Investing in your personal development will lead you to success

Throughout my time in business, I’ve always spent time developing myself, either through formal education, or both personally and professionally. I’m also a massive believer in developing my teams, because when you have motivated, highly skilled, and focused individuals on your team, you’re going to achieve more.

Personal development is absolutely critical, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re a business owner at the top of your game, a solopreneur, or just starting out. In fact, even if it’s irrelevant to your career and it’s a personal interest in developing your skills in certain areas, personal development is about being a better version of yourself.

In this blog, I’ll be discussing the ways in which you can unlock your greatness and be brave, bold, and brilliant.

Why is it important?

No matter how long ago you left education, everyday should be a school day. Even if you didn’t like school, the theory is there always something new to learn, and there are always ways to challenge yourself. When you work on being a better person, you open up a whole host of opportunities, both in terms of the people you meet on the way, and how you can personally change and evolve.

We only have one life, so make the most of it. But don’t settle for anything less than your best. You can do anything you want, but you’ve got to believe it and take action. There’s a formula for success: belief + purpose + action = results, and when we talk about personal development, all three come into play.

What is a personal development plan?

This is a plan that’s put together specifically by you, which consciously identifies the areas in which you want to develop. It could be for a six-month period, though it may be five or ten years if you’re interested in more long-term development. For example, if you need education because you want to be a doctor, of course you’re going to need longer than six months.

So, the timeframe for your development will depend on where you already are in your journey. Learning comes in all shapes and sizes, and it can be formal or informal. But to actually have a plan and focus allows you to take action and get the results. Very often it’s the small things that add up and make a difference, so having a personal development plan will help you reach your goal.

What to include in your personal development plan?

Jim Rohn, a personal development expert, said: “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” Personal development is going to help you grow as a person overall, because it broadens your perspective to see the world differently, keeps your mind active and curious, and helps you challenge yourself in new creative ways.

Development isn’t just about academics or business, but also about health and wellbeing, because they’re all intrinsically connected. But what should be included in a personal development plan? Well, there are five areas to consider: spiritual, emotional, social, mental, and physical.

Spiritual doesn’t necessarily mean religious – if you are, that’s great, but it means connecting with your surroundings and your inner spirit. This could be through meditation, yoga, and all manner of things. Emotional development is to do with your ability to connect human to human. Think about the way you communicate in public, the relationships you’re building, as these are an important part of your development.

People tend to focus on mental development because it resonates most with their career, business, education, etc. With social development, you’re socially engaging with others as a relief from the stress on your brain, and physical development is regarding your wellbeing.

Is it a good investment?

Your personal development plan can stretch quite far, but it does require an investment. An investment of time, energy, and sometimes even financially. When you commit to a personal development plan, you’re hoping for a return for your investment. If you ask yourself, how much have I spent on my personal development? How much energy or time have I given? If the answer is not much, then shouldn’t you be worth more?

There’s a number of free resources that can help with your personal development, including several from Brave Bold Brilliant which you can download here. However, if you invest your time, energy, and finance, you will treat it as an investment, and as a result you will get a return.

For example, some of the clients I’ve worked with have seen amazing results from having a personal development plan. Some have seen a £150,000 increase in salary, set up businesses from scratch which now turn over £10mn and make £2mn EBITDA. They’ve gone from being at a lower level in their career, to reaching the top and becoming a managing director.

How to create a personal development plan

Here are 10 key steps to follow when creating a personal development plan:

1. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses
2. Set your goals and objectives
3. Identify the skills you need to reach your goals
4. Scope out new skills
5. Set clear metrics for your goals
6. Make a plan of action for your developments
7. Consider finding a mentor for support
8. Set aside time to invest in yourself
9. Review your progress regularly
10. Tweak and refine your development plan

The Brave Bold Brilliant community has several free resources on hand which can help you with forming your personal development plan. These can be found here.

We’ve also designed a yearly goal planner which can be used to set your objectives, list your metrics, and monitor your progress. You can download the Brave Bold Brilliant goal planner here.

Not sure where to start with your personal development plan? Or perhaps you’re looking for some mentorship to help you on your journey. If so, contact us now and set yourself on the path towards success.

By Jeannette Linfoot www.jeannettelinfootassociates.com