This is how you create your own development plan

Do you also find it so difficult to start working on your development? The lack of a good development plan may be the cause. After all, what are you doing all that learning for?

It is important that you first have clarity on this and work it out for yourself in a development plan. In it you write down what you want to achieve in the form of development goals. How to do this we tell you below in 5 steps.

STEP 1: Find out your development goal

Maybe you already know what skills or competencies you want to learn. Or maybe you are just getting stuck in this and don't know where to prioritize. Try writing down the following for yourself:

• What are you good at and what are you not good at?
• What tasks or activities do you enjoy?
• What skills do you need to learn to do your job better?

It may be that you are already good at something, but you want to delve more deeply into it. Or you may find that stress or lack of time management prevent you from doing your job optimally. Look at your answers to the questions above and turn them into goals.

TIP: Make your goals specific and measurable. So not, 'I'm going to pay more attention to my health.' But: 'I'm going to eat at least two hundred grams of vegetables and two pieces of fruit daily.'

STEP 2: Set priorities

By now you should have written down a number of goals. The next step is to prioritize. Which goal do you think is most important? It is best to work on one goal at a time. You will see that choosing one goal will create some peace in your mind. After all, one goal is easy to oversee. If you start working on several goals at once, or if you do not have an overview of your goals, chances are you will become overwhelmed and clammed up. You will never achieve your goals that way. Once one goal is achieved, you move on to the next.

STEP 3: What do you need?

Now that you've chosen a goal, start figuring out what you need to achieve it. If you want to work on your time management, you may need several online courses. If you want to learn how to run 5 kilometers, you probably have more use for an app that supports you as you exercise. You might also need financial support from your employer to take a course. Or help from friends for some extra motivation. Not getting there or want to know exactly what resources are out there? Have a conversation with your supervisor to explore options.

STEP 4: Make a schedule

Make a schedule with a start and end date. This will get you started effectively and also give you a stick. Make sure you record action items within this planning. That way you know exactly what you are going to do when and you can see if your planning is feasible. What course are you going to do when? How often do you need to run to realistically reach the 5 kilometers?

TIP: Do you struggle to stick to a schedule? Create a regular habit within your day that has something to do with your goal of promoting behavior change. For example, start making a daily schedule every day or do stretching exercises every day when you get up. It may take 60 days for a habit to take hold, but eventually it will also take less effort to create other habits.

STEP 5: Getting started!

Now you are ready to begin your development plan! Print out your plan and make sure you have enough reminders around you to not forget your goal. Purchase a bulletin board and pin motivation or weekly tasks on it. Also set reminders on your phone when you have an action planned. When you reach your goal, you will see that it was all worth it!

Access to online training courses?

Want to achieve your goals using online training? At SkillsTown we offer you unlimited access to over 500 training courses. Does your goal have everything to do with your career development or would you rather focus on your health? Or do you finally want to delve into that one hobby? You'll find it all on our online learning platform!

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