The current pandemic situation has created a lot of uncertainty in our minds. It has prompted us to think on things that you want to change about yourself. However, there could also be parts of herself that you don’t really want to change but probably should.
Learning is just a small step towards personal growth. If all the content consumed from self-help books and resources out there, isn’t put into implementation, we’re not really growing.
Few us may want to make the changes not knowing where to start. It could also be too overwhelming to make all of the changes for few of us. If you can relate to any of those statements, you need a Personal Growth Plan to keep you on track. In this blog, I’m sharing how you can create an actionable Personal Growth Plan.
What personal growth really means?
At its root, personal growth involves improving your habits, behavior, attitude, and actions. It involves self-discipline and commitment to yourself. The most important part of personal growth is self-awareness. You have to know your strengths and weaknesses in order to change. Then you need a healthy mindset that encourages you to improve as a person, rather than believing that you are fixed and can’t be changed. We can’t change the things that have happened to us, but we can make choices and decisions that help ourselves in the future.
How to develop your personal growth plan
The Personal Growth Plan is a tool to help you map out what you want to change so you can actually make it happen.
Step One: Awareness
The first step to creating your personal growth plan is to identify the areas of your life that need change or improvement. Coaches use a tool called the Wheel of Life which gives a picture on where they’re struggling and where they’re thriving.
The best way to create awareness around the areas of your life that need improvement is to rank aspects like health, career, relationship, finances, recreation & personal growth on a scale of 1-10 based on how satisfied you are with them.
Step Two: Focus
Now that you’ve ranked each area from 1-10, choose 1-2 areas to focus on for your Personal Growth Plan . These don’t necessarily have to be the areas that you gave the lowest score. Instead, choose the areas that you feel excited or drawn to work on first. Ask yourself why you want to work on that aspect and what you would achieve making that change. It’s important to only choose a few to work on at a time to ensure you see success.
Step Three: Evaluate
Now that you’ve identified the areas you want to work on, evaluate where you’re at right now so you can brainstorm ways to improve. Repeat this process if you’re focusing on more than 1 area. Evaluate what that area of life looks like right now, what is missing or not working out or what would make you feel more fulfilled in that area.
Step Four: Brainstorm
Based on your previous answers, think about what it would take to increase your score by one point (e.g. from a 6 to a 7). Then write down what it would take to get you closer to a 10. The goal is to take small steps to increase your score. You can put together actions you would like to take up in the next 3-6 months to improve you score. Build habits that will support your growth in this area.
Step Five: Create Your Plan
Set a time frame for yourself to work towards. 6-8 weeks is a good amount of time to for you to see some positive needle movement. Create an outline of your Personal Growth Plan. Here’s what to include: area of focus, current score, target score, time period, action steps and daily habits to achieve it.
Step Six: Follow Your Plan
Now you have a detailed plan to follow. The crucial part now is to stick to the plan and sustain momentum. Keep an accountability partner (friend, spouse, coach) who can help you stick to the plan. Maintain a calendar to keep track of your plan. Put reminders for daily habits. Follow the 30 day routine to ensure your new changed habits sustain. Pin up your personal growth plan somewhere you can see every day. Block time with your coach to evaluate your progress periodically & make necessary course corrections periodically.
