Most of us have dreams and ambitions, or at least used to, before things got too hectic! Use this example personal development plan to figure out how to turn your dreams into reality.

It's common for people to have a "mental block" when it comes to solving problems about themselves. Give them a room to decorate, a work project to complete or someone else's problem to solve and they're great.

Turn those skills and experience on yourself for a change, and create a personal development plan that works for you.

Step 1 Focus Area
Choose 1 to 3 areas to focus on. Too many and you'll never get anywhere - too few and you may have all your proverbial eggs in one basket.

Step 2 Where are you now?
What are you like now? You need to know where you're starting from so you can measure your progress as you progress through your personal development plan.

Step 3 Will be?
If you went to bed tonight, and your problem was solved, what would that be like? What would you feel? What would you see? Knowing what you want to achieve will increase your chances of achieving it.

Step 4 How known?
What quantitative measure will tell you that you're achieving your goal? Even a simple 1-5 scale is enough to measure intangible goals, like increasing your confidence or reducing anxiety during presentations.

Step 5 Activities and Resources
What practical steps are you going to take to achieve your goal? Do you need to study or do research?

Step 6 When?
Plan time in your diary for specific activities like you would a regular appointment. If you must make changes, re-schedule for a later date. Be realistic about your commitments and make some adjustments to your life, or plan, if necessary.

Step 7 Reward
Giving yourself rewards as you achieve your mini-goals make the whole process more enjoyable. This may just provide the incentive you need to do the work that will make the big change you desire.

Here's a personal development planning template to start you off.

Download 'Example Personal Development Plan' in pdf format