HOW TO CREATE A PERSONAL GROWTH PLAN

6 min readMar 22, 2020

We tend to think about our careers and personal growth as one ongoing process — like a river flowing constantly. But if you’re swimming in that river, every so often you need to stop to take a breath. Taking a moment to create a personal growth plan is like taking a very deep breath.

Personal growth should be a lifelong commitment for all of us. When we commit to a lifetime of learning and being better, we won’t stagnate or become trapped by our limiting beliefs. Without clear personal growth goals, we cannot create a clear and effective plan and will likely feel unfulfilled in our efforts.

Focusing on your own individual personal growth plan enhances the qualities you hold within you and makes your dreams and aspirations turn into a reality. Your potential is limitless and investing in personal development is a way to harness your many talents.

Personal growth and success mean something different for everyone, but there are some basic habits that you can tailor to your own life to ensure you continue to grow. By creating a foolproof personal growth plan, you can prepare yourself to tackle any obstacle in the way of your goals and work toward becoming the best version of you possible.

EIGHT WAYS TO CREATE YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH PLAN

1. IDENTIFY WHAT YOU REALLY WANT FOR YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH

What is important to you? Which new skills do you want to get? Which achievements would make you happier? Do you have any unfulfilled dreams which you are now ready to accomplish? Do you want to move ahead to the next stage in your career? Do you want to get a better job?

Once you have a clear outcome in mind for your personal growth, think about your reasons behind the goal. At first glance, you may think it’s just because you want to feel better about yourself and you’re trying to find ways to build yourself up. These are all important factors, but to really take your growth to the next level, you have to dig a little deeper.

2. DISCOVER THE DEEPER “WHY”

I’m sure by now you have lots of goals in your mind. Maybe you want to lose weight, save money for a vacation or be promoted. But first, we need to figure out your why.

When asking yourself the question, “What are the reasons for committing to my personal growth plan?” you need to challenge yourself to think of a larger “why.” By seeing that you’re driven by factors larger than yourself, you’ll feel more encouraged to take on the task at hand and really commit to that personal growth plan.

Your reasons need to be clear and compelling and they need to help you focus on what achieving your personal growth will mean to your way of life. When you do this, you stop pushing yourself toward a goal. Instead, you are pulled toward that goal with passion.

3. PINPOINT OBSTACLES IN YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH PLAN

First, think about what you already have going for you — what are the strengths and the skills that are already relevant to your dream? Maybe you want to move into a new work field — then your natural networking skills will help you get to know the industry quicker.

Now you need to take a look at what’s getting in your way. Many people see challenges as obstacles that are keeping them from their personal growth goals when they’re actually opportunities. Take a look at what you perceive as roadblocks on your path and see how you can either remove them or reframe and use them to get you closer to your objectives.

4. GET THE TOOLS AND COACHING YOU NEED

It’s okay to acknowledge that you can’t create a personal growth plan all on your own. Many of the world’s most successful people turn to external tools and strategies when they embark on their path to personal growth. Check out the best personal growth books, turn to stories or quotes you find inspiring or find a mentor who empowers you. You can also work with a personal growth coach who can help you clarify your plan and develop the best strategy to achieve it.

5. MAKE SURE YOU’RE IN ALIGNMENT WITH YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH PLAN

There’s more to personal growth than simply setting goals and then working hard to achieve them. Many of us suffer from inner conflicts that lead to self-sabotage. We must first unlock these conflicts and get ourselves into alignment before we can take the next step toward our personal growth goals. Abiding by the law of attraction can help to achieve alignment.

Once you are aligned, you will find yourself taking action that leads to success. You’ll focus on what you really want and know, deep down, that you deserve to have the personal growth and successful life you are striving toward.

6. WRITE IT ALL DOWN

Keeping track of your personal growth plan in your head is difficult and it’s easy to make little changes and adjustments that keep you from achieving your goals. When you write it down, you have visual proof of your original plan and you can re-read it. Writing down your plan and tracking your progress also helps you increase focus and limit distractions.

Reviewing your achievements, and recording them, is also a way to check your progress against your goals. While your personal goals are just that personal it can nonetheless be interesting to look back and see if they have changed. If you never record your goals and achievements, you have no way of seeing how you have grown over time.

7. REWARD YOURSELF FOR MILESTONES IN YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH PLAN

Don’t wait until you accomplish all your goals to celebrate. When you make progress on any part of your personal growth plan, take time to recognize it. You can perform little acts of self-care like getting a massage or treating yourself to some uninterrupted time with your favorite hobby. Increase your enjoyment of the celebration by sharing it with someone else who is aware of your personal growth journey. This increases connection and makes your progress that much more rewarding.

8. FOLLOW THROUGH AND HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE

Most of us talk endlessly about our hopes and dreams, and our desire to achieve our goals. Yet, day after day, month after month, we put our ambitions on hold. We fail to take steps toward our objectives. We procrastinate.

You can have the greatest idea in the world and be brimming with talent and ambition, but unless you actually take steps to put those concepts to the test, you’ll never know if you’ll succeed or not. That’s why it’s so important to find ways to hold yourself accountable.

Keep yourself accountable to your personal growth plan by regularly updating a close friend or family member on your progress. It’s often beneficial for those working on personal growth to partner with another person who is working on their own plan. This allows you to go on the journey together and provide support and encouragement.

START YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH JOURNEY TODAY

Everyone has the power to change their lives for the better. Whether you seek further fulfillment in your personal or professional life, the first step is deciding you’re ready to commit to a personal growth plan. With this growth plan, you will never have to compare yourself to others again. This will then lead to clarifying your true reason for wanting to change, seeking out the best tools to get you there and then keeping track of your progress along the way.

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