M is for Measurable

M is for Measurable: How do you know you are on the right track?

When you set goals it is vital you know where you are in terms of achieving them. But have you  ever tried to "measure" your progress?

If you are planning a holiday of a lifetime, there are some easy measures.

1. We've decided on the where, when and who with
2. We know how much the airfares, accommodation and trips are going to cost
3. We know how long it will take us to save for the holiday based on our current expenditure
4. We know roughly how much we're going to need for spending money AND
5. We've cleared it with the bosses.

By the time we get to the airport to check in, we should be safe in the knowledge the airfares and accommodation are paid for. We’ve organised the time off, the house sitters, the dog walkers and clothes, passports and inoculations.

When it comes to holidays and goal setting, the measures are easy.

But let’s assume for just a minute you don’t plan to go on holiday. What kind of measures do you have for your goals? 

• For weight loss – you have the traditional scale measurement. You also have the number of holes on your belt, the sizing of your clothes, how many heads of lettuce you have consumed (OK I’m joking about the last measure) and other physical measures. Does your skin look healthier? How about your nails and your hair?
• If you have decided to stop smoking – do your clothes smell better? Do you wash them less often? Can you smell and taste things again?How much money are you saving?
• With sales calls, the number of people you have spoken to that day / week / month; the number of people who have bought from you.
• Websites: The number of people who have visited your site, the number of pages they have visited (on average), the number of people who have signed up to receive your newsletter, the number of phone calls generated as a result and how many people have bought whatever it is you are selling.

 The measures you can use to track your progress are endless, so don’t just rely on a single one, because if you do, you may feel you are not getting anywhere.

• With weight loss for instance, you may not have lost weight on the scale, but your clothes may feel better on you.
• You may not have sold anything, but you have created some new and valuable leads.

So when you are working out what is on your goal list, spend a little more time and work out how you are going to measure your progress. Because once you can see how well you are progressing, you are almost guaranteed to succeed.