Personal and Professional Development: Importance of Short, Medium and Long-term Goals

This report provides insight into personal and professional development, short, medium and long-term goals, and the value of a Personal Development Plan. Short-term goals help maintain focus, medium-term goals track progress, and long-term goals shape the direction of an individual's life. A Personal Development Plan is essential for self-improvement and helps balance qualifications and soft skills. The report includes examples and steps to develop skills and knowledge.

Academic Skills and PDP

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Concept of personal and professional development....................................................................3
Importance of Short-term goal along with different examples...................................................4
Describing Medium-term goal and its value through examples.................................................5
Presenting Long-term goals and its importance using examples................................................5
Describing the value of Personal Development Plan along with goals......................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Personal and professional development (PPD) may be defined as a process which
individual undertakes with the motive to enhance proficiency level. In the current times,
individuals lay high level of emphasis on PPP for dealing with the challenges and attainment of
organizational goals effectually. Further, PPD aspects also helps individuals in gaining
competitive edge over others. In this, current report will provide deeper insight about the concept
of personal and professional development. Besides this, it also entails how short, medium and
long term goals contribute in the improvement of skills & knowledge. Report also highlights
activities which an individual should undertake for self-development.
Concept of personal and professional development
Personal and professional development is a way through which people come to know about
their own abilities and skills. It is the process by which any individual or organization learn to
meet challenges and desired goals (Why is personal and professional development important,
2018). This process involves ensuring knowledge and understanding an area of expertise. Its
purpose is to enhance the skills that allows an individual to move up with different roles in near
future.
Professional Development
In the professional development, the supervisor and employees negotiate the employee's
level of involvement. In an organization, it helps employee to reach short and long term career
goals and improves current job performance (Mitina and Mitin, 2020). There are several
approaches to professional development like skill based training, job assignments and
development relationships. There are effective Professional development plans like assessment,
challenge and support their critical components are there. Example of continuing growth include
continuing education, participation in professional organization research, improved job
performance and increase duties/ responsibilities.
Personal Development
Personal Development is a way through which am individual can assess their skills and
qualities which helps to maximize their potential. It also assists to produce better results and also
meet their goals throughout year. Personal Development is important because it helps to generate
many opportunities in near future and it also expand the perspective through continuous learning

(Hartshorne and et.al., 2020). Also, with the help of personal development plan, individual can
identify the areas of their strength and weakness. There are three major importance of personal
development like improving your awareness, knowing and building own identity and discovering
and developing talents.
Importance of Short-term goal along with different examples
Clearly defined path of success which allowing focus on one thing and help to achieve
short time goals. They are combat procrastination and helps to gain insightful feedback. Short
term goals can be defined as the action that planned to accomplish in a small period total of time.
This can be range in hours, days or weeks up to the month. Any outcome that need to be
achieved in 12 months or less are critical distinction of a short term goal. Secret to achieving
most objectives like personal financial or professional is setting shorter term desire which are
relevant, achievable and easy to measure plus time sensitive (Taqi, Farid and Radwan, 2021).
Moreover, short-term goals help in maintaining concentration on the path set out towards
achieving the long term goal. A shorter action plan doesn’t get distracted or confused in process
of goal achieving. It helps to ensure small steps by focusing on daily, weekly or monthly plan
towards larger objectives. Apart from this, it provides clarity to overall plan as it leads to driving
long term aspiration which helps in maintaining a consistent and clear understanding of the
overall objective. Tracking long term goals are tough as there will be many traps which seems
daunting and unmanageable even to experienced employees or supervisors specially when
accompany the time limits (Kassem, Khoiry and Hamzah, 2020). Employees may find it more
difficult when avail time doesn't seem enough for given task, short term is one of the best way to
overcome challenges.
Overall, it can be stated that through short term goal, individual can promote towards the
career success. It is so because short-term goals provide consistent updates on the progress and
helps to be attentive toward road blocks or obstacles which preventing from reach to a goal
(Bachik and Kitzman, 2020).
Examples:
 To improve the communication skills at workplace that helps to present the ideas freely
in front of others. This can be attained within 3 months by focusing upon action.

