Develop Your Own Personal Development Plan (PDP)

(If the audio excerpt does not begin automatically click here)

What is a personal Development Plan?

A personal development plan is a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to consider and improve upon his personal, educational and professional development. The individual is in control of his own development with the opportunity to monitor and steer his growth. It is simply a tool to encourage and support lifelong learning.

The process involves identifying the areas that need development, planning, executing and reviewing.

We all tend to have a mental block when it comes to addressing our own problems. Many people are afraid about taking time and thinking about their problems and solutions to those problems. A PDP would help them to solve their problems in an easy manner.

You could start developing your PDP anytime. Based on your present situation and role, you could draw a PDP that could help to prioritize the most important areas of your life that need immediate attention and concentration.

Identify areas that need progress - This is the first step towards constructing your PDP. You need to be in tune with your current situation in life - know who you are, what you want to achieve, what you have and what you lack. You also have to be clear about what is working for you now and what is not. You need to check on what you are ignoring, too.

Many people may delay in this first step if they have problem identifying the areas of their life that needs development. If you are one of them just think about those areas that are important to you – for example, you could consider the following areas: Physical and mental wellbeing, education, spiritual pursuit, finances, recreation, relationships – personal and professional, etc.  You do not need to write down everything in detail but just make a list of these areas.

This list would help you to prioritize your areas. After you identify your areas that need improvement, write down what improvements you prefer to make in each of these areas as it relates to your personal growth.

Set a timeline on each goal - Begin with your short-term goals and then proceed to long-term goals

Write down your action plan – how do you plan to go about this process?

Review your plan – is this plan workable? Would you like to make a few changes or draw a new PDP?

Implement your plan – stick to your plan and follow your schedule

Review your progress - are you following the timeline? Are you progressing accordingly?

When you develop your own PDP, follow through with action and achieve your goals you would feel like you are on top of the world. You gain more confidence that your life is in your control. You get a great satisfaction. Take one step at a time and enjoy the process. That is the key to success.