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It is easy to become discouraged or distracted after a divorce. A lot of times the divorce brings up a long list of items that you wish you could change about yourself, but realistically, there are probably only a few areas that need to be addressed. If you worked on these few areas, you could significantly impact your overall life. When it comes to personal development, putting the focus on just a few key areas is usually more effective than working on a long list of changes. To do this I recommend getting out a piece of paper and a pen or open up a blank document on your computer.

What are the areas you would want to change? Make a list of any changes that come to mind. Once you are done, take a look at the list. Still looking at your list, determine which areas you would like to focus on this year. Once you have identified your focus areas, try and put them into like categories. Categories can include areas such as career, home, family or relationships.

Now it is important to get your priorities straight. List your categories from most important area of development to least. This may change over time, so it is important to keep your list updated as time goes by. What may be a top priority in your life today due to the divorce may not make as much sense to you in six months. You can use this prioritization list as your baseline for your new personal development plan. Having a plan in place will help you reach the goals that are most important to you, at this time. At this point you almost have your personal development plan complete.

The next step is to take your top two areas on your list and write a few sentences on what the overall benefits of making those changes would be on your life. Describe how you will be different, and what positive changes you will enjoy in your life. After you complete that, take another look to make sure that you still agree with the way you prioritized your list in the last step, and make any corrections.

The final step is to write down the actions you will need to complete what you have identified as your top personal development priorities. Remember, action is what is needed to accomplish and reach your goals.Examples of actions could include taking a course, hiring a contractor to paint the house, revising your resume or writing an email to a friend you haven't connectedwith in a long time.

Once you have taken the time to prioritize what you want to change or improve about yourself and why, you are more likely to stay committed and engaged with the steps you will need to take to get there. Prioritizing your development areas will help to make your plan more manageable and effective. This is especially important after a divorce when it seems like change is constant and a bit chaotic.