 Earn a new certificate within next 6 months that helps to raise knowledge pertaining to
management field.
 Explore new words every day that helps to improve the knowledge and vocabulary.
Describing Medium-term goal and its value through examples
Goals which are medium-termed lasts a few months or years, in contrast with short or
long term goals. Everyone has mid-term goals which can accomplished in 3 to 5 years. With the
help of mid-term goals, individual track the progress as they are aligned with long term goals. So
it can be stated that accomplishing a mid-term goal is one step closer to long term goals. Further,
short-term goals are easy to achieve, whereas long-term goals need to be moderated comparing
to mid-term goals as they are hard to achieve directly. It helps to progress and evaluate heading
towards long term goal and seeking plan or choices if needing to change in order to achieve
specific long term goal. Mid-term goals take a bit longer, they become short-term with passage
of time. On the other side, medium-term goals for a business includes increase market share,
develop a new product or service, reduce costs implement an employee program and increase
shareholder value (Zalbidea and et.al., 2021). Mid-term goals can be set as a result achieving
goals of short-term. If the plan does not work , there will be change in the plan not in the goal.
Example:
 Top expand interpersonal skills within 2 years.
 To graduate from a college because it took 3 years and get individual one step closer
towards a long term goal.
 I will achieve 70% or higher in my Chemistry mid-term exam that create positive impact
over annual exam.
Presenting Long-term goals and its importance using examples
Long-term goals are something that individual want to attain in near future. They are not
something can be achievable in week or even a year, usually long-term goal lasts for several
years away (Zalbidea and et.al., 2021). These can tie closely with personal goals and work-life
balance for owners and or managers. Long-term goals require effective time frame of planning
so that individual can meet the same. Thus, it can be stated that this goals are essential for self-
improvement and also shape up the direction of individual’s lives.
The ultimate objective of long term goals is to divide them into series of smaller goals
according to given time period. So that they can be analysed by the supervisors or employees by

making changes, if necessary. In addition to this, through long term goals, individual can
evaluate progress and also set up plan that encourage to meet their future goals. For making
long-term goals attainable and achievable to the people of an organization, it can be divided into
small series of different task according to time limits. These small task collectively set of goals
make a clear way to reach destination of final goal in the period given time of as they give
insights to double check the plan and give assess to change at the time of requirement. Long-
term goals can be achieved by using series of both short and long term goals along the way.
Breaking down long term ways into small achievable task can help to successfully reach to the
expected outcomes.
Example:
 To improve the leadership skills so that in future, individual can lead a team effectively.
 To complete the GED exams for which person has to clear small exams.
 Joining a football team of a school to represent the same at national level.
Describing the value of Personal Development Plan along with goals
Personal development plan is a necessity to accomplishing success in life. It includes seven
steps: Setting goals and make them prior goals, set deadline on them to complete them on time,
recognize threats and opportunities, develop skills with increase knowledge about them, use
support networks and measure progress at the end of this plan.
Importance of Developing plan
Personal development leads a balance between qualification and soft skills for example
employer needs all-rounder candidate. There are five area of personal development which help
improves in the broad terms which ultimately helps in balancing approach to progression
(Hasegawa and et.al., 2020). Thus, it can be stated that through an effective PDP, individual is
able to determine the skills which need to be developed in a particular tenure. However, it may
take enough time because it is depending upon the skills. Also, the personal development plan
gives individual a personal vision of future and knowing own target will also make an individual
to accomplish the goals. The Developing plan should be smart and the examples are as
mentioned below:
 To enhance the communication skills by 50% within 3 months.
 To increase time management skills in 7 months.

