside to help remind us of our true potential. Identify your strengths and learn how to tap into your greatness.
W=Will
You probably have heard the saying, “If there is a will, there is a way”. If it’s important to us we find a way, if it’s not we find an excuse. Ask yourself, “How bad do you really want it?” Growth requires change and change requires action. But don’t forget it all starts in the mind.
Here’s an easy guide to create your growth plan:
1st Column: List the area of personal growth (business, career, education, etc.)
2nd Column: Write the S.M.A.R.T. goals. Be specific and add target dates for completion.
3rd Column: Write down the “how”, list the highest impact activity that will produce the biggest results to reach your goals
4th Column: List your Why
Focus on tackling one goal at a time. When you gain momentum you can ramp up and focus on a few at a time.
Anything alive is growing, are you?