[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ife is an endless journey of self-discovery, growth and change. We all want to live our best lives, but many people don’t realize the importance of ongoing personal development. According to a recent Gallup poll, only 13% of Americans are engaged at work, and only 30% are actively disengaged (27% are “not engaged”). Imagine if we could double the number of people with a positive attitude about their career.
1. Try keeping a manifestation journal
A manifestation journal is a tool that helps you create the things you want in life. It’s different from a gratitude journal, which focuses on what you’re grateful for right now—all the things that are already good in your life. A manifestation journal focuses on attracting more of those good things into your life.
- Write down all the things you’d like to see change or come into existence in your life in the next month (or year). Be specific and detailed as possible because it’ll help raise the stakes for yourself and increase your motivation to achieve these changes. Example: “I want my dream job as an entrepreneur working from home with flexible hours.”
- Every day after this first draft, add something missing from your list until it feels like there’s nothing else left to add! Then go back over each item again and make sure they’re realistic and achievable given any obstacles between where you are now and where you want to be (more on this later).3
- Revisit this list every week so that by month’s end, when making resolutions for 2019, all those dreams will still seem possible!
2. Take a self-assessment exam or take a course on your personal development or growth
One way to find out where you want to go is to take a self-assessment exam or course in personal development. There are many such exams and courses, including the StrengthsFinder® Assessment, DISC Behavioral Style Profiler, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, Enneagram Personality Types and more. The results from these tests will help you determine your strengths and weaknesses, goals and priorities, values—and ultimately, what’s important to you personally.
You also may want to consider taking a course that helps people discover their authentic selves. This type of course typically focuses on three key areas: understanding who you are, knowing your purpose, and developing relationships with others based on trust instead of fear or competition.
3. Identify your core values and develop a mission statement for yourself
Your core values are the things that are most important to you. They can be anything from family, friends and relationships to your career. When you’re going through a transition or making big changes in your life, it’s easy to lose sight of what matters most. Clear goals will help keep your priorities straight and ensure that nothing falls off the radar.
To identify your core values, ask yourself questions like:
- What is at the very core of who I am? What do I want in my life? What makes me happy?
- In what situations do my emotions get stirred up? How do I feel when someone treats me poorly? When something goes wrong at work or home? When someone is kind to me despite my flaws?
4. Create the space for emotional regulation and resilience
Emotional regulation is the ability to manage your emotions. Resilience is the ability of an individual to bounce back from adversity. Both are important skills to be happy, but they’re not easy to develop. You can learn these skills by practising mindfulness meditation. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at regulating your emotions and bouncing back after life’s inevitable challenges.
5. Develop a life plan with measurable goals, deadlines and a strategy for your success
- Set goals that are measurable, realistic and achievable.
- Set deadlines for each goal.
- Develop a strategy for achieving your goals. Make sure your strategy is aligned with your values. Make sure it is sustainable and balanced – no one wants to be stressed out all the time!
Goal setting and ongoing personal development are crucial to living your best life, whether or not you use professional coaching services
Achieving your goals is an important part of living your best life. No matter the goal, the process of goal setting will help you prioritize and focus on what is most important. It can also help you achieve more in less time by helping you avoid procrastination, stay motivated, and avoid distractions.
It’s also important to remember that it’s not just about setting big goals – it’s about making small changes as well! Small things like picking up a new hobby or learning how to use an app on your phone can greatly impact how happy we feel in our daily lives.
In this section, we’ll look at some key steps that anyone can follow when planning their own personal development plan:
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that coaching can help you live your best life. But it all starts with you. If you approach the process of setting goals, taking assessments, identifying your core values and developing a mission statement with care and intention, then you will be well on your way to success. If the idea of working with a professional coach is appealing to you, there are many different ways they can support this process—from providing coaching sessions or workshops in person or online; giving advice over email; or even just listening as an objective sounding board who knows what they’re doing! It all depends on what works best for both parties involved.
