How to Set Personal Development Goals for an International Backpacking Trip

culled from:wikihow.com

Steps

1

Evaluate your life. Each personal development goal must begin with an honest look at where you currently stand. What areas do you want to grow in? What skills would you like to build? For example, it is important to know your current physical abilities before taking on a serious exercise program. It is the same way with pursuing personal growth. Take your time to reflect on where you are so you can determine where you want to be.

1. 2
   Identify what is important to you. You want your personal development goals to be relevant to your values and priorities. Each goal needs to have meaning in your life. Perhaps you want to place a higher priority on your family or physical health. Maybe you value creativity and beauty. Consider what is important to you and how you can tie your personal development goals to those things.
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   Choose 2 or 3 goals to focus on. International backpacking trips often last a few days or weeks. Though much personal growth can occur, the limited time restricts the number of goals on which you can focus. For example, you may want to develop a morning routine, build your photography skills, or learn to more fully enjoy the environment and people around you.
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   List steps for each goal. What can you do to attain these goals during your trip? Identify specific action steps. These will provide practical steps for each goal. They also provide accountability for getting each item finished. Examples could include getting up at 6 a.m. each morning, taking 40 pictures every day, or keeping all technological devices turned off during the backpacking trip.
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   Persevere. Even if you miss one of your action steps, continue to pursue your personal development goals during your trip. Consistency is the key to developing new habits or building skills. Simply accept that you did not meet one step and continue moving forward toward personal growth.
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   Reflect on goals. When you return from your international backpacking trip, take some time to look back and see how well you did. Celebrate areas where you were able to achieve your personal development goals and take note of those goals where you may have fallen short. These are goals you can continue to work on during your next backpacking trip.