5 Ways to track your goals
What goal are you working towards right now? Running a half marathon? Getting a new job? Growing your Instagram following? Starting an Etsy shop? Ok, now what steps do you know you need to take to get there? You have the goal, but how will you break that goal into tangible, bit-size chunks so that you can begin (or continue) making progress? Here are five simple ways to track your goals to help you see them through.
1. Put them on your wall
Keep them right where you can see them. Posting your goals somewhere visible is a motivator for you to remember what priorities you’ve set for yourself. You’re working towards this goal for a reason, so reminding yourself why it’s important to you by making it visually present is a great trick. The key to this is putting them somewhere you’ll see regularly, but not somewhere they’ll be staring you down. Goals are meant to be motivating, not a chore.
2. Get an old-school planner
We live in a technology-driven world, but there’s still something about a physical planner/journal that is really effective for some people. When you write your goals in by hand, it feels more like you’re making a commitment to yourself. It’s also something tangible that you can look at and see where you are in the roadmap to your goals.
Here are a few to check out:
3. Use sticky notes
I’m a huge fan of sticky notes because they’re easy to move around as things change. You can get everything out there, on paper, but still easily rearrange them as your priorities change. This is especially helpful if you’re working on several different projects at once. Things change, and that’s ok. Just don’t let your goals fall by the wayside when they do.
4. Set reminders for yourself in your phone
You check your phone hundreds of times per day, so why not use it to track those important goals? It makes it easy to check in on your progress when you’re on the bus, in line at the coffee shop, or lounging on the couch. When your goals are kept digitally, it also makes things really easy to update and adjust, which is a plus.
You can use the notes or reminders functions that come standard in iPhones, or you can download an app specifically designed for tasks and goals tracking. Here are a few apps to check out:
5. Get a buddy
The buddy system can be super effective here. Yes, get someone (a friend, coworker, significant other, whoever) on board to help you reach your goal and share your plan with them. This works best when both of you are working towards something, so that you’re both giving and taking. The cool thing is, you don’t even have to be working towards the same goal. If you are, that’s awesome, but it’s not a requirement in order for this to be effective.
The point here is to get someone onboard with what you’re doing. Get them involved and share some background into what’s driving you towards this goal. Schedule regular meet-ups with this person - these can be in-person or virtual! Whether you decide for it to be a coffee date, a phone call, or a text check-in, they should be on a specific day/time. Not only is this method great for accountability, but it also opens up a space for you to talk about challenges or wins with someone who is already in the loop with what you’re trying to achieve and what your journey has been like so far. These are conversations that you likely just wouldn’t have otherwise, which means you’d be battling roadblocks on your own and you wins might go uncelebrated.