FIVE: The more you work at it, the more you’ll improve.
Okay, this last of my Five Things to Consider may seem like a throw-away item, but I am including it for a reason. One of the things that I have noticed throughout my career is that some people invest themselves in their development plans, and others treat their development plans as just an exercise. I have consistently found that if you work at your development plan, you will improve. It’s that simple. If you create a good plan and you dedicate time to achieving that plan, your effort will pay off. You might not turn your weaknesses into strengths, but you will make progress at improving yourself.
On one hand, this is reassuring and comforting to hear. Of course, you need to be clear about what you put into your development plan. You should be certain that you really, really want to follow through on it. We each have limited time and energy, and by focusing on a development plan that you are serious about, you are committing yourself to channeling some of your energy into achieving a specific goal. Try it, and you will see results.
On the other hand, if you want to see the glass as half empty, this post makes the converse point that if you don’t work at it, you will not improve. I have never seen someone spontaneously improve on any significant behavioral dimension. It always takes work!
Filed under: Creating a high-impact development plan, Self-Development
