The self-development program is a necessary project for improving one’s own qualities and skills. Drawing up a self-development program greatly simplifies the task of determining areas of activity and tracking the results obtained. What is the difference between a self-development plan and a program and is it needed at all if you have drawn up an action algorithm? Let's understand everything in order.
Types of personal self-development programs
As we have already discussed in the article, self-development can be directed along four life levels, and a general plan is formed in accordance with this. And based on the analysis, one general program or several are drawn up for each area of activity, for example:
- professional self-development program;
- business image self-development program;
- creative self-development program;
- leader self-development program;
- and etc.
I repeat once again that the self-development program is a purely individual project, so what it will look like is up to you. You should not try to squeeze yourself into the framework of a reference model if it runs counter to your priorities and development directions.
Self-development program example
The personal self-development program is an individual project, taking into account your own abilities, skills, qualities, available resources and environmental conditions, so you can take the sample as a basis, but with adjustments to suit your priorities and needs.
Before you include another item in your plan, ask yourself the question: “Why do I need this?” That is, it is important to understand what result working on yourself in a specific direction will lead to for you personally. Motivation is the engine of development; its absence is wasted energy and time.
Let’s say we have drawn up the following self-development plan for the year:
Physical layer:
- rise at 6 am;
- go to bed at 22.00;
- shower before bed;
- cleansing the body 1-2 times;
- do not eat 3 hours before bedtime and do not overeat;
- include sports in your activities;
- learn breathing exercises.
Now let’s describe an example of a personal development program and how we will put this plan into practice in the coming month. You can separately note for yourself what you will get if you achieve a positive result on each point.
| PLAN | PROGRAM | BENEFIT |
| wake up at 6 am | Let's combine these two points, since they are interconnected. Of course, if you are used to getting up at 10.00 and going to bed at 02.00, you won’t be able to change your schedule right away. Therefore, to begin with, we give ourselves time, for example two weeks, to get used to going to bed earlier, at 00.00 and getting up at 8.00. In two weeks we will further shift the period from 23.00 to 07.00. Next stage – 22.00-06.00 At first, on weekends you can indulge yourself, get up later, but gradually the schedule should line up 22.00-6.00 | Productivity will increase, as you will be able to accomplish things that you usually don’t have the energy to do in the evening; between 6 and 8 am, the maximum production of the hormone serotonin occurs, which is responsible for good mood and vigor |
| go to bed at 22.00 | from 23.00 to 01.00-03.00 melatonin (the hormone of “sleep and youth”) and somatotropin (the hormone of growth and fat burning) are produced | |
| shower before bed | we just take it and do it every evening, even if I don’t want to, but taking into account some nuances (see the “benefit” column) | daily showering is indicated for people who engage in heavy physical labor or sports; for others, such water procedures using detergents 2 times a week are enough, but not excluding daily washing of the feet, armpits and intimate areas. Daily use of shower gels and soaps washes away natural oils from the skin, causing susceptibility to viruses and bacteria |
| cleansing the body 1-2 times | First, we determine which month this item will be included in and select the appropriate method, depending on the state of health. The whole procedure is divided into several stages: · preparing the body for cleansing - drink warm water; · colon cleansing; liver cleansing; · kidney cleansing; · liberation of the body from toxins and waste at the cellular level. If required, you can supplement the basic set of cleansing measures with detox of the lungs, blood and blood vessels, skin, joints, release of mucus from the maxillary sinuses, etc. One of the cleansing options is fasting for 24-36 hours, but with the intake of herbs, kefir is allowed. Determine the day in the program and build a complete schedule, excluding physical activity and other active activities; perhaps it is better to choose a day off, but for some, on the contrary, it is easier to refrain from eating while you are at work. The second option is to take activated carbon (but always with a proper diet, excluding all harmful substances) for 2-3 weeks, at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight (divide the resulting amount into two doses - morning and evening). The daily intake of water should be 1.5-2 liters. Coal can be replaced with Polysorb. The third option is flaxseed. You need to take 1 tbsp. in the morning before meals with water. Course – 2 weeks. | we rid the intestines of pathogenic microflora, the body of waste and toxins |
| do not eat 3 hours before bedtime and do not overeat | 1. Gradually begin to reduce the serving size, strive for the norm. The good thing about the program is that you can prescribe your detailed diet in it, this is especially true for those who want to lose excess weight. 2. Reduce the number of snacks per day, gradually the body will get used to it. 3. Remove junk food from your diet - fast food, sweets, coffee, etc. That is, within a month you should bring your diet back to normal: · during the first week, completely give up fast food and at the same time include more fruits and vegetables in your snacks; · second week - try to avoid eating after 18.00, if you go to bed at 22.00, then this time is just enough not to get hungry and give the body a rest during sleep; · third week – your portions should already be approaching ideal, this is just the period for forming a habit; · fourth week – maximum compliance with proper nutrition, sometimes you can treat yourself to something tasty and healthy. Thus, we do everything gradually, there is no need to try to radically change your rhythm of life in one day, it is better to slowly but surely move towards your goal, so there is less chance that you will fail. | overeating is a direct path to excess weight and the occurrence of associated diseases, and snacking before bed prevents the body from fully resting while you sleep; it has to digest food, which leads to metabolic disorders |