 To developed problem solving skills in 5 months.
 To boost self-confidence in 3 months.
 To enhance the adaptability before end of the year.
Skill needs to
develop
Resource Actions to be taken Time
Communicati
on skills, is
key to express
yourself, share
and exchange
own ideas and
for gaining
good and
appropriate
communicatio
n skills
(Djalalitdinov
na, 2021).
Book, tutor, training
material
Practice active listening
because effective
communicators are always
good listeners. I will willingly
also ask for feedbacks so that I
can correct my mistakes and
learn from them.
I will take help from different
training scheme and develop a
filter with strong learnings and
practising.
Also, I will read different
books and novels of my
interest and try to learn and
apply correct ways of
communicative.
I also try to avoid basic
mistakes for effective
communications with the help
of tutorial videos and trying
application.
Communication skills
itself a big term where
I need to learn right
from held basic
conversation to be able
more expressive, to be
trained properly, it will
take minimum 3
months to work on it
to be fluent.
Time
management
By the help of
technology like using
software which can
I will start prioritizing the work
in which set a schedule of most
important work on top-list
Time management can
be improved in 2
months minimum.

help to observe
wasted and utilized
time.
(Bukharina, 2018).
Further, I start using online
software that helps me to
identify the wastage time.
Problem
solving
Books and tutorial To improve the skill, I focus
upon the solution and listen
each other attentively. Also,
before making any action, I
will act on resolving the
problem.
5 months can be taken
to improve the skills
Self-
confidence
Tutor I start joining group
discussions in order to
determine my strengths.
Through feedback, I realized
my weakness and strength
I will try to be generally
cheerful and have positive
outlook.
3 months are enough
of practising.
Adaptability With the help of
different textbooks I
can boost my
knowledge which will
help me to better
navigate change.
Adaptability is something that
can be learnt from others, I will
look for opportunities and
develop willingness to try new
things
I will build up ability to adapt
and respond positively.
1 year will be taken
for good observation
and experience
different scenarios.
CONCLUSION
By summing up above it has been concluded that personal and professional development are
two different concepts that are used by individuals. Further, it has been also evaluated through
the above report that with the help of short term goal, individual can meet task within 3 months

whereas medium term goals required 3 years to accomplish the set goals. However, it has been
also concluded that long term goals required highest time because it is future based. Overall, it
can be stated that through PDP, individual can improve the personal skills that will beneficial in
their future.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bachik, A. K. and Kitzman, M. J., 2020. The case for including personal development in
undergraduate psychology curricula. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in
Psychology. 6(2). p.150.
Bukharina, A. Y., 2018. Personal development plan (PDP) in practice and technology of
introducing mentoring in organizations. Social Psychology and Society. 9(1). pp.162-
176.
de León-Ballesteros, G. P. and et.al., 2020. Mid-term and long-term impact of permanent
hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy. World journal of surgery. 44(8).
pp.2692-2698.
Djalalitdinovna, A. D., 2021. The importance of developing and implementing more advanced
teaching methods in pedagogical practice. ACADEMICIA: AN INTERNATIONAL
MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH JOURNAL. 11(2). pp.670-673.
Hartshorne, R. and et.al., 2020. Special issue editorial: Preservice and inservice professional
development during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Technology and Teacher
Education. 28(2). pp.137-147.
Hasegawa, T., and et.al., 2020. Food security under high bioenergy demand toward long-term
climate goals. Climatic Change. 163(3). pp.1587-1601.
Kassem, M. A., Khoiry, M. A. and Hamzah, N., 2020. Using Relative Importance Index
Method for Developing Risk Map in Oil and Gas Construction Projects. Jurnal
Kejuruteraan. 32(3). pp.85-97.
Mitina, L. M. and Mitin, G. V., 2020. Psychological Analysis of the Problem of Marginalism,
Procrastination and Learned Helplessness as Barriers to Personal and Professional
Development. Psikhologicheskaya nauka i obrazovanie. Psychological science and
education. 25(3). pp.90-100.
Taqi, O. S., Farid, M. and Radwan, A .H., 2021. The Importance of Quality of Urban Life
Indicators in Developing New Urban Communities in Cairo.(Dept. A). MEJ.
Mansoura Engineering Journal. 46(2). pp.58-66.
Zalbidea, J. and et.al., 2021. Initial proficiency and L2 grammar development during short-term
immersion abroad: Conceptual and methodological insights. Studies in Second
Language Acquisition. 43(2). pp.239-267.
Online
Why is personal and professional development important. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://blog.rapportleadership.com/why-is-personal-and-professional-development-
important>.
Personal development plan. 2021. [Online]. Available through: >