Crafting a personal development plan according to what YOU want, need, and believe, will enable you to succeed. Here are the steps to take to create YOUR plan.

• Do NOT accept The Status Quo – You must be willing to step out of your comfort zone and admit that you’re NOT okay with the way things are right now. You must be willing to devote time and energy to your plan. Your action demonstrates acceptance! So, make a commitment and start now!!
• Be Serious About Your Plan – Be committed to taking the time and attention it takes to develop your plan. Then, put the plan down on paper and keep it in front of you. Use the plan to implement, update, monitor, and track your efforts. Make sure you have a place on the plan to give yourself a ‘star’ for each accomplishment that you make.
• Make Your Plan Do-able – Don’t make it so simple that it will not challenge you or be effective. Neither can you make the plan so difficult that you cannot succeed in working the plan. Base your goals and objectives on two realities: First, who you are and the time available to work the plan; Second, where you want to be and the time it will take to get there. Push yourself but do so within realistic expectations.
• Make Your Plan Specific – As you develop your plan, work very hard on defining your goals and objectives. Loosely defined objectives aren’t specific enough to give you a real goal and the ability to measure that goal. Be detailed enough about each step or action of your development plan.
• One Step At A Time – Define the area of personal growth that you want to achieve. Physical, mental, social, etc. Then, focus on one area at a time. Once you have mastered that first goal, you can move forward to the next area with the confidence that you have gained finalizing the previous goal. Build on your success and do it one step and one day, at a time.
• Ask For Help – If you are having problems setting or defining objectives, get help. Even the greatest athletes in the world, rely on coaches to help them. Get a strategist to help you set your goals. Get a trainer or friend to encourage and support your workouts. Have a mentor give you an evaluation of your progress along the way. In whatever situation you need, don’t be afraid to get help and support.
• Be Realistic About Your Expectations – There will be times when you don’t hit your goal. If you don’t, focus upon what you have accomplished and don’t waste time beating yourself up for the ‘failure’. Reset your resolve, rework the plan, and get back to work. Imperfect action is better than NO action, so learn from the past and work to exceed your previous success.
• Control Your Environment – Where you are, and the conditions around you, will affect the success of your plan. So, before working on your plan, make sure that the people and conditions around you support your goals. If conditions are not right, then adjust your schedule or the environment. This is not an excuse to get out of working your plan, but a realistic assessment of the people and conditions around you. Be smart and be successful!