James Little

This is a summary of an article of the same name in Builder.au

1. Write down specific goals. So your goals will be more actionable – and memorable. Try and encapsulate those goals in a word that is meaningful to their outcome…
2. Do a SWOT analysis on yourself … At the very least this will provide you with some practise for interview questions; but it will also help you visualise your path. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
3. Ensure your loved ones are covered … Make sure you plan in your friends and family. If they don’t fit then your life will lose balance and your plans will be more likely to derail.
4. Self promote … I don’t find it very easy to fit communication about my personal development into established meetings that are usually about current projects and I usually treat impromptu conversational as everyday small talk; so I feel the following is something I should note:

If the environment doesn’t accommodate that type of communication, use chance meetings to keep her updated e.g.: In the elevator ride leaving the office, if Boss asks “How are things?,” rather than talk about your health, try something like, “Great! The new software is running well and we’re hearing positive feedback from everyone.”

Full article: Four tactics for career success in 2009