Measuring your Progress Regularly is how you become Successful.
All of us have projects, goals and things we want to get done, but how do you measure progress? How do you know you are getting enough done when working on those projects or goals? Have you set a date for completion to your project?
In order to measure your progress you have to know when you want it completed. Then you work backwards so that you know what you need to do each month, each week and each day to make that a reality. Some of us forget that you actually have to put a date of completion on a goal or project and we meander through our days and weeks hoping we are doing enough. Wouldn’t it be better to know for sure that you are?
Here are some tips to help you meet your goals.
1. Pick a completion date. Do you need it done by Christmas? Do you need it done by the end of summer? Select a date you want it done and hold yourself to it.
2. Planning. Take that date and begin planning out what you need to do each month, each week and daily to make that goal happen. If it’s weight loss you don’t want to focus on the big number you want to lose but smaller numbers to make it feel obtainable. 50 pounds lost in six months is only a little over 8 pounds a month and as little as 2 pounds a week. Focusing on 2 pounds is easier than 50, so focus on the baby steps.
3. Schedule. Get out the calendar and figure out the number of days a week you can work on your goal. Fill in the time and don’t let other things get in the way of that time. It doesn’t matter if it’s only an hour three days a week, you will be moving forward to reach that goal.
4. Check your progress. Take time each month and evaluate your progress and see if you will be able to continue at the schedule you have created to keep with the completion date. If you are falling behind then adjust the schedule so you work maybe an hour and a half on the days you have chosen instead of an hour.
5. Commitments. Has life caused you to not stick to your schedule? Sit down with your goals once again and evaluate how the new job or new life challenge has caused your schedule to change. Don’t get discouraged just adjust your schedule so that you can still hit that date.
6. Resistance. Are you having problems sticking to your schedule because of yourself? Are you sabotaging yourself to not be available to work on that goal? Time to sit down and examine why you are doing this. Is it fear? Do you need help conquering this fear or do you have to just push forward and keep doing to overcome it?
7. Rewards. Get a wall calendar and for every day you are suppose to work on your goal give yourself a sticker on that day to show you did what you said you would do. Then it’s easy to see by a glance at that calendar how you are doing. At the end of the month, reward yourself for sticking to those small steps each week. If you missed some days then reward yourself with something only when you have stickers in all of those days you were suppose to work on your goal. You might think this is silly but it feels good to see you have accomplished something daily towards your goals.
8. Consistency. You need to be consistent with your efforts, time and work on your goal. We all do better when we have a schedule and can consistently make progress on something worthwhile.
9. Lack of Creativity. Are you not feeling it tonight? That can happen to all of us but if you just begin you will be glad you took the time to do it anyway. Once you start you don’t wish to quit and you will get into working on that goal.
10. Accountability. Find someone you can be accountable to. Tell them what you are working on and when you want it completed and fix it so you check in with them and they can encourage you to keep going. We all have bosses at our jobs that hold us accountable to doing what we are paid to do. Find a friend that can push you and hold you accountable to your word.
These are just a few ways you can measure your progress. Don’t be afraid to set that date and go for it.
Please leave a comment below if this has helped you or if you have another item you use to help you measure your progress. Be sure to share this with anyone you know that could use some encouragement on how to measure progress. Have a blessed week!
