Transform Your Life: Personal Development Tips for Single Mom Physicians
Sep 26, 2024
Creating Your Personal Development Plan: A Priority for Single Mom Physicians
Creating your personal development plan is a priority in your life. Documenting how you will improve yourself brings about more self-awareness, enabling you to truly make good choices and take well-thought-out steps to grow and thrive. Use the following steps to add details to your personal development plan.
Step #1. Identify What You Really Want.
To succeed at a goal or objective, you need to define what success means. For your personal development, the goal must be well thought out and include every factor that describes success, including the deadline for achieving it.
Dr. Sunny Smith: "Taking care of yourself isn't just about you—it's about being the best parent and professional you can be. When you're well-rested and healthy, you're more present and effective in all areas of your life."
Your detailed description should include what constitutes success and when you expect it to happen, based on your skill level, resources, and time available.
Here are some examples:
I will complete a money audit to know where my salary is going and ensure I can take care of my kids the way I want. To accomplish this, I will organize my bills, collect my student loan documents, track my spending for a week or month, and list everything in an organized way to calculate how long it will take to pay off my student loans.
Similarly, you can complete a time audit. Track how you spend your time for an entire week to see where you’re wasting time. This helps you figure out what you can delegate and how to save time, allowing you to spend it where you want.
You will do this process for every single goal you have, including long-term goals and daily shorter-term goals. These actions result in daily entries into your calendar and schedule regarding the work you will do today toward your goals.
As you work through any goal in life, it’s crucial to understand who you are and what you want overall. This ensures that what you think you want today aligns with your ideals.
Dr. Pamela Wible: "Self-care is essential for mental health. It helps reduce stress, improve mood, and boost overall well-being. It's not selfish—it's necessary."
To figure out what you want, ask yourself questions about every area of your life:
- What makes you joyful?
- What are your needs?
- What are your principles, morals, and values?
- What makes you forget time?
- What gives you the most energy?
- If money weren’t needed, what would you do?
- What do you want your obituary to say?
Knowing what you want is about understanding your self-worth and believing you matter. Focus on getting to know yourself and keep digging to find out what makes you authentically you.
Step #2. Define The Why.
Now, take each growth point in your personal development plan and make it more specific. Dig deeper to find the real reason you want to achieve each goal.
Dr. Sasha Shillcutt: "Knowing your why will provide clarity, inspiration, and focus. It allows you to release the 'shoulds' and 'musts' imposed on you throughout your life."
If your hobby goal is to pursue photography, but you feel it should remain a hobby due to past conditioning, knowing why you want to do it can help. If photography makes you happy, that’s reason enough. Understand that your investment in a photography class adds to your self-worth and joy.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do the goals fit in with each other?
- Do they match your principles, morals, and values?
- Do your goals fulfill your needs?
- How does success on this goal make your life better?
- Will this goal enhance your joy?
- Will this action affect your progress on other goals?
- Does this goal roadblock any other goals?
Leading with your why is a motivating measure that dispels the need for external motivation. Having a powerful reason or purpose will truly inspire you to achieve your goals.
Dr. Darilyn Moyer: "When you know why, you’ll more easily help others envision your goal. This understanding makes others more supportive and your why becomes a point of reference to motivate yourself and explain desired outcomes."
Step #3. List Obstacles You May Face.
One way to avoid setbacks is to account for potential obstacles you might face. Acknowledging roadblocks allows you to either remove them or transform them into growth opportunities.
Dr. Karen Sibert: "By noting obstacles, you can plan to circumvent them. This proactive approach helps you remain focused and resilient, even when challenges arise."
Make a list of possible obstacles, starting with everyday things. While you may not know every obstacle, acknowledging and planning for the known ones will assist you with last-minute solutions for the unknown and unexpected.
Here are some examples of obstacles:
- Fear
- Pride
- Denial
- Defensiveness
- Lack of accountability
- No self-discipline
- No motivation
- Unclear goals
- Lack of values
- Blame
- Comparison
- Self-doubt
- Distraction
- Envy
- Lack of resources
Focus on becoming a problem-solver. Set clear goals, take daily actions toward your goals, and monitor the results. Mitigate negative self-talk and take positive action.
Step #4. List The Tools You Need to Achieve the Goal.
Create a complete list of tools in your personal development plan, whether apps to track progress, a journal for your thoughts, professional coaching, or a support network.
Here are some tools and resources you may need:
- Technology and Apps: Tools to track your progress or automate tasks.
- A Journal: To organize and track your thoughts or plan your day.
- A Coach or Counselor: To explain concepts, tactics, and strategies.
- Training: To learn new programs or skills.
- Education: To gain more information about your goals.
- Support Network: Surround yourself with the right people.
- Accountability Partner: Someone who holds you to your standards without judgment.
Ensure you have the necessary tools to achieve your goals. Using the right tools will propel you toward success.
Step #5. Track and Measure Your Progress and Adjust as Needed.
Set up tracking and measuring systems for your goals. Your goals must be measurable to know what is working and what isn’t.
Dr. Sasha Shillcutt: "Action drives motivation. The experience of success increases the likelihood that you will keep going."
Here are some ways to track and measure progress:
- Set Objectives: Know the result you want to achieve.
- Break Everything Down: Into the smallest steps and actions.
- Identify The Right Measures: Know precisely how to check the metrics.
- Identify The Right Tools: For tracking progress.
- Schedule Your Actions: Put all actions into a reasonable schedule.
- Review Your Progress: Decide when to check the numbers.
- Mark Off Achievements: Use a checklist to track completion.
- Celebrate Your Progress: Reward yourself for small, medium, and big wins.
- Identify Self-Limiting Behaviors: Note and challenge any self-limiting beliefs.
- Honor Effort: Celebrate the process and your effort, not just the end goals.
- Keep a Diary: Track your progress and thoughts.
- Question Yourself Regularly: Ask tough questions about your actions.
- Document Everything: Write down your plan and track updates.
Tracking and measuring your progress is not about a lack of trust in yourself. It's a motivating factor that drives your ability to reach your goals and achieve success.
Dr. Pamela Wible: "Successful personal development is an active and conscious pursuit. It will not happen without mindfully leading yourself toward achieving the personal growth you need and want so you can live your best life."
Give yourself as many successful experiences as you can, and you will achieve far more than you ever thought possible. Don’t skip any steps in creating and following your personal development plan.
Calling all remarkable women physicians and single moms!
Join our thriving Single Mom MD community today and unlock the support you need to conquer financial challenges, master time management, embrace a positive mindset, and excel in parenting.
Together, we'll elevate each other to new heights of success and fulfillment. Don't wait - your empowered future starts here!
Stay connected with news and updates!
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
Don't worry, your information will not be shared.
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.
