I am sharing the process I use for my annual goals. Hopefully, it helps you make 2022 a better year than in 2021. This week I am discussing how to track your progress during the year. I believe you should review your annual goals every month to see how you are doing.
Making your goals happen is hard
Let’s start with a harsh reality. Making your annuals happen is going to be hard if you wrote them down correctly. There are generally three types of goals.
- Comfort zone goals – easy to achieve. Do not waste your time with these type.
- Delusional zone goals – you will never achieve them. Avoid this zone as well.
- Discomfort zone goals – it will take focus and effort to achieve. Aim for this zone.
Discomfort means uncomfortable. Most people do not like discomfort. If you set your goals correctly, then expect some discomfort. Your greatest progress and growth happen in the discomfort zone. Achieving them will be hard. Having the right mindset may make all the difference.
It is easy to give up on your goals
We all know this – look at gym memberships. They skyrocket at the beginning of the year. By February, the parking lot is empty again. We are only one month into the new year and I am already struggling with my annual goals. Maybe you are too. It is easy to get discouraged quickly and give up. Many people do. They throw in the towel and stop trying. I refuse to quit this early. I hope that you do too.
Project management reviews (PMR) track progress
I am borrowing an idea from the business world called a project management review, or PMR. It is common in the business world for project teams to conduct PMRs on a regular basis to track their progress. I recommend you do something similar. The project is your life. You will measure progress on your annual goals and make adjustments so that you are successful this year.
I conduct a personal PMR every month to measure progress
I conduct a personal PMR every month. It sounds like a lot of work. It really is not. All you need is a good attitude, an hour of time, and your annual goals. What I am going to do in the rest of this blog is to describe how I conduct a personal PMR. It is not a hard habit to build.
1. Review my annual goals list
The first thing I do during my personal PMR is to review my annual goals. I ask myself – are they still the right ones? Are they aligned with the word I chose for the year? These questions may seem silly, but I think they are worth asking. It is not uncommon for me to start the year with a long list of goals. Things change during the year. Some goals that seemed important at the beginning of the year, may not be relevant anymore. Eliminate those ones. Don’t be afraid to get rid of a goal.
2. Measure my progress to date
Next, I measure my progress to date against each goal. It is usually the most painful part, especially if I am making little or no progress against a goal. One of the reasons I recommend conducting personal PMRs is that they provide you with clarity regarding your progress. For example, reading one book a month is one of my annual goals. As you can see below I am making good progress on this goal so far.
3. Identify adjustments that are needed
Make adjustments based on your progress. You may need to adjust your timeline. For example, you may want to delay the deadline for your goal if you are behind schedule and cannot reasonably make up ground. Or, perhaps you are making better progress than expected and you want to raise the bar for your goal. Yes – this does happen at times, although it is uncommon for me.
A word of caution about deadlines
Deadlines drive accountability. However, avoid making two mistakes when setting your goal deadlines.
- Make all your goals due on the same day. They should be spread out across the year instead.
- Don’t try to make up for lost ground at the end of the year. Sprinting to the finish line is tough.
For example, one year I tried to lose ten pounds in December to achieve my annual goal. It was a disaster.
4. Record when you reach the finish line
This step is an exciting one. Once you have accomplished a goal then mark it as complete, and move on to the next one. Celebrate every time you reach a finish line. Hopefully, you cross several this year.
5. Establish my plan for next month
The last thing I do during my monthly personal PMR is to establish my plan for the next month. If adjustments are needed I will integrate those changes into my plan. If I decided to eliminate a goal I will stop working on it. It is worthwhile to update your goals each month during your personal PMR.
Don’t stop – keep making progress
I will end with some encouragement. Conducting a personal PMR is some tough self-love. After all, who wants to review their goals every month. I do. Mainly because I find this accountability useful. It helps me track progress, make adjustments, and create plans for success. It is easy to get discouraged. We all do. Don’t stop – keep going to the end. After all, you will never achieve any of your goals if you decide to quit. Stick with it. You may be amazed at the progress you make one step at a time. RLTW!
Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission though I be the lone survivor.
Six stanza of the US Army Ranger Creed
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to sons.