How to Create a Personal Growth Plan

Planning is vital to success in life. Few people become successful by accident; it happens because we have a goal and passion for that goal. We utilize organizational tools, seminars and personal coaches to accomplish those goals. So what about our spiritual success?

By spiritual success I am not purporting a “health, wealth and self-philosophy”: I am talking about Biblical success as defined in Joshua 1:8. The passage clearly challenges the people to meditate and obey the Word of God.

Although reading the Bible is personally enriching, the challenge is to meditate so we can obey.

As we set our family, physical, financial and personal objectives for 2016, let’s not overlook the spiritual realm. What are your spiritual objectives for 2016? In fact, have you created a personal growth plan for the coming year? Have you thought about your objectives? Your Program Objectives are the practical steps for accomplishing the biblical values already established in your life.

J. Oswald Sanders said in his book Enjoying Intimacy with God: “A successful fruitful ministry does not just happen–it is purchased. It cannot be paid in a lump sum; we pay for it in gradually increasing installments. There is no such thing as a cheap, fruitful ministry.”

Several years ago I began selecting a yearly spiritual theme, which has proven to be a tremendous personal blessing. For example, some of my past themes have been Prayer, God’s Attributes, Practicing His Presence, and Worship. This does not mean I think about these concepts to the exclusion of others. What it means is that it is my thematic focus for the year.

Having a theme guides my Bible study, scripture memory and reading. I do not necessarily think about it every day. It simply ebbs and flows as I do life. My biblical values are established and do not change, but some of the Program Objectives and Action Steps may change yearly based on the yearly theme. This would be true of other values like the “physical” or “family” where my objectives are adjusted each year.

I want to challenge you to try the concept of “Creating a Personal Growth Plan” for 2016. During January 2016, I will be offering a “Free” downloadable tool called, “Beyond the Status Quo: How to Create a Personal Growth Plan.” This document will include:

• Instructions on how to create your own personal plan.
• Example of a personal plan.
• Template for creating your own personal plan.
• Bibliography of recommended books.

Look for this download, which will be available with my December 30, 2015, post.

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