THE BEST WAY TO TRACK YOUR PROGRESS WHEN GOAL SETTING

In celebration of World Productivity Day this week, I wanted to share with you the BEST way to track your progress when goal setting - courtesy of the AWESOMENESS that is the Daily Grind Planner. 

You all know by now that the Daily Grind Planner is a culmination of all my learnings on how to stay focused on the goals that matter most. The Daily Grind Planner has become a reliable format for goal setting and vision creation and tracking your progress along the way is CRUCIAL. To turn dreams into reality, you have to take action. And that’s where your productivity plays a huge role. Maintaining that productive energy can be challenging, BUT by setting super clear and specific goals and prioritizing time each day work on those goals, you have the tools within the Daily Grind Planner to keep that productivity UP and absolutely SLAY your goals! 

Tracking progress is the glue to the Daily Grind mindset. It’s what holds us accountable to keep going AND is the proof that shows us just how far we’ve come when goals are achieved. Think of progress tracking as your compass on your Daily Grind journey! It provides valuable insight and TOTALLY increases motivation to KEEP MOVING FORWARD. 

My goal for you is to believe in yourself, to take baby steps to get on track and put in the work, and to use the tools within the Daily Grind Planner to help you live out your BIGGEST goals. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind to effectively track your progress and productivity when goal setting!

ALWAYS SET SUPER CLEAR GOALS

I may sound like a broken record on this but I’ll never stop saying it - you MUST simplify and clarify your goals so that they are crystal clear and totally measurable. How else are you going to be able to track them if they aren’t, right? It’s so important to break your goals down so that they become measurable milestones that you continue to make progress on. And, in order to stay SUPER productive, make sure these goals are meaningful to you. Don’t make them goals for anyone else or to meet anyone else’s expectations. This process, this lifestyle, this Daily Grind is for YOU! Make sure your goals are aligned with what matters most to you and then nothing can stop you! 

PRIORITIZE YOUR FOCUS 

One of the best features of the Daily Grind Planner is the Top 3 Movers Today section. Every day, your planner asks you to narrow down 3 of your Top 10 Goals to be your “Needle Movers” for the day. In short, these are your “non-negotiables” that you MUST prioritize for the day. This is a great way to prioritize your focus each day on the goals that matter MOST to you so that you are diligently taking action toward those goals. By narrowing down your goals into just a few that are an ABSOLUTE priority, you can achieve so much more progress in the long-run. 

REMEMBER THAT CONSISTENCY IS KEY

With the Daily Grind Planner, you’re asked to repeatedly write out your Top 10 Goals because they need to ALWAYS be at the forefront of your mind. Seeing these goals on a daily basis will help you stay super focused. Think of it as a vision board that you have on your fridge. The more you see it, the more you believe it. And the more action you take to make those goals happen, the sooner they’ll become reality. This tracking feature of the Daily Grind Planner ensures consistency - which is key to effecting any change, progress, or growth - and serves as a great reminder of your vision. Keep writing out those goals and don’t take any shortcuts. If you want to achieve anything you set your mind to, you have to be consistent!

CHECK IN & REFLECT REGULARLY ON YOUR PROGRESS

After every week and every month, your Daily Grind Planner asks you to BE HONEST. On your Week In Review pages, you’re asked to rank how well you did from 1-10 on your goals and to elaborate on which of your Top 10 Goals you worked on the most, and the ones you could’ve spent more time on. Right then and there, you have the opportunity to evaluate and reflect on a week’s worth of progress and not only determine what you need to prioritize moving forward, but also what you deserve to CELEBRATE! 

Likewise, your Month In Review pages allow you to recount your greatest achievements and provide room for improvement ideas to focus on moving forward. These check-ins throughout your goal setting journey are SUPER important to track your progress, document your reflections, and inspire you to keep going. 

Another cool feature to the Daily Grind Planner are the boxes where you write your Top 10 Goals AND the boxes for each day of the week on your Month Ahead page. Have fun with color-coding, take those highlighters and colorful pens of ours, and assign a color to each goal and then fill in the day of the month with the color of THAT particular goal that your primarily focused on that day. Trust me, when you look back on this page at the end of the month - heck - even at the end of ALL 4 MONTHS, you’ll be amazed at how much progress you’ve made on any one individual goal. 

FIND A SUPPORTIVE, ACCOUNTABILITY COMMUNITY 

Whether it’s your friend, partner, sibling, coworker or your Daily Grind fam, find yourself an “accountability buddy” who’s going to want the best for you, who will support you in your goal setting, and will help you stay on track. We don’t need naysayers or people in our circle to talk down our goals or try to veer you off track. Surround yourself with people who are going to uplift you, empower you and keep you motivated. 

If you haven’t already, purchase ANY Daily Grind Planner and/or our ‘My Dream Life Blueprint’ and become part of our VIP support group at the Daily Grind. Immerse yourself in our growing, supportive and SUPER helpful community. We’re our own little corner of the internet that oozes positivity and wants the best for one another. Having an environment of like-minded planner enthusiasts will certainly help you maintain progress along your goal setting journey. Check out more about our DG Community HERE! 

CELEBRATE YOUR MILESTONES

Your progress and achievements, no matter how big or small, are WORTHY of celebration! Acknowledge your progress and reward yourself for your breakthroughs, accomplishments and successes. Celebrations act as positive reinforcement and can TOTALLY fuel your motivation to continue on goal setting. We should NEVER be finished with our goals - there is ALWAYS room for growth, improvement, and opportunities. Your potential is endless and there is SO much more you can achieve. It’s not about the finish line, it’s about the journey and you’ve got a lot to achieve during that time. KEEP GOING!  

Remember - tracking your progress is an essential part of successful goal setting and is part of the backbone to the Daily Grind. By effectively and repeatedly tracking your progress, reflecting on areas of improvement, and celebrating milestones, you will maintain productivity and CRUSH your goals. I hope you embrace these tips and incorporate them into your Daily Grind routine and continue progress tracking like ROCKSTARS!