Tips for setting great personal development goals
Personal development is extremely important for leaders and professionals because without it, you will become stagnant. Personal development is an on-going process to continually learn more about yourself, how you show up in the world, and how you can be more effective in your pursuits.
Leaders who continually invest in their personal development are able to adapt more quickly to change, can communicate more effectively with others, and can accelerate their own (and their team's) goals. By having the self-awareness that comes through personal development, leaders will stand out from the rest. When you meet people who are invested in their personal growth, you can see and feel a difference.
Of course, each person's goals are going to be unique depending on where they're at in life and business. To get started with your personal development goals, I recommend everyone look at seven core aspects of their lives to see where they want to make a change, then choose 2-4 areas to make specific goals within:
Health & wellness
Work
Romantic relationship
Family
Friendships
Finances
Play
Here are a few ideas and examples to get you started:
Health/wellness - to me, this is looking at your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Most people start with health goals as simply wanting to lose weight or start a new workout routine, then oftentimes, these goals will propel other areas of your life. So health is always the first place I recommend you start to have the greatest impact.
For instance, when you're working out regularly, you may have more energy throughout the day to make dinner from scratch that night instead of getting take out (impacting health again & finances). Or by committing to therapy regularly, you may have more emotional capacity to take on a difficult conversation with your team (impacting health and work).
Work - Most professionals have company-wide and role-specific goals that are required within their company. So consider creating personal and professional development goals that you're both passionate about and can help fuel those company and role-specific goals. This is powerful to continue your learnings throughout the year, help you do your job more effectively, and make your case for a raise or promotion during end of year evaluations.
Some examples here would be joining a Toastmasters group if you want to be a better public speaker (professionally) and want to meet new people (personally), or taking an online marketing course if you want to transition roles into marketing in the future but it is not yet in your current role-specific goals (but you can make the case it will benefit your company).
Play - Are you committed to doing things just for fun that fill your cup? Whether it is playing basketball, crocheting, hiking, drawing, reading, etc. Taking the time to play regularly will allow you to get out of your head, get into your body, and create more mental space for restoration and creativity.
The trick with this one is to not be so strict with your goal that you then make it feel like a chore or beat yourself up for not doing the activity enough. Commit to something that is flexible and excites you like crocheting something new for the fall, or hiking a new trail next month (specific but with broader intent).
Top tips to help you reach your personal development goals:
When setting goals, be very clear about your why. Why is this important to you? This will help you ensure that you are internally motivated and not just doing something because it will look or sound good (externally motivated).
To maintain your goal, you need to look for external support. How can you make the journey easier on yourself? Is it friends to cheer you on, a mentor who has been there before, or books, podcasts, and trainings to learn from.
To reach these goals, you'll need to maintain your momentum. It's so easy to get overwhelmed thinking about how far you are from where you want to be which often stops you in your tracks. Instead, celebrate the little wins and each step along the way to keep up your momentum and know that you're continually making progress.
If you want a safe space to brainstorm, map out, and stay accountable to your personal (and professional) goals - I've got you. With individual coaching, we can take the time to give your dreams and goals the attention they deserve.
Brittany is a life & leadership coach, trainer, and the founder of Hello Velocity where she helps ambitious individuals and corporate teams enhance their performance by working smarter, not harder. When she isn't building her business, you can find her planning her next travel adventure, taking a yoga or kickboxing class, or checking out a local brewery. She was recently acknowledged as one of the top coaches in Charlotte, NC.
