Part of any successful personal development program is finding your passion. Your goals in both the short- and long-term should be selected with this in mind. The personal satisfaction and fulfillment that comes from doing work you love should be a goal in and of itself. A goal that calls for work you hate, though, may be too hard to achieve.
Persistence is a cornerstone in any good personal development program. Ambitious goals and careful planning are common personal development processes, but they are of little help if the first sign of trouble causes the whole program to be abandoned. Mistakes and failures are inevitable - personal development is about moving past them, not eliminating them.