What are the best practices for tracking your progress towards your career vision and mission?

After having defined your long-term vision and mission, you can define milestones along the way. Create a clear plan of what you need to do to get there. For example, if you wish to launch your own company, some milestones could be to make a website, create social media channels, launch your offer or host an event. Make your goals SMART!

First, what is my goal, and why is it important to reach my goal. What steps do I need to do consistently to reach my goal. I track my daily activity that is required to reach my goal. I like this quote: You can not do today, what you did not do yesterday.

Defining clear milestones is essential for tracking progress towards your career vision and mission. Breaking down your vision and mission into smaller, quantifiable chunks using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) helps in creating a roadmap that can be regularly analysed and adjusted. This approach enables you to assess where you stand after one year and where you aim to be in five years, facilitating the design of a clear roadmap to follow for achieving your career goals.

People tend to think and dream big. And thats great. But sometimes, our visions or goals seem so big that we never come to start just because of pure overwhelm. So it′s necessary to break down these goals and visions into realistic and manageable pieces. Starting with one piece of the puzzle is way more achievable than starting with the entire vision. However, SMART goals will not always do a great job for you. They can only do that, if the motivation is clear. Do you know your WHY? Chunk it down until you can′t ask yourself anymore "Why?".

Before setting milestones and SMART goals, I like to use a common coaching tool: The Wheel of Life, adapted for the workplace as The Wheel of Work. Identify your top eight areas of work-life, such as work environment, work-life balance, personal growth, and alignment with purpose. Clarify your aspirations for each area within your career vision. This breakdown forms the foundation of your long-term goals and contributes to your overarching personal North Star. Reflect deeply on each area, defining success and finding meaning in your achievements. Regular reflection and self-assessment are also key practices to ensure you are staying aligned with your vision and mission.

You cannot measure what you don't track. Define what you wish to track and how, and use useful metrics depending on the objective you set out. If some metrics are not only dependant on you, you can still identify steps to take to be as successful as possible.

When choosing metrics, it's crucial to distinguish between personal and external metrics. Personal metrics are driven by internal motivation, while external metrics are influenced by factors outside of your control. For instance, in the aspect of "Personal Growth" from the Wheel of Work, the number of hours spent on self-development activities is within your control, serving as a personal metric. Conversely, the number of promotions received is an external metric, as it depends on factors beyond your individual influence. So, when setting measurable goals set them with intention, meaning and make them actionable.

How to assess personal development? Those 'metrics' can be very subjective. Get to know what needs your goals are going to fulfill. You want to build a house? Probably that means you have a need for security. Make clear of how you want to feel and how you will notice that this feeling is present. This is a powerful measure. Beside that, you can measure your subjective satisfaction in different life areas (e.g. career, love life, family,...) and track over time how this satisfaction score changes.

In my journey towards achieving my career goals, selecting the right metrics has been crucial. These indicators measure how well I'm progressing towards my milestones, providing valuable insights into my performance. Whether it's launching a service or expanding my network, metrics such as customer acquisition, revenue generation, feedback analysis, and retention rates help me track my progress effectively. Choosing metrics that align with my career vision and mission ensures I stay focused on what truly matters and enables me to make informed decisions to drive my success.

Metrics are important and I like to break them down into small, yet forward-moving "wins" each day. While the larger metric might be to get "X amount of clients or customers" per month, it will likely not be a smooth path. If one month falls short, and if you did those "little" things that can put you on the path toward that goal will likely keep you on your "average" monthly goal. Many "small" wins build you up for those larger, harder to reach goals.

The Wheel of Work is an effective tool for guiding career goals and vision. It begins by assessing your current satisfaction level on a scale of one to ten, followed by your desired state. While it may seem logical to aim for a perfect ten in all areas, this isn't always feasible, as improvements in one aspect can impact others. Therefore, when setting goals, it's important to consider potential trade-offs. Nevertheless, the Wheel remains invaluable for tracking progress towards your career objectives. In addition to that you can use journals, dashboards, spreadsheets etc. in order to track your specified metrics more detailed.

Depending on your goal, the milestones and metrics you are tracking, it's important to choose the right format/tool for recording your data. Certain goals naturally lend themselves to quantitative/numerical data such as weights/reps at the gym, sales/revenue in business, etc. and I find spreadsheets to be the most beneficial way of recording this data. However, I have found that other goals require deeper introspection which I prefer to record in a journal. For example, a goal of mine is to nurture healthy relationships in my life so I like to make notes about happy moments, points of friction or other things I want to remember to show up better in the relationship.

* Record qualitative reflections in addition to quantitative metrics. Journal about projects, accomplishments, lessons learned, feedback received, new skills gained, etc. and how these tie back to your goals. * Take dated screenshots of important milestones like certifications earned, promotions received, awards won, etc. Keep these visual artefacts as proof of progress.

Get hands-on: Experiment and explore! The most effective way to gather feedback is through experimentation and trial. Apply the knowledge gained on your journey and showcase your work to the world – whether it's your friends, colleagues, or company. Invite their input and keep in mind that everyone offers a unique perspective. Resist the urge to make immediate changes based on one person's viewpoint alone. Instead, embrace diverse insights and consider how they might enrich your work. Reflect on the conversations, and adjust your approach if it aligns with your goals.

