ALIGN
Welcome to part 3 of my previous posts on developing a personal growth plan. We have moved from assessment to alignment.
If assessment asks the question, “Where am I?” alignment asks, “Where am I going?”
Developing A Personal Growth Plan
Alignment is about vision, a preferred future in the areas you assessed and relies on your deeply held values, beliefs, and convictions. Another way to think of alignment is as a compass, it points you in the true direction you want to move toward.
As a Christian you draw from Scripture as a revelation of God’s design and the Holy Spirit who is working in you to transform you into the image of Christ. So more than just wishful thinking, alignment brings God’s purpose for your life into focus and asks, “By God’s grace where will I grow this year and what will it look like?”
This is where you ask God for wisdom and clarity on what he is doing in your life and how you are to cooperate with him at this time .
Write it down
Take each area you assessed and write down the preferred future. Let’s use our prior example.
The assessment- I have an inconsistent devotional life and only have a quiet time a couple days of my week and even then it is brief and feels hurried. Mornings are hard for me to do this.
The alignment (a preferred future for this area)- I want to daily connect with God not out of duty, but for a vital life giving relationship. I want to listen to him, get more of my identity from him and then talk to him about my life.
Just as in the assessment phase being specific and clear is an essential component to developing a good growth plan. General and vague descriptions will not help you. Be creative and descriptive in this area, not just practical. Picture it, then describe it in words.
[promo]Jim Reklis is founder of Reklis Coaching and Consulting. He and his wife Phyllis have 6 children, 2 grandchildren, and live in Durham, NC.[/promo]