There’s only 15 days before the start of the new year 2021!!! Therefor we continue with our action plan to achieve our professional goals for 2021! Many times in our lives as women, mothers, and wives, we tend to ignore and neglect this area of our life. We tend to prioritize and put the goals of our husband and children as more important than ours; thus ignoring any type of investment in our personal, professional, or ministerial future.

God has deposited gifts and talents in our lives for us to be a blessing in his kingdom as well as professionally and in our community. Which is why it is of great importance that we do not neglect our personal development goals (Studies, career, ministry, etc.). Our personal development involves everything that has to do with our intellectual growth and human development. Mainly with acquiring those skills and knowledge that will lead us to be a better individual in our professional or ministerial career as well as in our studies. It is what will allow us as individuals to have a better quality of life.

On the sheet that was provided to you in the first article of this series; We wrote 5 goals in each area of our life. Today we will be creating a work plan to implement in our journey to achieve the personal development goals that we choose. A plan to implement effectively in our lives by answering the following questions; How will I do it? When will I do it? and Where will I do it?

Let’s say that the 5 goals that we have proposed for this year in this category are:

1. Finish a university degree. To achieve this goal I need to answer several questions. Where will I do it? Do I want to (or can I) go in person to a campus or will have to do it online. How much will this course cost? What time will I have available to dedicate to this? With the answers to these questions I will be able to make a plan … I will study at the University doing online courses; it will cost $ 2,400 per year for which I will set aside $200 per month to pay this debt. I will take classes 3 times a week Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7pm for two hours a day. The clarity and definition of this goal will help us to achieve it.
2. Grow in my area of expertise. I will attend at least 2 conferences (or conventions) a year that will help me grow in my personal or ministerial development. To achieve this goal, I will first have to research the conventions or conferences pertinent to my area of interest that are offered annually in my region and what will they cost. How? I can find conferences for pastors, for influencers, for leaders, or for speakers. Where? anywhere in the United States. When? In the months of September, October and November. In an ever changing world like the one we live today; we must be open to change; we must be willing to adjust. Therefor is important to remember that even though we may plan for a certain time things can change.
3. Improve my level of productivity – For this goal we are going to learn techniques and ways to do the activities of our daily life (personal and professional) faster and more efficiently without losing quality. For example; We can say to be more productive at night before going to bed I will prepare the clothes and things I need for the next day and create a list of things to do for the next day in order of priorities. The next day I will start with the most pressing task and work through each task on the list until I reach the least important task or the end of the day. If there are still any tasks left unfinished, I will write them on the list for the next day.
4. Learn a new language. To have better jobs or even to serve a wider and more diverse community it is very important to learn other languages. Let’s say I want to learn to speak French. How do i do it? There is a great free app called Duolingo that helps you learn the basics of conversational skills in many languages. When? I will spend 20 minutes in my lunch break every day to practice. Where? Using my phone or my pad in my vehicle or in the cafeteria.
5. Learn something new every day that helps me to be better or more effective in my work; or develop some essential techniques that will help me perform better in what I do. How? I can study small courses on a platform like Skillshare. This platform has thousands of small courses to teach us some skill or ability that will help us have a better job or be more productive or effective in what we do. When? In my free time in the afternoons at 6pm. Where? Through an online course on my computer.

There are many other examples that we could use such as learning a musical instrument, or a computer program, how to project ourselves before an audience, etc. But the most important thing in personal development we must remember is to put into practice or put into action those things that we have learned. We should set aside some time during the day to practice those things we are investing our time to study.

How to Set and Action Plan for your Self Development Goals