Developing oneself starts early in life as our experiences within our family, circle of friends, school and further education all contribute to shaping our growth and development as adults. But we should not forget that personal development is a lifelong process. It is a process through which we can assess the existing level of our abilities and qualities. Based on this assessment we can also identify the skills we need to focus on and develop, to increase our level of knowledge, confidence, and employability prospects. The evaluation of our attributes help us to make decisions relating to how we see our future and set goals to unleash our potential and achieve career growth.

The question may arise in our minds regarding, how should we go about making and implementing our Personal Development Plan ?

Once we have thought about and are clear on what we would like to achieve in the future, it is easier to make a plan about how we can get there. One very simple but effective way we can do that is to prepare a personal SWOT analysis for ourselves. By identifying our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats it will become much easier to make a personal development plan for making a focused plan for fulfilling our development needs.

Keep in mind that your plan can include any skill or activities that you need to focus on to improve yourself. These can include your behaviours, conduct, thought patterns or physical condition. It does not matter which sphere you need to focus on. What is key is that you pinpoint the relevant areas for development and then identify the steps that can help you to ensure that you attain the goals you are pursuing and attain them.

You can start by categorizing and taking the right steps that can help you to achieve the goals that you have identified for your future by :

1. Developing your personal vision – The most important step to take first is to know where you want to go. By visualizing your future, it will make it much easier to develop a plan for yourself. Moving step by step, it will be possible to define the skills and competencies you will require, how you can attain those skills and identify the steps and timelines to acquire those. This vision should define the short-term steps required  to take as well as the long term plan.
2. Planning your progress – In order to move forward in an organized and realistic manner to achieve your skills drawing up a plan of action is essential. There are planning tools available which you can use, or just a simple GANTT chart specifying your actions with timelines will also serve the purpose. Developing a plan and following it will make it possible to have a realistic approach that leads to the achievement of your targets.
3. Track your progress – In order to motivate yourself as well as know how you are progressing; it is important to keep track of your activities. Updating your plan and the timelines you have set for yourself will help you to reflect on your progress as well highlight  the successes you have achieved. Considering your progress will also motivate you to focus more on the identified skills or include / modify milestones in your plan as you move forward.
4. Reflecting upon your progress – By recording the key developments you have achieved; it will be easier to reflect upon your experience and consider what you have learnt. Also by pondering upon your past successes, you will have a clearer picture about what you did, what were the results and achievements. It will make it easier for you to decide what worked and what could be done differently in future. You will also have the opportunity to reframe your thoughts and to change your direction as required. This will result in making better progress towards the achievement of your goals.
5. Developing yourself in new areas – Development is also a science and it is clear that the more ways in which we develop ourselves, the more we can broaden our understanding and skillset. These two actions lead to greater success for us to achieve what we want in life. Learning new skills be they technical, emotional, or soft skills they will all add to learnings that may contribute to changing your life.

The extent to which a person can develop depends on their needs being met and the needs of any human being form a hierarchy. Maslow’s theory is based on the premise that all individuals have an in-built need for personal growth and development which occurs through a process called self-actualization. The extent to which we can grow depends on meeting needs and only when a lower level is met can a higher level be developed. As our life changes, the level of need motivating us to develop will also change.

According to Maslow all individuals have the requirement to see themselves as being competent as well as autonomous in their career . Also, every human being has an unlimited potential for growth and development. Every person also has the desire to become everything that they are capable of becoming. It is all a matter of channeling one’s potential in the right direction to self-fulfillment and also meeting one’s full potential as a unique person.

Remember, in order to be successful “One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” – Abraham Maslow