Plan for Growth

You can plan for growth with a focus on a different life area each day, or by randomly choosing something to work on. Just as we can make a plan for increasing exercise, we can plan to increase personal qualities like courage, relationship skills and many other life areas.

For any area you want to improve, list:

• Where you are now
• Where you want to be
• What will get you there: what you will do, by doing what? When? How often? How many? How much?
• What could get in the way: what problems you might encounter and how you will deal with them?

In “The Power of Full Engagement” by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz (Affiliate link: I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you click through and make a purchase with an affiliate link. Thank you for your support!), the authors provide ideas for developing four sources of energy: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. In the same way we can develop physical strength with exercise, we can develop strength in all areas. Here is an example plan from p. 104:

• Target: Increase realistic optimism
• Where I am: Negative thoughts hold me back.
• Where I want to be: I am a positive thinker.
• What will get me there: Each evening I will write down problems in a journal and change perspective to view them as challenges and opportunities. I will write down things I am thankful for.
• What could get in the way: Overcome pessimistic thinking with positive thinking. Negative thinking is likely when overly tired or discouraged by obstacles.

The Life Area Energy Level Gauge is a tool that makes it easy to see where to begin with areas that are low.

See also: A Weekly Personal Development Plan and Development Plans Are Not Just For Work

About dailyplanit

I seek to create order from the chaos of complex information. Join me at the Daily PlanIt to gain insights, inspiration, and information to increase skills for a better life. I unlock the power of teaching reading with phonics in the pursuit of literacy at www.phonicspow.com. In my spare time I explore books and movies, often choosing titles available on both screen and page.