How to Build a Personal Development Plan That You Actually Follow

Research & Sources / Personal & Career Development

Every January, gyms are full. By March, many of the same people are paying for a membership they no longer use. The plan was good, the motivation was real, and still it faded. Most personal development plans have the same fate: written with energy in a review meeting, then quietly forgotten in a drawer.

Why plans fail

Too many goals. Five areas to develop, each with three actions. Too much to keep in mind.

Too vague. “Improve communication skills” sounds good but tells you nothing about what to do on Tuesday.

No moment. The plan says what, but not when.

Nobody asks. After the review meeting, nobody mentions it again for a year.

What research says works

Specific goals. Edwin Locke and Gary Latham found that specific, challenging goals lead to better performance than vague ones.¹

“When-then” plans. Peter Gollwitzer and Paschal Sheeran combined the results of 94 studies on plans in the form “when situation X happens, I will do Y”. These plans clearly increased the chance of reaching goals.²

Someone who checks in. In a study by Gail Matthews, people who sent weekly progress reports to a friend achieved more than those who only wrote their goals down.³

A plan you will actually follow

1. One focus. Choose one development goal for the next three months. One. The others can wait.

2. Make it visible. Describe what will be different in a way someone else could notice. “I let others finish speaking in meetings before I respond.”

3. Attach it to a moment. “When I enter a meeting, I will decide to ask at least two questions before giving my opinion.”

4. Practise weekly. Look for one situation each week to practise deliberately.

5. Find a check-in partner. A colleague, mentor or thinking partner who asks every two weeks how it is going.

6. Review after 90 days. Did it change? What’s next?

Small is powerful

A plan with one small, specific goal that you actually follow will change more in a year than a big plan you abandon in March. Teresa Amabile’s research shows that seeing progress, even small progress, is one of the strongest motivators there is.⁴

What this means for you this week

• Choose one development goal for the next 90 days.
• Write it as a visible behaviour.
• Write one “when-then” plan for it.
• Ask one person to check in with you every two weeks.

The best plan is not the most ambitious one. It is the one you are still following in March.

Sources

1. Locke, E. A. & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705-717. doi.orgSpecific, challenging goals lead to higher performance than vague “do your best” goals.
2. Gollwitzer, P. M. & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement: A Meta-analysis. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69-119. doi.orgAcross 94 studies, specific “when X, then Y” plans substantially increased goal attainment.
3. Matthews, G. Goals Research Summary. Dominican University of California. dominican.edu (PDF)Participants who sent weekly progress reports to a friend achieved significantly more than those who only wrote or thought about their goals. Small study, published as a summary.
4. Amabile, T. M. & Kramer, S. J. (2011). The Power of Small Wins. Harvard Business Review. hbr.orgOf everything that can boost motivation at work, the most important is making progress in meaningful work, even in small steps.