Self

The world touts us as the most selfish generation there ever was. Yet we find ourselves unhappy, in spite of being supposedly selfish. In effect, we are far from selfish. We do not focus on ourselves as much as we should. We do not give our minds and bodies due attention. We do not know what we want from our lives. Most of us are leading directionless lives from one day to the next, hoping that some day something will just come up from nowhere and change our lives for the better. However, this usually does not happen unless we take charge of our lives; unless we decide that it is time to make the changes ourselves instead of waiting for them to happen. We need to know what we want from our lives, and plan how to achieve them, so that there is some purpose to our daily activities. We need a self-development plan that will take us ahead, that will guide us throughout, that will enable us to succeed in achieving our goals.

The Essence of a Self-development Plan

First things first, you should be able to identify your goals, irrespective of whether they are long term or short term goals. Just this step will give you some kind of direction. Then, you need to find out the purpose of achieving this goal. It could be personal satisfaction, or your desire to do your bit for someone else. Finally, you need to figure out the path to the goal, and the resources you will need to achieve it.

In essence, it takes about three major aspects that will make a self-development plan work. The first is to strive to be the best in whatever you do so that it makes the process of goal achievement simpler. The second is to understand and respect whatever the objective of goal achievement is, and the third is to join hands with like-minded individuals who will help you move towards goal achievement. By developing healthy relationships with such individuals, not only do you receive the help of others, but you yourself become a medium by which others may be able to achieve their goals.

The ultimate goal of personal development for most is to enhance the quality of their lives by working on the different areas that comprise it. The methods of achieving these goals may vary. To help your dream materialize, what you need to do is chart out the road-map that will take you ahead. You need clarity, and you need to know where to expend your energy instead of wasting it.

The Elements of a Self-Development Plan

Overall, a self-development plan tells you what your goals are, and how to achieve them. Enlisted here are all the elements that go into making one:

• Your ultimate goal (broken into short and long term goals)
• Your beliefs (that will direct your path and the kind of people you would like to collaborate with to achieve your goals)
• A vision of yourself after goal achievement
• The obstacles in your path to success
• The mistakes you made in your efforts towards goal achievement
• The lessons you learned from these mistakes
• A note of every successful effort that brought you closer to your goal

Remember, this is a plan that focuses on you, your ideal self, the person you wish to be eventually. It doesn't matter how big or small your dreams are. What matters is how hard you are trying to materialize those dreams. In the chart that follows, you will get a fair idea making a self-development plan for yourself.

Areas of Life	Short Term Goal(s)	Long Term Goal(s)	Resources/People to Meet With	Obstacles	Errors	Lessons Learned	Success & Milestones
Health
Family
Career
Social
Financial

This chart, of course, can be customized to accommodate your goals and your plans. It is possible that you may have more than one goal in one area of life. As such, you will enlist each goal separately and get an idea about how you are going to achieve it. With a plan in place you will be able to understand your true calling, and give your life a purpose, a meaning, a direction. You will find yourself happier and satisfied. Remember not to get bogged down by failures. They are, as is popularly said, the stepping stones to success. Believe in your goals and your dreams, and they will definitely materialize into reality. Good luck!