Here we are almost midway through the 2nd quarter of the year. Life can certainly happen – we have competing priorities and only so much time to accomplish it all. How do you choose what to do that will help you accomplish what you want? Do you know what’s moving you forward? Where you are stuck? Where you are succeeding? It is a certainty that if you don’t know where you are going you won’t know how far you’ve come. By setting your focus and creating specific goals each year you know where you are going and why.
1. Know YOUR Progress
Once you have set your goals for the year – that is not enough. Most experts agree that we make more progress when we have a set of written goals and we frequently review them to determine our progress and their relevance to our long-term vision for our lives.
Each month it’s essential that you spend time to review your progress. Ask yourself these questions: What goal(s) did I work on? How committed was I? What task or project was I able to complete in support of that goal(s)? How do I feel about my progress? Am I satisfied or unsatisfied with my progress?
2. Understand What Activities are Paying Off
When you take the time to review your progress you should also take a deeper dive in assessing how each day was spent and what activities moved you closer to your goals and which ones stalled or prevented you from meeting your goals for the month. A goal is important to have, but if that goal is not backed up with activities – no progress occurs.
To know which activities are paying off, ask yourself these questions:
Which of my activities produced the best result and why? What activity should I eliminate or adjust? What activity should I improve or increase in the next month?
By getting granular and identifying which activities are working and which ones might have become roadblocks you can set yourself up for success the next month. Doing this type of deep dive monthly helps you pivot more effectively. The more committed you are to a monthly review, the greater the likelihood you find more progress. Of course, there is an assumption that once you figure out what you need to do – you actually do it. Answer the questions above and use the answers to make the plan for next month.
3. Know YOUR Victories
This is my favorite part of doing a Month End Review – you get to celebrate. I want you to celebrate every victory, not just the mountain moving type of victories. You did what you committed to – celebrate! You adjusted and found a tiny bit more success – celebrate! Keeping your victories front and center will motivate you to keep reaching for more.
How do you celebrate? That’s up to you. I want you to first acknowledge your accomplishments by writing them down. Look at the list – which one are you most excited about? Go big on that one. Big is up to you – maybe you have a small item that you promised yourself you would purchase if you accomplished “x”. Treat yourself. I’m not suggesting you break the bank – don’t purchase something that will cost you more that your achievement accomplished. A reward that enhances future performance is always a smart investment. i.e. You walked every day that you committed to last month – maybe now you need to invest in something that will keep you going or support that goal of exercise.
To help you in your review – here is my Month End Review worksheet. Dedicate time this week to complete the review so that this month you have a plan that results in progress! Still need to set your year up for success? Get my FREE eBOOK – 10 Days to YOUR Best Year. It’s never too late to start – Everyday is a Fresh Start. It's YOUR Day, Make it a Masterpiece!