What makes Self-Initiated Development stick? Having a development plan is great. But unless you have the incentive and motivation behind it you will quickly set it aside and continue on your merry way without receiving any benefits from what you started. This is where long-term goals and their benefits come in. It’s like answering the question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” and putting the answer to that question in front of yourself every day.
Think about your long-term goals? What do you need to do to achieve them? Think about them every day. But, what are the benefits of the goals? The answer to this question provides the motivation for you to work hard to achieve them.
I know a young lady I can use as an example. She was homeschooled and worked very hard at it. She graduated high school at 14. She graduated college at 16 and received her Master’s degree in psychology at 19. Very impressive. But, what drove her? It was her desire to become a psychologist and to help people. That is what she thought about every day. She didn’t think about it in terms of what she could achieve, rather what would be the results. But, she was flexible. During a missions trip to India she realized that her calling was really to work in an orphanage in Mumbai. Of course she would be able to use her education in her work, but more importantly, she was able to achieve her long-term goal of helping people.
Think about where you want to be in five years, ten years, twenty years. Can you write down your goals for each time frame? Don’t be afraid to change your goals as you go along. But, think of the benefits to your goals and let these benefits be the driving force in your development.
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