| include sports in your activities | First, it is important to decide what exactly it will be - fitness, aerobics, strength training, Pilates, yoga, stretching, etc. But when practicing any of the types, preliminary preparation is necessary; you will not do the splits from the first lesson, you will not get into a complex asana the first time, and you will not lift a barbell weighing even 30 kg. If you haven’t done anything for a long time or a very long time, running 5 km is like death. Therefore, this month you prepare your body for physical activity: · we start with walking – 7 days of 10,000 steps; · depending on your capabilities and the time of year - an exercise bike, starting from 20 minutes and a light load, or cycling first from 30 minutes - every day or every other day; · after 10 days, you can include physical exercises (we draw up a schedule of exercises, for example, 3 times a week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday), here, too, depending on the possibilities - the gym or at home with exercises on the Internet. At this stage, your task is to strengthen the muscle corset, and if you need to start losing excess weight (normal sleep and no overeating will help). And then the complication of the training program. | Much has already been said about the benefits - strengthening the immune system, developing correct posture, normalizing metabolism |
| learn breathing exercises | · first we choose the method by which we will practice (breathing gymnastics by Strelnikova, Buteyko, pranayama, qigong, etc.); · if possible, sign up for practical classes; · draw up a schedule for performing exercises taking into account the previous point of the program. The time for performing breathing exercises depends on the state of health and the chosen technique. For example, exercises according to Strelnikova are recommended to be done 2 times a day, morning and evening (but not before bedtime) before meals or half an hour after meals | · diseases of the respiratory system are treated; · the osseous-ligamentous system is strengthened; Increased activity and concentration; · sleep becomes easier; · physical performance improves. |
We looked at an example of one of the four levels of life, a personal self-development program. Drawing up clear instructions eliminates confusion and panic, organizes your activities and allows you to track results.
You can use the self-development program for Android, which will reflect the above program compiled for you personally. The application is essentially more like keeping a diary, but it allows you to analyze the results. Here's what an individual self-development program on your phone might look like:
Here you can set a plan for the day with prioritization, determining your own motivation:
The application will help in forming new healthy habits:
And of course – evaluation of the results obtained in accordance with the balance wheel:
This is no less important, only when we see progress does our motivation and desire for self-development and self-improvement increase.
We considered the self-development program only at one level. If you want to analyze other areas of life in more detail, write in the comments, I will definitely put together a separate program on topics that interest you
What is important to know to create a self-development program
- In order to correctly draw up a self-development program, you need to identify areas of life that require adjustment. To do this, use the “Wheel of Life Balance” model. It clearly shows all the gaps and shortcomings of resources.
- Using the obtained result of the analysis of the wheel of life balance, you can create a self-development program aimed at adjusting the necessary skills and qualities. Thus, when drawing up a self-development program, it is important to assess your own abilities .
- When drawing up a self-development program, it is important to answer the question for yourself: “What quality do I want to develop?” Yes, you may realize that you have large gaps in your career, but at this moment in time this area of life is not a priority for you, therefore you do not need to expend maximum energy and resources for self-development in this direction. But since for the harmonious formation of a personality it is important to maintain a balance in all areas of life, self-realization should not be completely ignored.
- No matter how much we want to achieve, external circumstances, the availability (lack) of resources , do not always allow us to do this. Therefore, when drawing up a self-development program, it is important to assess the realistically available opportunities and costs (not only material, but also moral). For example, you may encounter a situation where your desire for self-improvement will not be supported by your inner circle. Let's say you decide to switch to a different type of diet - a raw food diet, but your husband is categorically against it, because this will affect the menu of the whole family.
- The program can and should be adjusted in accordance with the intermediate results obtained. It is impossible to predict your self-development 100%; there will always be some deviations from the general plan, because circumstances beyond our control may arise, or priorities may change. Therefore, adjusting the self-development program is a completely natural process.
How to motivate yourself to improve yourself
Some people are well aware that their lives are far from perfect, but at the same time they remain at the same level of their development. They don't even try to make even the slightest effort to improve their quality of life. This is due to a person’s reluctance to leave his comfort zone and lack of motivation. These are the main reasons why many people live their lives in constant doubt and wandering.
In order to motivate yourself to improve yourself, you need to do the following:
Analyze your past, just do it not superficially, but really think about it. Surely there were dreams, goals, something planned
Achieved? If not, then it's time to get to work. Write down on a piece of paper everything that you want to bring to life, starting with the most important. Pere
Self-development program for a year
As we have already found out, a self-development program is a detailed instruction that reflects a step-by-step algorithm of actions on the path to self-improvement. Therefore, the question reasonably arises of how to create a self-development program for 1 year or a longer period.
In this case, it is ideal to first draw up a long-term plan, and in accordance with it, develop a program for individual short periods. For example, you predicted your self-development goals for 5 years; tailoring a detailed program to it is probably a waste of time. Therefore, first, draw up a project, say for 1 month. As a result, in accordance with the results obtained, make adjustments to the plan if something went wrong, or extend the personal self-development program for the next month. We will look at how to do this using an example below.
