Today, we will look at the letter E in the P.R.I.M.E.R. method of goal setting

E - EVALUATE YOUR PROGRESS

Like most things, every step of the P.R.I.M.E.R. goal setting method is significant. But for you to be certain that you are making progress, there is a need to evaluate what you have done so far. This is why this strep is completely crucial to your success. This step is quite easy as most of the work has already been done in the previous steps:

Your highest-priority ambitions (HPAs) have been defined;

the relevant areas of attention (AOAs) are clear;

your AOAs are already laid out into goals and accompanied by measurable details with achievable deadlines. Action plan also drafted with milestones.

Evaluating your progress becomes a simple matter of doing periodic review.

This practice gives you confidence and motivation to continue as you work towards achieving your goal.

How To Track Your Progress

Quantifiable specifics are more precise than qualitative factors. Hence the need to assign numbers to your AOA because numbers easier to track. Let me show you how this works.

Step 1

Choose a specific day of the week, and time of the day, to perform your review. This will further impress the habit into your weekly routine. I do my reviews on Saturday evenings (8:00 p.m.). You might prefer Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. or favor Fridays at 3:00 p.m. Select a day and time that complement your work schedule, home responsibilities, and lifestyle.

Step 2

Choose a place to perform your review. While you can evaluate your progress in any location, the consistency of doing it in the same place each week further sets the habit. I conduct my weekly reviews in my study because I enjoyed the privacy, quietude and focus it gives me.

Step 3

Create a simple outline to direct your review sessions. This outline should include a small checklist along with a few probing questions, all of which are designed to help you appraise your progress during the previous week. Following is an example checklist for the goal of working smarter. Note that some of the items are taken from the environmental obstacles we identified in the section M - Modify Your Environment To Complement Your Goals:

Achieved weekly milestone

Cleared littered work table

 Completed backlog of uncompleted tasks

Increased my focus by reducing interference by colleagues

Following is a list of example probing questions:

Did I have work better in a clutter free table?

Did I feel physically exhausted with backlog of work?

Was I able to focus on my work?

How much internal resistance did I experience?

What did I do well?

What could I do better?

Did I face any unanticipated obstacles?

Once you’ve created your agenda, use it each week. If you come up with additional checklist items and questions that would prove beneficial to your weekly review, feel free to add them. This is your template. Modify it according to your circumstances.

Step 4

The final step is to look forward rather than backward. After you evaluate your progress during the previous week, consider the following week. Review your checklist and questions in the context of what you anticipate over the next seven days. This step reinforces your expectations. It also prepares your mind to overcome any internal friction you might experience.

Evaluating your progress may seem like a complicated process. But remember, you have already done most of the work in earlier stages of the P.R.I.M.E.R. goal setting method.

Once you create a simple agenda, you’re well on your way.

Your weekly review sessions will likely take no more than 15 minutes. And after it becomes a habit, a normal part of your weekly routine, it’ll seem like hardly any work at all.

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https://bit.ly/3jHBm4j

Ciao.

Emmanuel Dorgbaa

Your Coach