The 3-Step Annual Personal Development Planning Process
Where would we be without Google Maps these days….am I right?? We use Google Maps for everything. And it makes life soooo much easier. You can literally go to a country that you’ve never been, where you don’t know the language, and find your way to a restaurant you want to go….that is amazing.
However! The incredible tool is completely useless if you don’t know where you want to go. It literally has all of the information about the world….but you’ve gotta know the location you want to arrive at for it to give you directions from where you are at to where you want to be.
Whether we use it or not….we also have a Soul version of Google Maps. And a blueprint that has every single bit of information we need to build moments that feel fulfilling, joyful, exciting, and full of love. But, if we don’t take the time to pause and tune in….if we don’t take the time to figure out where we are going, we’ve just got loads of useless information.
Just as building a house with a solid foundation requires a blueprint, creating a life you’ve always wanted also requires some solid planning. You can think of an Annual Personal Development Plan as a blueprint for your life. Doing this exercise each year will not only give you a sense of clarity and focus, but it will also provide you courses of action to follow and steps to take to get the life you’ve always dreamed of.
In our featured video of the month, Dr. Joe Dispenza says,
“You can either live at the effect of a cause or you can be causing an effect!!”
How to tap into the Soul Blueprint:
One of the best ways to tap into our Soul Google Maps is through visioning meditations.
To do this:
+ Turn off all distractions, sit still, eyes closed and connect to your breath.
+ Really settle into a place of stillness and and relaxation.
+ Start to vision your life one year from now.
What does it look like, how are your days spent, what goals did you accomplish?
Notice all of the senses – what do you see, hear, smell, touch, taste sense – be in the emotion and the energy of how excited and joyful you will be at all the the goals you achieved this year.
+ Dwell in that space for as long as you like….
Then follow the steps below!
Step One – Energies
We all know it takes energy to do anything in life. The more positive energy we cultivate, the more charged we are to create amazing things for ourselves. Conversely, when we are operating with depleted resources, we are much less likely to achieve our goals.
Therefore, it is important to know what gives you creative energy and what results in depleted energy, so that you can cultivate more positive experiences, which is really the “fuel” for achieving your goals.
Instructions:
Spend time reflecting on what lights you up and what drains you.
Reflection 1:
Reflect on the version of yourself in peak performance, a sense of joy, of play or at ease. Consider these Creative Energies: The experiences, the beliefs and the feelings . . .
Reflection 2:
Reflect on the moments when you falter, de-rail, or can’t self-motivate, those moments when you can’t create, or when you struggle to generate positive feelings and experiences. Consider these Depletion Energies: The experiences, the beliefs and the feelings . . .
List these moments in an Energy Chart – click here to download our example – and try to prioritize their impact on your life.
Step Two: Goals & End of Year Statements
Use the Wheel of Life – click here to download – as a guide for this section of your reflection.
Sit quietly, unplug and give yourself the space and time to reflect on the various areas of your life represented in the wheel. Then envision where you want to be at the close of 2019 and what you want to have accomplished.
Write down at least 3 (or more if you’d like!) effective goals for each aspect of the wheel.
Writing Effective Goal Statements:
Just like knowing what restaurant you’re going to, and what time you need to arrive is much more helpful than simply knowing the city it’s in, and the day the date will be, it is important that you are as clear and precise as you can be with goal statements, and that you have an end date in mind.
Some questions to consider when thinking about effective goal statements:
Is your goal specific?
Is it measurable?
Is it achievable?
Is it relevant?
And finally, is it time bound?
Without thinking these details through, you can end up with fragmented goals. These goals lack clarity, and are incredibly difficult to manifest and achieve – just like making it for dinner with a friend, and no information but the city and the day.
Examples of a fragmented goals:
- Work out
- Get fit
- Eat healthier foods
- No drinking
Examples of complete goals:
- Work-out: Cardio & stretching 5x a week | Strength training or Lifting: 4x a week.
- Diet: Massively reduced sugars and whites. No wine. Greatly reduced drinking.
- Managed portion control, oatmeal and juice breakfast, much less eating out. Massive veggies & juices. Calories <1900.
- Supplements & Pro-biotics: Take daily regiment, add 170g Protein a day – in place by 2/19/19
Writing Effective End-Of-Year-Statments:
End-of-Year Statements are a powerful way to “forward” an action. Setting an intention is more powerful when it is stated as if it has already been achieved. It expresses the confidence and belief that this WILL happen. By attaching this positive emotion to our goals, our intentions vibrate on a much higher level and become even easier to achieve.
How to:
Visualize your success at the end of the coming year. Write declarative statements about your achievements in the coming months. See examples below.
+ 2019 was the year I finally got my fitness, diet and disciplined energy back.
+ I feel amazing. Disciplined, lighter and happier.
+ I took courses and really got involved in my meditation practice. I really feel good and at restorative peace because of that work.
+ 2019 was the year for more charity work and I am proud of the work that I have done.
+ I am so happy to have so many social experiences this year that normally would have been foreshadowed or eclipsed by a lack of confidence.
+ I don’t eat beef or pork… mostly fish and veg in 2019.
Step Three: Accountability
Now it’s time to list all of the ways you will hold yourself accountable to this holistic plan you’ve invested yourself in creating.
Beneath all of your goals, write out:
+ Who will help me stay accountable, and with what frequency?
+ Who’s on my team? Some examples would include myself, your partner, your therapist, etc.
+ How will I keep yourself accountable on a daily level?
+ What support resources will I rely on for success?
And there you have it! New Years plans and resolutions that won’t be a guilt ridden thing of the past come March.
If you happen to need someone to support you in the accountability department, someone to guide and bounce ideas off of, let’s explore working together! I coach people to live better, feel better, and do better in the world. Click here for all the details.
xo,
Joshua