Question 1

Why is a personal development plan important?

Accepted Answer

A personal development plan helps you consider the many components of the improvement, evolution, or transformation you want in your life. By writing your plan, you allow yourself to gather information, find insights, and imagine possibilities. You become aware, mindful, and confident about your actions. Without a plan, there is no urgency to make something happen.

In addition, an effective personal development plan may give the following benefits.

1. It can help you focus on the essentials to be the best you can be.

A PDP enables you to clarify your intentions. And as you gain experience, you will see new realities. Most of us are working blind the first time we work on our plan. But as we progress, we start to see things clearly.

2. It can help you define your vision and mission. Your vision, a vivid picture of the future, is a dream with a deadline. On the other hand, your mission is how you intend to make your vision a reality.

3. It makes you focus on your high-impact goals. You do not need to write 10 or 20 goals. Having 1 of 2 high-impact goals is enough. When you are preparing your plan, you will generate many ideas. You will be able to dig deep and find treasures.

4. It makes you consider your leverage actions. You will like to continue to do 90 percent of your routines. You don't have to write them in your plan. Instead, you will identify the vital activities that will help you grow faster. That means you will find the 20 percent or even the 20% of 20 percent that will make a hundredfold impact.

5. It shows milestones. It is like a landmark., you will know how far you have traveled. Even though you are going to a place for the first time, landmarks can help you calculate the time left for the journey.

6. It keeps you engaged in personal development growth. When you have a plan, you pay attention to how you improve each day. Without a plan, days will pass by without your notice.

7. It helps you identify the skills you need to multiply your results. In the absence of a plan, most people ignore developing skills. With a PDP, you will give attention to meta-skills, soft skills, and other skills that will help you succeed.

Question 2

How long should a personal development plan be?

Accepted Answer

You can craft your personal development plan on a piece of paper. You can have it on an Index Card. It is very short that you can tell me about it in 15 seconds. Though your brainstorming and planning are typically longer, the plan itself is brief enough to remember.

You can craft a personal development plan for each area of your life. For example, you can have PDPs for your social, physical, intellectual, financial, spiritual, and relational lives. You can write each on one card. But then again, as I have mentioned above, you don't really need many goals too.

A very long plan is often a misstep.

I remember that in 2011, I wrote my goals and actions in a 259-page personal development workbook. I bought it from info-marketers who said doing so would help me improve my life.

These days, I still meet experts who think a personal development plan is like corporate strategic planning, which is often long, tedious, complicated, and never to be implemented.

Write your personal development plan on a single page. You print it on a 4 x 6 index card. The best PDP is simple, short, and doable.

Why is this possible?

I ask: If everything in my life remains the same, what is the one thing I could change that will 10x my life?

The answer will bring the first version of my PDP.

Question 3

Can we live our lives without a personal development plan?

Accepted Answer

It is not difficult to imagine a life without a personal development plan. Most people live even without a plan.

You can live your life one day at a time. And some people think this is a good mantra. You live simply. There is no anxiety.

This is a beautiful experience shared by very few. I don't know anyone, but I heard this often from some gurus.

The effect of having no plan that I see every day does not paint a beautiful picture. Instead, I hear Judas singing his song Dukha. Listen to the song Dukha on Youtube.

"Isang kahit, isang tuka, ganyan kaming mga dukha".

I cannot find a direct translation in English. But dukha (very poor) is like a chicken who need to scratch the ground to forage for food beneath the surface.

Poverty is the most significant impact of not having a personal development plan.

Poor in spirit. Poor in friendship and love. Inadequate in dealing with people. Poor in so many things.

There is also subtle but observable evidence that a person has no plan.

Ningas Kugon. A person burst into action but lost enthusiasm soon. This person has aspirations but no plan.

Procrastination. A person delays doing what he needs to do. This person knows what to accomplish but is afraid to face challenges. As a result, he does not create a plan.

Headless chickens. They work harder than anyone. But they keep themselves in one place because they don't have a plan.

I don't particularly appreciate labeling people. And I don't want you to place yourself in these categories. But always, naming something helps us understand.

My point: if you want to change your life, a personal development plan can help.

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