Why You Need A Personal Growth Plan

It was a year ago this month I began my journey in personal growth.

I had some ideas for what I wanted to do after I was laid-off, and they didn’t involve going back to corporate America.

It wasn’t going to be an easy process, but I knew it would be worth it in the long run.

But then once my lay-off date came, I found myself at home, unmotivated, not getting started.

The truth is, I didn’t know how to get started.

So, I just sat in neutral.

Then, one weekend, everything changed.

I attended a conference and felt the guest speaker speaking directly to me.

She asked, “Who is waiting on the other side of your obedience?”

I considered my answer to that question:

Who was waiting on me to get my head out of my you-know-what, and get a move-on with this plan of mine?

I left that conference with a resource kit with a book, CD set and goals planner.

And just like that, personal development became my new favorite thing.

I learned how to set goals, manage my schedule, break bad habits and implement good ones, and most important of all, change my thinking!

It never occurred to me you could actually change the way you think!

If you saw my goals planner, you’d see all the things I’ve achieved this past year.

Things I never thought I was capable of doing.

And I’m just getting started.

Personal development has been my companion on the road to success.

If you want to change your life, be intentional about studying personal development and creating a personal growth plan.

You have to work on the inside before you’ll see change on the outside.

What is your potential?

“The greatest handicap a person has is not realizing his potential. What dreams do you have that are just waiting to be fulfilled? What gifts and talents are inside you that are dying to be drawn out and developed? The gap between your vision and your present reality can only be filled through a commitment to maximize your potential.” ~John Maxwell

You may not realize it, but each of us was born with a God-given potential.

But whether we reach that potential or not is up to us.

A few years ago, I came to realize God had something more in store for me than just working for Harman International.

More in store than working for someone else’s vision.

I just didn’t know what that “something” was.

Because I was in a season of wedding planning, I did not have the energy nor mental capacity to consider soul-searching for what my potential was.

But shortly after I went back to work after my honeymoon, they announced the lay-offs.

While I was somewhat shocked, I secretly rejoiced.

I knew this was my time to finally figure out what my calling was.

Getting laid-off wasn’t a mistake or misfortune: it was God giving me the opportunity I needed!

The answer I’d been looking for!

But the truth is, it’s not always as plain as black and white for us to understand what our true calling is.

I spent many hours in silence, thinking, asking God to show me the way.

If you’re not sure what your calling in life is, spend time in silence.

Ask yourself: What would it take for you to truly love what I’m doing in life?

Your passions-what are they?

Don’t waste another day in a dead-end job-put the thought work in and figure it out!

Understanding your potential is half the battle.

Resources:

Imagine Big by Terri Savelle Foy (this was the book I read that got me started!)

Change = Growth = Success.

You cannot continue doing the same thing and expect change to just happen.

It doesn’t work that way.

You cannot eat a bag of chips for dinner and expect to lose weight.

Nor can you stay at that job you hate, expecting things to miraculously change one day.

The desire to change is mandatory to advance your life.

What change you do need to make today that will take your life to the next level?

Maybe change requires you going back to school, but your schedule’s been so busy for so long, you just keep putting it off, saying, “someday.”

Perhaps there is a bad habit you need to kick, but you just don’t feel strong enough to try.

Maybe you’re unhealthy and need to start exercising and eating better.

The pain of not receiving that instant gratification will never be as deep as the pain of never seeing your goals achieved because you lacked the discipline to see it happen.

Everyone you see achieving success has what the rest of us don’t: self-discipline and the will to change.

Resource:

The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John Maxwell (book)

Set growth goals.

When I first got started in personal development with that first book, CD and goals planner, I took note of the way these resources made me feel.

Not only was I learning invaluable tools, my productivity and attitude consistently stayed elevated.

In the past, my motivation operated like a roller-coaster: up one day, down the next.

I began implementing the things I was learning into my lifestyle.

After finishing that first book, I was ready for more.

As time has passed, all the habits I implemented remain routine for me.

I got started with my goals planner and made the decision to spend 20 minutes every morning reviewing the goals I set for myself.

I typically read two personal development books a month and try to attend at least two conferences a year.

Personal development podcasts took the place of music while driving.

Whether for you its simply getting started with personal development and setting goals or making a commitment to read two books a month, set goals for growth.

Resource:

How to Set Goals and Achieve Them (blog post)

Appreciate the journey.

“Life’s a journey, not a destination.” ~Aerosmith

If you’re only in it for the destination, I think you should reconsider your priorities.

The journey is where the growth happens.

It’s the little baby steps you take every day that lead you to greatness.

If you can’t learn to appreciate and maximize every single day you have, there’s no point in trying to achieve anything.

The journey is supposed to be the fun part! The fun isn’t just when you cross the finish line.

If you’re not having fun, what’s the point?

My website isn’t exactly lucrative for me (yet!) but nothing compares to the joy and fulfillment I get from creating.

That’s how I know I’m in the right place, on the right path-the joy and fulfillment I experience daily while on the journey to greatness.

Mind your environment.

You are the median of the five people you spend the most time with.

If you’re into personal growth but those closest to you are not, this could hinder you from reaching your true potential.

When you spend time with people who remain in the same place year after year, it might be time to seek out a new crowd.

I realize not all my friends are going to be into gobbling up all the books and podcasts I can get my hands on.

But when I see certain people stagnant in their life, or worse, regressing, I know to keep them at arm’s length.

There is one friend I call to mind who has unfortunately regressed in the decade-plus span of time I’ve known her.

She will likely always work a few minimum wage jobs to stay afloat, blow good opportunities, and change boyfriends more often than toilet paper rolls.

There is no desire in her to do better, to be better.

So, unfortunately, my relationship with her has suffered over the last few years.

When you’re working towards something greater, you’ll find you have very little in common with those who are not.

Resource:

5 Reasons Why Toxic Friends Are Holding You Back (blog post)

Every day counts.

When you wake up in the morning, are you dreading another day, or are you excited to what the day holds?

While today might not be the day you meet that big audacious goal, you still have the opportunity to maximize the 24 hours you’re given.

Victory isn’t achieved overnight, but in baby steps taken day in and day out.

As one of my favorite speakers, Terri Savelle Foy, says, “Little by little, a little becomes a lot.”

What you do every single day matters.

Every little thing adds up.

If all you have to spare is 20 minutes to read, then read for 20 minutes. That’s 10 hours of reading per month.

If your goal is to work out 5 days a week on weekdays, don’t sleep in on Wednesday and skip it. You may think skipping that one day won’t matter, but it does.

Getting healthy is the culmination of keeping good habits daily-same thing goes for any other goal you may have.

Resource: