5 Reasons Why You Need a Personal Development Plan
Beginning today, we will begin a series of articles about creating a personal development plan. By the end of this series, you’ll have everything you need to make your plan for this year. So, let’s start with 5 reasons you need a personal development plan.
A personal development plan assists you in finding your purpose and developing your strengths. It also gives you the confidence to get out of your comfort zone. A good personal development plan will also help you improve your self-awareness. This combination will ensure you know your potential and live up to it with intention. Find your FREE worksheet at the bottom of this article.
Discover Your Purpose
On the road to self-discovery, most people want to know why they are here. If you want to know your purpose in life, focus on your personal development and create a written personal development plan to help you find it.
As you discover what makes you think the way you do, challenge your thoughts, and decide what facts you’ll use to make sound decisions. When you do this, you may come across additional information that will lead you closer to your purpose. You are more likely to feel good about your ideas and actions each day because you know they will have a particular impact.
Develop Your Strengths
Once you discover your strengths as you study yourself and pay close attention to how you feel about your actions, you’ll know what to develop. Focusing on what you are already good at is always preferable to focus on where you are lacking.
Getting additional training, practicing, and learning from others regarding the things you’re already good at doing is a much more pleasurable and successful way to approach your life. You’re naturally good at something that gives you joy and improves you. So, you may as well use your natural gifts.
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
While you want to focus on what you are already good at, sometimes it takes time to see what that is. Getting out of your comfort zone has nothing to do with forcing yourself to focus on things you aren’t good at doing. Instead, it may mean simply showing someone else what you’re good at.
Boost Your Confidence
As you develop yourself, you’ll start experiencing success, and that experience will boost your confidence exponentially. Part of personal development is focusing on learning to have a positive mindset, taking the best care of yourself, and reveling in your skills and experience. When your confidence is strong, you’ll free yourself from paralyzing self-doubt, negative thoughts, and emotions. You can’t help but become strong when you craft and follow a plan based on self-discovery and your goals.
Improve Your Self-Awareness
Since personal development is about you, getting to know who you are is especially important. Knowing who you allow you to learn and lead with your strengths so that you can cope with your weaknesses realistically and kindly without lying to yourself or others about who you are. Self-awareness is the ultimate precursor to authenticity.
It would be best if you also had a personal development plan because you’re much more likely to succeed at anything when you have a plan. A personal development plan is a documented set of facts and information to help guide and direct you through the actions and habits that make up your life. For example, if you want to succeed in any dream, it starts with a goal. Then, through intelligent goal setting, your goals become a plan that you can follow, track, and even change throughout your life while remaining focused on your ultimate dreams and goals.
Use this worksheetto write out a simple plan you can start following today. Click on the words “this worksheet” to get your Free Copy Today.
Hello, my friends & business associates. So this year, I’m doing something a little different for the end of the year. I’m doing a Holiday Story Promo for all my fans on the internet. And no, I’ve never done this before, so it will be interesting to see how it works.
Here’s how the Holiday Story Promo will work:
Write your favorite holiday story on a word document or in an email. Send it to me Here. This is my email address. The deadline for the Holiday Story Promo submission is January 25th, 2023. After I’ve read all the stories, I will select one (1) winner. The winner will receive a $50.00 gift card to Amazon.
Holiday Story Promo Submission Rules:
The deadline for submission is January 25th, 2023, no later than midnight pacific time.
It must be emailed to me @ linda@lindahenslee.com.
The story must be at least 3000 – 5000 words long.
The story must be positive and show me love & encouragement. Nothing negative or depressing.
The winner will be announced by February 1st, 2023, by email.
In your submission, you must include your correct email address so that your gift card can be emailed to you if you’re the winner.
That’s it! I hope you are the lucky person picked for the winning submission for the Holiday Story Promo. Remember…it’s all up to you to make it the best story! I can’t wait to read them; oh, and one more thing. The winner will also receive the Amazon Gift Card, and the story will be shared here on my blog for everyone to read.
That is going to be amazing!! I’m so excited to read all the beautiful stories you write, my friends. So get your stories written and submitted by the deadline. It’s January 25th, 2023.
Memories are often associated with the best moments in our lives. The moments that we want to remember forever. Memories can be a source of comfort and happiness for us and a reminder of the past. However, memories can also be painful reminders of difficult times in our lives.
Some psychologists believe that we collect memories to help make sense of our lives and create a narrative for ourselves. They believe that collecting memories help us to understand who we are and where we have come from.
People are often asked, “What is your best or most important memory?” This question has no definitive answer. Instead, it’s something that different people might answer differently. We all possess important memories that hold a lot of meaning for us.
The Moment I Realized I Fell in Love with my Business
I realized I fell in love with my business when I started writing blog content. Writing what was on my mind felt so satisfying, and it felt like a great accomplishment. I had been thinking about it a lot before then, but I didn’t realize that this was what I wanted to do with my life until after the first piece of content I wrote.
This was an article about my first-ever blog post. The post was a call to action for people to create their content and share it with the world. It went viral, which I had no idea would happen when I wrote the piece, but it did! Since then, I have never stopped creating content. It is what I do best and has become a massive part of who I am and my business.
3 Ways to Capture your Best Moments
We all have those moments we remember for the rest of our lives. The birth of your child, the first day of school, a wedding day. We cherish these moments and want to remember them forever. Luckily, there are ways to capture those moments so they stay with us forever.
In this post, I will share a few tips for taking photographs and videos to remember and cherish forever. I’m not a professional photographer, but I can take a photo! I’m sure you’re the same.
Make sure your camera is clean and ready to go before the moment
This is one of the easiest ways to use pictures or videos as a memory maker. If you don’t want a photo-bombing sign, ensure your camera is clean and ready to take pictures and be prepared to take photos. Make sure your lens is also clean so that you can see clearly what’s going on.
What to Pack for a Trip
Carry a camera and lens with you on your trip. You don’t have to bring your entire photography kit, but getting a camera and lens is essential. You will need different equipment depending on the type of photo you are trying to capture. If photography is not your thing, pick up inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras or use your phone’s camera app. I recommend carrying at least two types of cameras – one for capturing portraits and the other for capturing landscapes.
Ask questions
Talk to people in your destination country and ask questions about their culture, traditions, etc. Gather information before you go that will contribute to a better understanding of the place you are visiting.
Conclusion: Living in the Moment & Capturing It is More Important Than Ever
It’s no secret that our culture is obsessed with capturing memories. We want to document everything and live in the moment. In this day and age, technology lets us do both. It’s easy to look at a camera and snap a picture of something happening right now without missing a beat – making sure we never forget anything.
But when it comes to the moment that’s so important, we’re never prepared. Whether it’s a new place, an experience, or a milestone, we want to capture the moment and remember it forever. You can never have too many memories.
If you’re interested, please check out my personal feed on my Instagram account for some of my favorite memories, with more photos and posts to come in the future.
Are you looking to start the New Year off on the right foot? Planning is a great way to ensure you make the most of your time and achieve your goals. In this article, we’ll discuss some New Year planning tips for planning out the New Year. These tips will help you get organized and achieve your goals. So read on to learn more!
New Year Planning Tips
Planning for the new year can be difficult, but here are some ways to make it easier.
Set aside time on your own or with your partner to assess what has worked well for you in the past year. Also, consider what could be improved and how you could do things differently.
Putting all these goals down on paper will make them feel more natural and achievable. Or you can use a planning tool like Trello. If you have trouble sticking to your goals, try setting smaller ones that you can achieve in a shorter period.
The Setup
Write Your Goals Down
Start Travel Planning
Learn Something New
Get Fighting Fit
Focus on Healthy Eating
Declutter Your Closet and Home
Make your New Year Resolutions List
Apply the Pareto Principle
Financial Planning
Consider your Relationships
Planning, Planning, Planning
Consider your Relationships
Think about your romantic and friendship goals. What do you want to achieve with the people in your life? How can you better those relationships in the new year?
Do you want more friends this year than last year? Are there some existing friends that you’d like to see more of? Maybe your goal is to date more. Whatever your relationship goals are, write them down.
Financial Planning
First, consider your finances and what you want to do with them in the new year. Plan your finances for the upcoming year by making a budget and sticking to it.
This will help you stay on top of what you have going out and what is coming in. If you use cash, make sure that there are enough bills available so that spending cannot continue without replenishing funds from somewhere else (i.e., your bank account).
Start a savings account and make transfers to it automatic. Keep track of your investments with a calendar or spreadsheet.
Do you need a new credit card? What about investing in stocks or bonds? Anything can help you move forward with your financial goals.
Apply the Pareto Principle
According to the Pareto Principle, 20% of your activities will give you 80% of your satisfaction. It’s also known as the 80/20 rule and holds that 20% of efforts give 80% of results.
You might wonder how this applies to things to do for the New Year – well, the rule can be used for almost any element of your life. You can even apply this principle to friendships. Spend the most time with those who make you the happiest.
Not advocating cutting out all those who don’t fall into this category but simply focusing on those who are the most enthusiastic about meeting up with you and who contribute equally to the friendship.
Lists are your Best Friend
Make your New Year Resolutions List
It’s tricky changing old habits and sticking to new ones. If you write a list of negatives you’re not allowed to do, such as eating sugar, you may be setting yourself up for failure.
Instead, create a list of positives you want to achieve, such as drinking water 30 minutes before meal times. Try to make SMART goals – i.e., those that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely.
Tell a few close friends about your goals so they can hold you accountable. Studies have shown that we’re far more likely to stick to a resolution when we’ve mentioned it to other people.
It’s generally best to set one resolution and stick to that rather than a whole host of goals. Reward yourself when you reach certain milestones (i.e., if you write ten pages in one night, reward yourself with an hour of TV).
One thing you might do is to put yourself number one on the priority list. We’ve found that this works great, especially if you always put yourself last.
Declutter Your Closet and Home
Now is the perfect time to start planning if you want to move in the new year. Look at different neighborhoods and what might be available there.
If you want to stay put but want to make changes around the house, start thinking about what those changes might be. Are there things around the house that need fixing up? Are there any big-ticket items you need to invest in for the New Year, such as a laptop or flat-screen TV?
Assess how often you use each item in your possession. For example, you probably wear around 20% of your wardrobe most of the time. Therefore, consider decluttering your closet and keeping only the most frequently worn items. It’s a similar principle for your home and if you find getting rid of things difficult, ask yourself whether an item is beautiful or valuable. Do it the Marie Kondo way. You have to love it, or it goes.
If it’s neither and you haven’t used it in at least six months, then let it go. Charity shops will welcome objects in good condition, and old CDs or books can usually be donated to a local library.
Education of the Fittest
Focus on Healthy Eating
Are you getting your five a day – the minimum recommended intake of fruit and vegetables? It can be challenging to fit so many in, but we have a few suggestions that may help.
Rustle up healthy and delicious juice drinks to start the day right. Why not try a new fruit or vegetable every so often too? There is always something new showing up at the grocery store.
If you find it hard to resist temptation when eating out, go to restaurants that only serve healthy food until you’ve achieved your ideal weight.
Get Fighting Fit
Are you planning to lose weight or gain muscle in the new year? You need a plan for that, too!
It’s a popular time of year to join a gym but first, ask yourself if that’s your favorite form of exercise. You’re more likely to stick to something that you enjoy.
Dance classes such as Zumba are another excellent option for getting fit; they burn many calories too. If you like being outdoors, consider cycling, running, or a boot camp.
Break your goal down into small, achievable steps for the best chance of success. For example, if you’ve always dreamed of running a marathon, start alternating walking and running over short distances before working your way uphill sprints to build up endurance.
Learn Something New
Seize the New Year by planning to learn a new skill. There are lots of resources online. Google is your best friend – remember that!
Try out a musical instrument, a new language, or a sporting skill; trying something new will energize you for the whole year. Additional benefits may include making new friends, getting fitter, or increasing concentration.
The Groundwork
Start Travel Planning
It is also an excellent time to plan your travel for the year. If you want to go on a couple of trips, make sure that you save up now. There are many great deals if you book in advance, and some airlines offer significant discounts when tickets are bought well in advance.
Do you have any trips already planned? You’ll also want to consider if any places might be off-limits because of political unrest or travel restrictions.
