When it comes to goal setting, you can’t forget about tracking your progress toward goals. Keeping an eye on goal progress is essential for success.
Why? Because doing so will allow you to better understand whether you’re actions or fruitful or in vain.
No matter what type of goal you set, you must measure your progress. And it’s not a one-time act either. It’s a repetitive process that should not be skipped when pursuing goals.
Why Keep Track of Goals?
Have you ever set a goal, only to forget about it a few days later? Or started working towards a goal, only to get sidetracked and never finish it? If so, you’re not alone.
Most people have trouble sticking to their goals. But that doesn’t mean that goal setting is a waste of time.
In fact, one study has shown that people who keep track of their goals are more likely to achieve them.
After all, tracking your progress is a way of checking in with how far you’ve come and how close you are to reaching your goals. This can be especially great when you are feeling pessimistic about making zero progress.
If you’re having trouble staying on top of your game, you need to keep track of goals proactively. You might be surprised about the difference it makes.
How to Keep Track of Goals
Tracking your milestones is needed to move you in the right direction in life. Here are 10 brilliant ways to keep track of goals:
1. Break Your Goals into Smaller Milestones
We all can admit that pursuing goals is not a trivial matter. So, one way to stay on track is to break down your goal into small milestones.
This makes it easier to see progress and celebrate each accomplishment along the way. It can also keep motivation high, as each milestone represents a step closer to your lifelong goal.
Of course, try to set milestones that are achievable and realistic.
If a milestone is too challenging, it can be overwhelming, while an easy milestone might not provide enough energy to continue. By carefully considering each goal, it’s possible to create a roadmap for excellence.
2. Visualize the End Result
When achieving your goals, make sure to keep your eye on the prize. But sometimes, it can be difficult to stay motivated when you can’t see any immediate results.
To stay focused on what’s in front of you, try to visualize the end result of your efforts.
For example, if you’re trying to save for a down payment on a house, picture yourself making the final purchase and getting the keys. Or if you’re working towards getting in shape, imagine yourself crossing the finish line of your first marathon.
By picturing yourself succeeding, you feel inspired to stay the course. So if you ever find yourself losing steam, take a few minutes to visualize what success will look like. It might just be the inspiration you need to get back on the right path.
3. Review Goal Progress
Make it a habit to review your progress toward goals regularly. This doesn’t mean you should beat yourself up if you’re not meeting your goals as quickly as you’d like.
Instead, it is a way to take stock of where you are and adjust your course if necessary. And don’t stop there.
Figure out expected challenges or roadblocks that you might encounter. If your goal is to build a 7-figure business, you would need to do regular check-ins.
Every week, you could review what you have accomplished, regardless of how small they seem.
Ask yourself these key questions:
- What have I achieved so far?
- What are the next steps?
- Are there expected obstacles I should be aware of?
- Do I need additional support for this goal?
4. Write in a Goal Journal Daily
To measure goal progress, writing in a goal journal can do wonders for you. Every day, take a few minutes to write down what you’ve done to work towards your goal.
This could include things like researching, making a plan, taking action steps, or even just thinking about your goal.
It doesn’t matter how big or small the progress is—what matters is that you’re jotting these thoughts down. Over time, you’ll be able to look back at your goal journal and see just how far you’ve come.
When you hit a roadblock, you can refer back to your journal for inspiration and motivation to keep going. So if you’re serious about achieving your goals, start keeping a journal today.
5. Use a Goal-Tracking App
Lewis Carroll once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”
This quote is especially true when it comes to goal setting. Without a clear destination in mind, it’s all too easy to get sidetracked and end up nowhere.
That’s why it’s crucial to keep track of your goals. And what better way to do this than with a goal-tracking app?
There are several different apps available, but they all do the same thing: help you persist and stand firm on what’s truly important.
Goal-tracking apps use various features, such as a system of reminders and alarms, to make goals easy to track. And if you’re a visual person who likes to see progress within eyesight, most apps are a great helping hand.
Thus, if you want to increase your productivity, try using a goal-setting app. It will surely be the boost you need to finally cross that finish line.
6. Plan Ahead of Time
You can’t ignore the importance of planning. By taking a few minutes to think about what you must do, you can save yourself a lot of time and hassle in the long run.
Let’s say you’re planning to start a new workout routine. If you simply show up at the gym with no idea what you’re doing, you are likely to waste time and get frustrated.
But if you take a few minutes to map out your workout beforehand, you’ll be able to make the most of your time at the gym and attain your objective.
The same principle applies to other areas of life as well. Whether you’re trying to save money, get ahead at work, or declutter your home, a little bit of planning can go a long way.
7. Have an Accountability Partner
Having an accountability partner can make a big difference in helping you reach your objectives.
This is someone you check in with regularly to update them on your progress and who will help keep you accountable.
Having someone to keep you accountable can be a fantastic motivator. It means someone is counting on you to attain your goals. You may also talk to them about your struggles and successes along the way.
To look for an accountability partner, try reaching out to a friend or family member who you know will be supportive. You can also look for online communities or groups if that works better for you.
8. Use OKR Goals
OKR is a goal-setting system that stands for Objectives and Key Results. OKR was first used at Intel before spreading like wildfire to other large tech companies such as Google and Twitter.
Although the OKR goal-setting method is generally used in organizations, it is still a wonderful tool for setting and tracking goals for individuals.
For instance, if you have the goal of “increasing yearly income by 50%,” but you were only able to increase it by 10%, then your success rate would be 20%.
Hence, the key results aspect of OKR makes tracking goal progress more effective than having objectives alone. You can also afford to make your OKR goals ambitious in this way.
9. Be Forgiving if You Veer Off Course
Goals give us something to strive for, and a sense of accomplishment when we achieve them. But let’s be honest—sometimes life gets in the way, and we don’t always stay on course.
That’s perfectly fine. The most critical thing is to get back on track as soon as possible. Don’t blame yourself for it.
Pick up where you left off and keep going.
It’s also a sound idea to have a plan B (and even C) in case you veer off course again. That way, you won’t feel like you’ve failed if you can’t achieve your original goal.
That said, go ahead and establish those objectives. But remember to be flexible here, and give yourself a little grace if you need it.
10. Celebrate Your Accomplishments
Sometimes life gets in the way, and before you know it, months have gone by without any progress.
This is where celebrating your accomplishments comes in.
No matter how small the milestone, take a moment to reward yourself for your hard work. Maybe it’s something as simple as treating yourself to a nice dinner or taking an afternoon off to relax.
Whatever it is, make sure it is something that makes you feel good. And don’t forget to share your success with your friends and family.
They will be happy to help you celebrate and could provide much-needed encouragement when things get tough. That will give you motivation to remain on track with your targets.
Final Thoughts
You can increase your likelihood of goal attainment by evaluating progress. Whether you are writing down your goals to make them more concrete or identifying goals that can be broken into smaller tasks.
Be clear about what you want to accomplish, and use your preferred strategy to stay hyper-focused on what matters. Most importantly, do not quit if you’re not seeing any tangible progress.
When reaching goals, you’ll inevitably face obstacles that bring about many negative thoughts. Aim for the stars because your achievements will only be limited by your thoughts.
