“Who do I need to become to achieve the goals I set this year?”

That’s the question I explored in a recent episode of the Elite Achievement podcast. Like many high-performers, you’ve set big goals—but haven’t taken the time to step back and reflect on your growth. You can tune into the episode here, if you’d rather listen than read.

If you’re a high-achieving business owner, advisor, or leader, you’re likely already focused on performance. You have goals, targets, and a full calendar. But beneath the metrics and momentum, there’s something even more powerful shaping your results: your personal development.

Personal development isn’t a luxury. It’s a critical lever for business growth, leadership effectiveness, and long-term success. It’s what equips you to step into bigger roles, lead with confidence, and follow through on the goals that matter most.

So how do you develop with intention when time is tight and responsibilities are high?

That’s where a Personal Development Plan comes in.

Why Personal Development Gets Overlooked

Even though development is essential, it’s often the first thing to fall off the calendar. The demands of leading a business or team can quickly crowd out reflection and growth. It’s not because you don’t care. It’s because urgency wins when there isn’t a structure in place to guide your growth.

There’s also the hidden pressure to already have it all figured out. For high performers, it can feel uncomfortable to admit there’s still room to grow. But your next level of success likely requires a new level of clarity, discipline, or mindset.

That’s why taking the time to reflect—before you create a plan—is so important. You want a development plan that’s intentional, relevant to your current goals, and rooted in who you actually are.

Five Questions to Guide Your Growth

You don’t need hours of journaling to gain clarity. Here are a few intentional questions that can help shape your personal development plan:

• Where am I currently growing and where am I avoiding growth?
• What feedback have I received lately and how have I responded to it?
• Where do I feel friction in my day-to-day leadership?
• What growth opportunities am I avoiding or delaying?
• What strengths have I underused or taken for granted?

Your answers will help you surface patterns, identify gaps, and set priorities. This reflection is what turns your development plan from a vague idea into a strategic asset.

The Three Core Elements of a Personal Development Plan

A Personal Development Plan, or PDP, is not a to-do list. It’s a framework that aligns your growth with your goals and keeps you focused on what matters most.

The plan is built from a few key places:

• Your goals
• Your reflections
• Feedback from others or from your results
• Your own intuition

At the core of the PDP are three categories to focus on:

1. Skills to Develop

What knowledge or capabilities would expand your effectiveness or elevate your influence? This might include leadership communication, financial acumen, strategic thinking, or coaching skills.

2. Behaviors to Adopt

What habits or routines will support your goals? Maybe it’s blocking focused time for deep work, building in space for weekly planning, or holding firmer boundaries around your time.

3. Beliefs to Strengthen

What mindset shifts would empower you to lead at the next level? This might involve releasing imposter syndrome, building belief in your ability to grow a team, or stepping more fully into your leadership identity.

Start with one or two priorities in each category. Define tangible next steps, assign timelines, and check in regularly.

From Intention to Implementation

Once your plan is in place, use it to guide your decisions. Let it shape how you invest your time, what you commit to, and where you ask for support. Share it with a coach, mentor, or trusted peer to add accountability and perspective.

And remember, your plan will evolve. As you grow, your development priorities will shift. That’s not failure. That’s progress.

The most powerful thing you can do is grow with intention so you become the kind of leader, advisor, or business owner who can actually achieve what you set out to do.

That’s what a personal development plan helps high performers do. It gives your growth structure, keeps your focus aligned with your goals, and helps you invest your energy where it matters most.

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Need Help Clarifying Your Goals?

If you’re not clear on what you’re working toward—or you’ve set goals but aren’t seeing the progress you expected—it might be time to revisit your vision.

The Goal Setting Success Course walks you through the exact process I use with clients to set aligned, achievable goals and build a structure to follow through.

Explore the course here.
Use code GROW50 to save $50 at checkout.

When your goals are clear and your development is aligned, that’s when real progress happens.