Whether you prefer to use a printed or online calendar, we suggest inputting key dates first, like personal vacations and school holidays.
With careful planning, you can maximize your time away by booking off dates on either side of some national holidays. Reserve the flights and accommodation as soon as possible, since they’re likely expensive at these peak periods.
Think about the trips you’d like to make in the next couple of months – skiing is a must for all winter sports fans. If there’s a bucket list destination that you’re keen to travel to, start saving all articles about it that you can find online.
One of the best ways to do so is on Pinterest, a goldmine of information for travel planning.
Write Your Goals Down
So, each evening, jot down what you want to achieve the next day. It helps to focus the mind. Don’t beat yourself up if your goals slip from time to time but give yourself a small reward each time you achieve one.
In addition, write out your goals for the next 12 months and post them somewhere visible so you’ll be reminded of them every day.
In Conclusion:
New Year Planning Tips
Achieving personal goals in the New Year is easier if you start planning for them now. The New Year isn’t the only time to make resolutions.
This should be a year-round process of taking stock of your life and planning how you want things to go. You don’t have to do all these essential tasks at once – take one step at a time.
Remember that it’s okay if things don’t go according to plan – keep moving forward! Also, be patient – it takes time to achieve your goals!
We hope you’ve found these suggestions for planning for the New Year helpful. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead. What are you planning for the New Year?
Absolutely Stop Having Negative Self-Talk About Yourself
How often do you find yourself talking down or negatively to yourself? Come on; you can be honest; no one is watching you raise your hand here. Are you even aware that you’re doing it? Many people aren’t even aware that what they say to themselves mentally or mutter under their breath is negative and sabotages their progress and success. So, in today’s article, we will talk about the different ways you can absolutely stop having negative self-talk about yourself.
Being Aware
You first need to become aware that you are doing it and pay attention to when you are doing it. If you mutter things to yourself when something goes wrong, start listening to yourself. You’re likely being negative. If you use phrases like, “Well, I knew that would happen,” “Well, that’s how things go for me,” or “Why should I expect anything to be different,” or “That’s just my luck.” Then you are engaging in negative self-talk.
Things will go wrong. Everything isn’t perfect. When these situations happen or arise, it’s best to move on and not even acknowledge them, especially if you can’t be optimistic about them. I know it’s hard to be positive when everything seems to be going wrong. However, if you notice when one thing goes wrong and react negatively, it will create a domino or snowball effect, and the rest of the day will go the same. If you walk away, so to speak, and do not let it bother you, things will start to go smoothly again.
Giving Negativity Power
More often than not, it’s one little minor instance that gets the ball to roll. When you mutter or think negatively about it, you give power to the negative, and it escalates. Instead, try having a positive thought. Think of something you’re grateful for. This will not only change your mood and outlook, but it will change your vibration as well. When you get into a positive vibration, it helps to repel the negative.
Over time, negative self-talk can lead to low self-esteem, low quality of life, a sour outlook on life, and everything else, leading to health problems. You rarely see positive people suffer from the same maladies as negative people. Negative people tend always to have something wrong with them, even if it’s minor things, and many of them spend a good deal of time going to the doctor to find out what’s wrong with them. You hear them say, “Of course, I’m getting a cold. I always get sick.” “There’s always something wrong with me.”
That’s not to say that positive people never get sick or have ailments, but they generally heal or recover faster, often without going to a doctor for medication.
Positive Affirmations
Start practicing positive affirmations. This won’t be easy in the beginning if you’ve been a negative thinker for some time, but you can start practicing when you are in a good mood. Doing this will prepare you to use them when thinking negatively or to talk down to yourself.
Pay attention to the things that make you think and feel negatively. There’s often a pattern to these events. If you can start to catch these events and use your affirmations, you can ward off a full-blown damaging meltdown. It may even feel unnatural initially, but it will get easier once you start practicing this.
You don’t have to go through life being negative. You can change this behavior. Just like any changes in behavior you make, this one will take time and can be very challenging. It is worth it in the long run. Try it and see if you don’t start to feel better; see if people don’t respond to you better. No one wants to hang around a negative person. If you want to be someone people consider friendly, start practicing having a better attitude and stop the negative self-talk.
