Tracking Your Goals

Tracking your goals gives you incentive to continue to pursue them when life can be so distracting.
This week I give you six ways you can track your progress on your goals.

Hello, My Friends

It’s the first official week of spring, and it feels like it too.
It’s the beginning of the fourth quarter of the year.
Are you someone who sets a goal at the beginning of the year?
I most definitely am.
Do you track how you’re going with your goal?
This is a skill I have been honing this year, with the help of my accountability group.
Today I want to share a few tips on why tracking your goal is a good idea and how to track your progress, or lack of it.
When you track your goals you can see if you are on the path that leads to it’s completion.
Distraction is a real thing, and often we need to course correct to stay on target.
Tracking can help you to stay motivated, by having check boxes you tick off, when a task is complete you get to feel the satisfaction of achievement.
Being the beginning of the fourth quarter, now is a good time to pull out your goal sheet.
Did you make a plan on how you were going to get to your goal?
Tip #1. Set specific markers to show where you are. By breaking your year goal into smaller, more specific chunks or objectives you enable yourself to track your progress easier.
You also give yourself the sense of accomplishment that motivates you to keep going when you achieve them.
By using a calendar or goal tracking method you get to mark them off.
Word of caution, If your marker is too big, and has too many smaller parts to it, you may get lost in the process of doing the tasks.
I recommend that you break your task into the smallest part possible, this gives your brain a definitive idea of what you are doing.
It also gives you clarity of what needs to happen next.
Tip #2. Keep a written document of your progress.
I personally journal, this is where I write down my goals, my action plans, and the steps I need to take, and the steps I actually took.
This gives me the opportunity to evaluate my progress, look at what I experienced, what my challenges were, how I overcame them, or didn’t.
It also is a way of noting my successes, and seeing how far I have come toward achieving my goal, it also helps to identify blind spots and limiting thinking, that are slowing my journey.
Tip #3. Use the SMART Method for goal setting.
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
By ensuring your goals meet these standards, especially the measurable aspect, you can quantify your progress objectively.
Some times our emotions have us feeling like we have done a lot of work, but our results don’t show that it is so.
Measuring is a way to keep us honest, we get to see what was actually done, and if it is relevant to the goal we set.

Tip #4. Use visual representations of your goals and progress.
These could be a graph, a chart, a tick sheet, or a vison board. Seeing your progress in a tangible way can be extremely motivating.
Use colour to highlight different aspects, or relevant visual prompts, like a bed for bed-making. Also remember to update your charts regularly to keep them current.
Tip #5. Use technology and Apps.
With your smart devices, keeping track of your progress is made so much easier. You can set your App to allow you to track specific goals and specific tasks at set times.
You can set reminders, and visualise your achievements on your App.
Sometimes just having the ability to note ideas when they occur to you, is invaluable.
Set up files on your computer, on your tablet or phone, so keeping track of what you are tracking is easy to access. Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to find a document or chart when you need it.
Tip #6. Have an accountability partner.
When you share your goals with a trusted friend, or family member, or mentor you are giving yourself a strong incentive to accomplish what you have stated you want.
Warning: Always be very careful who you share your goals and progress with. If you share your goal with someone who doesn’t believe in you, they can become a roadblock on your journey.
Find people who believe in you, who will encourage you, who inspire you, and who will be a cheerleader for you.
Then check-in regularly with them, allow them to give you an outside perspective and motivation when things seem too hard to push through.

So there are six tips to help you track your goals, if you require one on one assistance, I am available to coach you and be a support to you to achieve what you desire.

Remember that tracking your progress isn’t just about tracking your successes, it also about learning about yourself, how you operate, and how you can learn from setbacks, and adjusting your approach as needed.

Regularly reviewing your progress will help you stay focused, motivated and more than likely you will achieve your goals. You also become more confident in yourself, and build your self-esteem.
You learn how to be resilient, how to solve problems, and how to acknowledge your wins. Which creates the feel good factor.

Until next time my friends.
Do a quarterly check up on your goals. It’s not too late to begin. There is no better time than now.
Remember we do not beat ourselves up for where we are, we accept ourselves as we are, and make a plan to move forward.

oxoxo Linda

As a certified Life Coach, I help you to help yourself, so you can create a well lived life your way. 

If what I am sharing resonates with you, follow me, reach out, share with a friend, like or leave a message below,

When you are ready to make a transformational difference in your life, contact me for a one on one coaching session.