Personal Development

How is success achieved? Many of us have ideas and plans that don’t come to fruition. One reason ideas founder is that no plan is generated to put them in motion. If you’re thinking about developing some aspect of your life such as dealing with stress, getting married, or communicating better, it’s important to have a plan of action. Creating a personal development plan is something anyone can do for themselves. As you put your plan together, knowing yourself will play a huge role in the process. There’s no use having goals that don’t appeal to you, and there’s no use in creating a development plan that requires resources you don’t possess and have no way to acquire. In other words, a development plan should be realistic and tailored to your unique needs and situation. Steps in Creating Your Development Plan As you consider steps in your personal development plan, one of the most important things you can do is determine your goals. There’s so much that can get in the way of making things happen that the best chance you have is to pursue a goal that matters to you and one that will make the most difference in your life. Some of the steps to consider in putting your plan together include the following: Choose your goal and write it down Open your favorite note-taking app or take a clean sheet of paper and write down the goals that you’d consider worth pursuing. You can note today’s date and then put down seven to ten goals that you would like to accomplish in the next 12 months. As you write these goals down, write them in the present tense. That gives you a sense of immediacy as well as a clearer view of what matters to you. [...]

Have you ever noticed that when your self-esteem is low, so is your motivation? Making plans is challenging when you lack confidence. You may not want to go out publicly or feel despair and shame. Your self-esteem can affect every aspect of your life. Building self-esteem is possible through the power of goal setting. But what exactly is self-esteem? What is self-esteem? Self-esteem is how you perceive yourself. We often base our beliefs about ourselves on past performances or experiences or because of what someone has said about us. Rarely, do we see ourselves the way God sees us, as capable, inspiring, and loved. Whether you have high or low self-esteem is based on three factors from Maslow’s Hierarchy: If your physiological needs are met, like water, food, and clothing. If you feel safe and secure, such as shelter and employment. If you feel loved and accepted, you have a sense of belonging. These factors are known as levels in Maslow’s hierarchy, which is depicted as a pyramid with basic needs as the largest level across the bottom. After meeting these three levels, you can begin building self-esteem and confidence through achievements and recognition. Self-esteem includes respect, resiliency, courage, and confidence. It is how you see yourself. Why is building self-esteem critical? To reach a level of self-actualization, you need to raise your self-esteem. Your current level of self-esteem also predicts how well you will do in a career, academics, and relationships. It can also predict whether you are more likely to have issues in those areas or trouble with the law. Low self-esteem can also lead to risky behaviors like drinking too much alcohol, drug abuse, and eating disorders. You will never reach your full potential if you struggle with self-esteem (or any basic levels). Now is the [...]