Am I Getting What I Want?

Smart Goal Series: part 2 - Measurable. This series will explore goal setting by breaking down each step of the SMART goal tool.

In the last article, we focused on setting SMART goals by using the PECSAW approach: positive, evidence, context, self-achievable, advantages and disadvantages, and worthwhile. Using the PECSAW approach, we should be dialed into knowing what we want when it comes to achieving our optimal wellbeing. The next step in the process is to determine how we will gauge our progress. Measuring progress is important because it helps determine success by showing us how our plan is working and if we are moving in the right direction.

Why is measuring the progress of your goal so important?

Let’s say you wanted to travel from New York City to Boston Harbor, but you weren’t going to measure your progress (I know, crazy right!?). Initially, you might consider travel times before deciding on a mode of transportation and then you’d make your way to Boston. If you weren’t measuring your progress not only would you not know how much farther you have to go before you arrive, the real problem would arise as you got closer to the city. Without measuring your progress, you could be traveling very inefficiently, consuming a large amount of resources and potentially not end up at your destination.

Ok, so this example is a bit preposterous considering no one travels without GPS these days, yet, many times we don’t think through how we will know if we are making progress toward our wellness goals.

The following are four keys to ensuring you properly measure your progress toward achieving your wellbeing goal:

1.    Quantitative & Qualitative

For the vast majority of goals, setting a quantitative measure is quite simple and easy. Let’s say you are working on improving your physical conditioning. You could measure your body fat percentage, body weight or various parts of your body with a tape measure. All these options provide appropriate feedback about the level of success you are achieving by following your plan.

 Another very important measurement is qualitative. A qualitative measure is for those more subjective assessments of our progress. Examples may include energy level, mood, general feeling of wellbeing, self-esteem and self-worth. Let’s be honest, sometimes quantitative measures are difficult to determine for certain goals or they don’t reinforce the drive you may need to keep charging forward to achieve your goal.

The key to using quantitative and qualitative measures to monitor progress is to strike a healthy balance between using both options. For example, you want to lose weight because you want to have more energy, feel better about yourself and fit into your clothes better. How would you measure your progress in this example? Each week you could use a scale from 1-10 (1=worst, 10=best) to qualitatively measure how much energy you have, your level of self-esteem and self-worth and how well your clothes are fitting.

You could include a quantitative measure by measuring your body weight or various body parts with a tape measure. Combining both measurements provides the most feedback about your progress toward achieving our goals.

2.    Stay on Track

Most goals are comprised of short- and long-term goals. Therefore, it would be wise to formulate a timeframe for both. Creating a timeframe provides an outlook to the road ahead and what energy and resources are needed to reach each checkpoint. Let’s say your goal is to become a regular exerciser. You’ve decided to go to a workout class three days each week for six weeks. The short-term timeframe is to focus on one week at a time. Make sure you are properly fueled, have the right gear and are prepared to go to class.

Creating a timeframe allows you to measure your progress. With any goal, it’s important to remember that sometimes we need to make changes in the middle of the process. Perhaps you figure out three weeks into the exercise program that three times per week will not work with your family structure and you need to lower it to twice a week and exercise one time at home. Being flexible and adaptable will aid in keeping frustrations to a minimum and focused on what you really want!

3.    Have a Record of Progress

A vital key to being successful in attaining your goals is keeping a record of what you’re doing. One of my favorite phrases that I try to adhere to is, “Failure is only feedback.” Having a record of everything you’ve been doing as it pertains to achieving your goal provides you key information about what you did and possibly where you went off course. We could of course flip this idea on its head. By documenting what you did to get to your goal, you’ll have a tried and true roadmap of what worked for you that could come in handy if you need to revisit the habit later. It also makes a perfect template from which to build new habits. If you were successful following a certain roadmap, perhaps you can use the same process to achieve other goals in your life.

Finally, keeping record is always a wonderful last-line-of-defense motivator when you’re deep in the trenches of achieving your goal. When you’re tired and forget why you care so much about your wellbeing, you can go back and look at all the work you’ve put into yourself and remember why you started this journey in the first place.

4.    Checklist

Creating a list of tasks and due dates for completion is critical to being successful in meeting your goals. A checklist provides organization to the task at hand allowing you to function more efficiently. Additionally, each time you cross off a task, you get a boost in confidence and motivation that you are doing what you set out to do and will cross the finish line. Checklists give you a visual representation to take one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time until you achieve your goals.

Finally, above all, choose measurements that resonate and motivate you and align with getting what you want. You and you alone are responsible for your well being and doing the work. Therefore, choose unique meaning in each of the ways your monitor your progress toward success and don’t forget, keep them in positive terms!

In gratitude,

William Malcolm

IntuitiveWellnessNow