How to Create Your Own Self-Development Plan

Whether it’s thriving at work or sticking to a workout routine, we all have a self-development goal that we wish we had the time to achieve. It can be tough to prioritize these goals, and they often get forgotten about in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. The good news is, it’s never too late to start. Here’s how to create your own self-development plan and achieve the goals that are most important to you. 

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Check in with yourself and look for areas of improvement

Do a self-assessment to figure out which area of your life you want to develop. How are you feeling, both emotionally and physically? Are you happy with your career/academic life? Do the friendships you have add value to your life, or are they toxic? Identify specific areas that you’d like to base your goals on, like mental health or fitness.

Set a goal

After you’ve narrowed down your area of focus, you’re ready to set your goal. You’ve probably heard of SMART goals before: goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. Here are a few examples:

I will journal for 10 minutes every day this month to become more grateful and peaceful. 

I will run for 15 minutes 3 times a week and reduce my sugar intake to lose ___ pounds in 3 months.

I will work on my project for 30 minutes every day to finish it by this Friday.

Setting a SMART goal will help you hold yourself accountable and make you more likely to follow through.  Use the questions below to create your own SMART goal:

What exactly do I want to achieve? (Remember to be specific – statements like “lose weight” or “feel happier” are too vague!)

How will I know once my goal is reached?

Is this goal achievable, or unrealistic?

What is the deadline for me to achieve my goal?

Not sure where to start? Break your main goal down into a series of mini goals so that you have an action plan. You can start off slow and gradually increase your target over time to avoid frustration and burnout. Having one huge goal that seems out of reach can be discouraging. But accomplishing several smaller goals will give you the confidence you need to keep going.

How to measure mental health goals

If your goal revolves around mental health and wellness, it might be harder to measure since your emotions are constantly changing. Even if your overall mood improves, there may still be days when you feel a bit off. For this reason, gauging how you feel on the day of your deadline isn’t a very accurate way of measuring your progress.

Instead, keep track of how you’re feeling over time by journaling. Then, at your deadline, look back and see if things have improved, stayed the same, or gotten worse. If you can’t commit to journaling every day, check out the wellness tracker included in The Self-Development Planner. It’s a less time-consuming alternative to journaling that allows you to record your emotions in seconds.

Make a plan for success

There will probably be times when you get sidetracked or feel like giving up on your goal. You can prepare for moments like this ahead of time by making a success plan. First, determine what activities you can add to your everyday life that will help you achieve your goal. How can you incorporate these tasks into your schedule? Are there any activities that you can eliminate and replace with more productive ones?

Next, give yourself the motivation you need. Write down what you think it would be like to achieve your goal. Imagine the new sense of accomplishment you’ll have and how your life will improve. Take a few moments to visualize how you’ll feel in detail. Also, write down the reasons why you made this commitment to yourself in the first place. You can refer back to this exercise at any time, especially when you feel like quitting.

In addition, it’s helpful to make a list of resources and people you can go to for support along the way. You might get support from a friend or family member who helps keep you accountable. You may also find inspiration in books, your favourite YouTube channels, or other platforms.

Monitoring your progress

The final step in your success plan is setting milestone dates. These are days when you check your progress and make sure you’re staying on track. Schedule milestone dates in your calendar so that you can reflect on your improvement at regular intervals. Depending on the timeline of your goal, it could be anywhere from once a day to once a month.

Milestone dates give you a chance to feel proud of the progress you’ve made so far. Even if it doesn’t seem like you’re close to reaching your goal, you might be surprised at how much you’ve gotten done since you started.

If you made it through this article, you’ve already been considering how you can set and achieve new goals for your personal growth. Why not start now? Scroll down to subscribe to my email list to get your free copy of The Self-Development Planner!