Personal Development Plan Template
Reflection
First you need to reflect on your starting position. Below I am providing you with a few ideas and examples to help you get going with your own personal development plan. In your version, try to use as exact names and descriptions as possible.
While thinking and reflecting, keep in mind that this is all about you, your dreams, your deepest desires, your happiness and your life – not anybody else’s. You have to be happy yourself first before you can help others be happy.
Just like on the airplane during an emergency; you are instructed to put on your own mask first and then help other people. So be honest – no one has to see your work.
People
I recommend that you not disclose your self-improvement journey to people unless you really trust them – at least not at first. Let them experience the new you for themselves. Remain peaceful and humble, and treat all remarks as feedback while you are in the progress of changing.
When the time is right, you will automatically handle those situations more effectively, ie. with confidence and wisdom. Many of the negative or exploiting people will stop bothering you or simply drop off from your life. Others will begin to respect you.
Your Own List
Use the lists below as a GUIDE to create your very own list by printing a preparation work template (PDF) (or download the MS Word Document version by signing up for the free Practical Wellness Guide newsletter at the top-right part of this site: it is a ready-to-use MS Word personal development plan template).
Take your time in creating it (even a few days). Think about it as you go through your day and make notes. Refer to it once in a while when you need a boost of motivation, you feel stuck, or need to refresh your life vision. Keep updating and revising it often as you go through your life steps.
The Next Step
After you’re done with this exercise, you will most likely have a clear idea where you need to start to reboot your life. Your next step could be to clean up your house, office, computer, environment and take care of little annoyances (squeaky doors, phone ringer too loud, etc.).
Follow this with basic money cleaning, mind cleaning and social cleaning (see corresponding practical wellness sections for more information). Or if you feel you’re ready or need to make a change asap, you can go to the specific sections immediately.
Track Your Progress
I strongly recommend that you get David Michael’s software: The Journal. It will assist you in keeping a Daily Journal and Organized Notebook. You can easily reflect on your life lessons and your conclusions, see the changes in yourself, judge your progress, and set the next goal.
When you buy the journal through the above link, you will receive additional and very exclusive Special Templates that will “help you gain clarity, solve problems, and discover valuable insights.” These include exercises such as: Asses Your Life, Asses Your Relationships, Define Your Values, Clarify a Problem, and more. Click here to grab a fully functional 45-day free Windows trial version (on the page that opens, scroll all the way down).
Let’s get started!
Ask yourself the following questions:
Gratitude – What am I grateful for?
- Home or apartment, food, support of loving parents, care of great friends, etc.
- Body, soul, health, intelligence, common sense, ability to learn, ability to think, etc.
- Skills, talents, job, business, good clients, car, computer, internet access, etc.
- Mentors and teachers, challenging people and friends – all helping me improve, etc.
Appreciation is a key that will unlock the doorway to the new world.
– unknown
ME – What do I love about myself?
- Body: blue eyes, smile, wide shoulders, flexible, etc.
- Mind: intuitive, logical, creative, intelligent, sharp, etc.
- Personality: upbeat, warm, inspiring, responsible, etc.
- Social: tolerant, warm, open, sincere, good listener, etc.
- Career: punctual, well-organized, great accomplishments, etc.
- Biggest likes: positive and kind, sense of humour, persistent, etc.
Also note things that you would like to improve. For example be more of an extrovert, calm and cheerful, fit and healthy, open and expressive, personal image and presence, etc.
Inspiration – What inspires me?
Take your time in shopping around on the internet by searching images with google. Compile all your findings in one file (eg. MS Word document) or print them out and pin them where you will be able to see them everyday. This will be your VISION BOARD. See Life Transformation Essentials for a free Simpleology 101 course that will help you achieve what you want.
- Vision: your Vision Board of your Ultimate Life to start the process
- Best Me: calm, charming, wise, articulate, fit, healthy, etc.
- Home: home or condo, location, amenities, décor, assistance, etc.
- Places: Caribbean vacations, Southern Italy, Swiss Alps, etc.
