Vague goals contribute to discouragement. Your chances of losing weight increase by pledging to lose 10 pounds in 90 days instead of just saying you want to be thinner, according to Psychology Today. A specific timeframe and number of pounds help you focus on that overall fitness goal. Likewise, saying you want to open a catering business pushes you to take action, instead of simply proclaiming your wish for self-employment, author and speaker Ed Sykes says on the Goals Success website.
People who accomplish their personal development goals externalize those big dreams, says Eric Garner, managing director of ManageTrainLearn, on goal-setting tips published on the Goals Success website. Write your goals on paper and regularly review the list. Clarify how you will measure your progress. Express what you want, not what you dislike. Direct your attention toward changes in your performance rather than the rewards that await you. Tell someone about your improvement plan, because ongoing talks with this person hold you accountable for making progress.
Too many objectives at once are counter-productive. Work on one resolution at a time instead of tackling a long list of changes, says Psychology Today. Breaking a goal into smaller immediate steps is more realistic than urging yourself to take several giant strides. Another weakness of personal development plans is labeling them as New Year's resolutions, because many people lose steam within weeks. Instead, concentrate on pursuing those goals all year and treat them as permanent lifestyle changes.
Negative self-talk sabotages your desires to get ahead, says author Nancy Brook in her online article published on Goals Success. Listen to your inner voices, because those critical thoughts indicate whether your personal development ideas are based upon obligation instead of inspiration. Internal changes set the stage for external transformations, but rewiring your style of thinking requires time before becoming habitual. Brook also recommends visualizing achievement of personal goals and speaking aloud some positive affirmations.