Once an individual has determined that they want to improve their life by undertaking a form of personal development, in order to succeed, they then need to formulate a personal development plan.

A personal development plan is all about the individual and what the individual wants to accomplish. Personal development plans are devised in many ways and there are no hard and fast rules.

Have A Plan

Before commencing it is essential that the person knows exactly what they are trying to accomplish. They should write down what they want and how they intend to achieve it.

It can be useful for a person to consider their life purpose and define what they were born to do, to note their dreams and also their short, medium and long term goals.

Thought should also be given to the person‟s own values and beliefs and what they want to be noted for and envisage their ideal self. It would be useful to note down mistakes that have been made previously and the lessons that have been learned from them.

A very simple template to use when drafting a personal development plan would consist of a page for each development area divided into four columns titled over 1 year. Over 3 years, over 5 years and over 10 years.

Development area page titles could be career, personal, finances, physical body and social. But as was stated earlier there are no rules and personal development plans are just that; personal.

Once the pages have been titled write in each column what you want to accomplish and why. Then write how you can achieve this. Specifically note what actions you are going to take.

There are tools that could be used and should be considered to ensure success. Seek out events, courses, classes, books and seminars that could support the person achieving their objective.

Note any supporters and mentors who could be worked with. There is support available and the individual should bear in mind that it is a personal development plan and it will take time to achieve objectives.