- Things: nice clothes, nice car, nice sound system, etc.
- People: mentors, role models, friends, positive people, etc.
- Partner: type, character, attitude, values, skills, appearance, etc.
- Fun: hobby, sports, concerts, dancing, camping, exploring, etc.
- Work: busy financial district of any city, professional clothes, etc.
- Purpose: helping others reach their goals, seeing progress, etc.
If you’re going to be thinking, you may as well think big.
– Donald Trump
Energy – What nurtures me?
- Food: healthy and high quality food, occasional healthy desserts, etc.
- Joy: laughing, smiling, feeling good, sharing joy with friends, etc.
- Music: foreign music, classical/opera, house and dance, pop, etc.
- Work: praise, reward, accepted idea or solution, bonus, etc.
- People: loyal friends, kisses and hugs of female friends, etc.
- Things: driving, walking, exercise, photography, singing, comedy, etc.
- Nature: camping, fire, sun, lakes, mountains, horizon, animals, etc.
- Intimacy: giving others pleasure, receiving pleasure from others, etc.
Also note things that drain and tire you – avoid or fix as soon as possible. These could be being hungry or eating too much, interacting with negative or complaining people, working too many hours and days at once, not talking to that girl, being pressured, etc.
Strength – What makes me strong?
- Body/Mind: exercise, accomplishing a goal, learning from mistakes, etc.
- Soul: personal development plan, relaxing, breathing deep, nature, etc.
- People: like-minded friends, successful collegues, difficult people, etc.
Also note things that make you weak, small and bashful – avoid or fix as soon as possible. These could be lack of exercise, poor posture, not knowing about something, being stressed, being ridiculed, poor self worth and self image, etc.
Resources – What helps me?
- Time: fast computer, transportation, tools and software, outsourcing, etc.
- Money: getting paid on time, negotiating deals, investing, selling, etc.
- Image: casual, specialized or professional, grooming, charisma, fun, etc.
- Efficiency: morning or night person, sharp mind, to-do list, tools, etc.
- Various: your 5 or 6 senses, persuasion skills, things you can borrow, etc.
Also note things that set you back – avoid or fix as soon as possible. These could be checking email every 5 minutes, living on facebook, small distractions and chitchat, too many favours, too many lattes, taking a cab when late too often, not dressing for the job, slouching, negative face expression, going caveman, etc.
Values – What is important to me?
*these change frequently as you progress through life, update often (every 1-3 months)
- Self: self-improvement, self-esteem, organized life, exciting life, etc.
- Body: personal image, great fitness and shape, top performance health, etc.
- Heart: emotional stability, minimum drama, quality relationships, partner, etc.
- Money: stable income, residual income, own home, own business, etc.
- Giving: supporting a cause, charity, volunteering, good deeds, etc.
Talents – What is naturally easy for me?
- Life: organized living, self-improvement, trying new things, adapting easily, etc.
- Money: understanding finances and value, saving money, risk-taking, etc.
- Computer: programming, information hunting, graphic design, music editing, etc.
- Education: math, science, history, arts, computer science, music, etc.
- Learning: learning new things, languages, skills, habits, professions, etc.
- Personal: creative, determined, action-oriented, passionate, curious, kind, etc.
- Giving: supporting a cause, charity, volunteering, doing good deeds, etc.
- Various: select sports, driving, shoulder massage, understanding animals, etc.
Expertise – What is my value to others?
You can use the Talents list above as the guide to compile your Expertise/Experience list. For example: computer service and repair person, light technician, business accountant, marketing ethics evaluator, driver, personal trainer, instructor, good listener, etc.
Also while you at it, you may as well write your informal 10-second elevator pitch about yourself (either personal or professional). It doesn’t have to be perfect; the idea is to write out your value in one concise and clear paragraph. You can improve it later as you go along.
Contacts – Whom do I know professionally?
List your quality professional friends, co-workers, bosses, business partners, and networking acquaintances. Write their names, 2-3 positive things about them, how you can help them (by providing value), and how they can they help you (what do they have or do that can help you). You can also list positive people who challenge you and help you grow, or who could serve as great role models for you.
Friends – Who supports me?
List your good friends who support you in any way. Write their names, 2 to 3 positive things about them, why are you thankful to have them in your life, and how they support you. You can also list positive friends who challenge you and help you grow, or who could serve as great role models for you.
What are my Definite Goals and the Next Step?
Reverse engineer your life with 9 goal lists below. Try to populate them with your very own ideas for action. Don’t worry about making them perfect, just write something down. You can always revise them as needed later — or put in the computer lingo: there can always be version 2.0. This will become your general guide to reboot your life.
Begin with the end in mind.
– unknown
If you keep to your schedule, you deserve to reward yourself with something you like.
If you are off, but made a GENUINE attempt, reward yourself for the great effort, adjust the steps, and revise the timing.
If you procrastinated, revise the schedule and get on it NOW… do ANYTHING that will bring you closer towards your goals… for example: get a dose of self-discipline stat!
- Ultimate life
- 2-5 years
- This year
- 3-6 months
- This month
- This week
- Tomorrow
- Today
- Now
Read and update the current lists daily, ideally before you go to sleep and when you get up. Revise and update all other lists as they come due or otherwise need a touch up.
All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.
– Walt Disney
Read your Inspiration list and visualize your ultimate life as vividly as you can and as often as you can. For example, in the morning after you wake up and every night before sleep. Say positive affirmations to yourself based on all the lists you did today.
Really realize all the things you are grateful for, your resources, values, talents, contacts and friends. Realize that you are already fantastic and have so much you can start with. Then all you have to do is get up and just do it! Seek salvation in your own action, not from others.
Now re-read the above two paragraphs ALOUD 3 more times! This is really important!
To help you get started, below are some good smart goals examples. Be as specific as you can: When exactly? What exactly? How much? How many? What kind? How often? Where? Sign up for the Practical Wellness Guide Newsletter to get a free complete Summary.
- Clean the house, clean up your desk, overhaul your computer, fix annoyances
- Regain financial control, consolidate debts, automate payments, downgrade services
- Regain control over your time, make a schedule, make to-do lists, learn to say ‘no’
- Eat healthy, sleep properly, exercise, lose weight, get fit, improve appearance
- Minimize drama, find your role model, gather the tools & readings, boost your energy
- Work on communication or public speaking, experience life in higher gear
- Go out more often (how often?), meet new people (what kind?), look for love (where?)
- Follow your passion and your purpose, give back to community (how exactly?)
- Move to a nice condo in a nice city (be specific), have 1-5 rental properties
- Have 1-10 residual income streams, a dream career, live in comfort, enjoy your hobby
- Find the meaning of life, connect with like-minded people, co-create with them.
AWESOME PREPARATION WORK! Go ahead and take a break for the ideas to sink in. As you relax and do something enjoyable, you will receive additional insights percolating into your mind over time. Pay attention to them and write them down. Later re-visit your plan and get started with your next to-do item.
Just follow your heart and take action with logic. You’ll be fine! 🙂
I recommend referring to the following sections as you need’em:
- Physical Wellness and Body – Home, Diet, Health, Fitness, Image, Money, Safety
- Mental Wellness and Mind – Goals, Effectiveness, Communication, Business, Career
- Emotional Wellness and Heart – Love, Happiness, Passion, Identity, Social skills
- Spiritual Wellness and Soul – Energy, Purpose, Self-discovery, Enlightenment
- Wholistic Balance – Balancing personality, Balancing your day, Total Wellness
If you feel you need personalized assistance, check out the Pick My Brain section, or for help with massive life changes go straight for Lifestyle Management Happiness Life Coaching.
If you’ve found this article helpful, please post your comments below and spread the word. I want to hear your feedback. All the best!
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Right on-this helped me sort tihgns right out.
Make it happen, Brysen!
Go get’em!