For personal and emotional intelligence development, critical reflection is key. It is not an easy thing to master and be confident in, and the deeper and braver you are in reflecting why you made decisions, what behaviours you exhibited, and what the impact to self and others was, the more you will grow. It is a skill and practise worth investing in and setting daily time aside for.

Reflecting on my journey towards my career milestones, I've learned the power of reviewing feedback. It's the compass that guides my growth, providing invaluable insights into my progress. Whether it's my own satisfaction, customer testimonials, or market demand, feedback helps me refine my strategies and enhance my skills. Regularly reviewing feedback, be it through self-reflection, peer review, or surveys, enables me to adapt and evolve. It's not just about acknowledging successes but also embracing areas for improvement with an open mind and a growth-oriented mindset. After all, feedback isn't just about criticism; it's about continuous learning and development.

Celebrate your milestones and achievements! When writing out your goals, indicate at the same time which ones are worth celebrating and focussing on. Be proud of yourself for your commitment and effort, and reward hard work.

Celebrating achievements along your career journey is incredibly important for staying motivated and continuing progress. * Treat yourself. Plan something just for you that you will enjoy - a fancy coffee or meal out, spa treatment, fun purchases, trip or experience. You deserve it! * Spend time on your hobbies. Dedicate more time to the activities that recharge you like sports, music, painting or volunteering. Make space for joy. * Thank your supporters. Recognise those who have helped you accomplish the achievement like mentors, colleagues, friends and family. Celebrate together.

Celebrating achievements is important for motivation and morale. Recognizing milestones, whether big or small, boosts confidence and reinforces commitment to your career vision. It's a chance to acknowledge progress made and reflect on the journey. By celebrating achievements, you cultivate a positive mindset, which is essential for sustained growth and success.

Celebrating achievements along your career journey is incredibly important for staying motivated and continuing progress. * Treat yourself. Plan something just for you that you will enjoy - a fancy coffee or meal out, spa treatment, fun purchases, trip or experience. You deserve it! * Spend time on your hobbies. Dedicate more time to the activities that recharge you like sports, music, painting or volunteering. Make space for joy. * Thank your supporters. Recognise those who have helped you accomplish the achievement like mentors, colleagues, friends and family. Celebrate together.

I’ve found that celebrating the small wins along the journey is important a nice meal with your team or small gift. The process is to be enjoyed the rough and the smooth. As a leader it’s important to also pat your team on the back when a job has been done well.

Regularly review and update your progress. Plans should be clear, including a set of actions, but also be flexible, in case something changes or resources become sacre. Challenge yourself, but also set yourself up for success.

Review your experiments and their outcomes. What insights did you gain? How would you approach things differently next time? Identify areas for improvement to advance on your Wheel of Work journey. Determine which actions to start, stop, maintain, or adjust to propel yourself forward. Always stay open-minded and reflect back on your goals: which ones were fully under your control, which weren′t? Be kind to yourself, if things are not working out right away, but learn and grow from your experiences.

In my experience, I've found that adjusting your plan is crucial for achieving your career goals. Regularly reviewing your progress allows you to adapt to changes in the industry and in your personal growth. Being flexible with your plan helps you stay on track, even when unexpected challenges arise, ultimately bringing you closer to your long-term objectives.

1. Don’t aim for happiness, aim for contentment. We live in a world obsessed by success, money, status. High expectations are the enemy of satisfaction. 2. Context is everything. With a broad goal like a ‘career mission’ so much is out of your control. For example if your goal is to ‘become a successful architect’ you can do all the right things (train, study, get work experience) but the wider economy, how many other applicants there are, marital issues, how ageist an employer is if you’re in your 50’s, etc etc mean things don’t always go according to plan. Conversely, a simple goal (like training to run 5k in 2 months time) is easy to control. Rigid expectations with broad goals often lead to disappointment.

Here is another consideration: Create a Career Vision Board! A vision board helps cement your goals visually. Include images, quotes, or descriptions of what you want to accomplish. Revisit this often to remind yourself of the intended destination as you navigate your professional path. Making a vision board boosts clarity and motivation. Look at it daily and state a positive affirmation out loud to keep yourself motivated. Your board can have a parallel board with Short-Term Milestones. Your overarching career goals likely won’t materialize overnight. Break them down into smaller, mini-goals. These milestones feel more tangible and help you track real progress as you build relevant skills and experiences over time.

Utilizing a SMART Individual Development Plan (IDP) is key for tracking progress toward your career vision. Collaborate with your leader to secure support and access resources, while HR can help identify career opportunities. Regular meetings ensure accountability and allow for adjustments to goals as needed, ensuring alignment with your professional aspirations.

Having an accountability buddy is a great way to track progress. By working together with someone, having feedback and review sessions or by hiring a coach, you can make progress faster, be held accountable and receive help where needed. You don't have to do it all alone!

Whenever you find it difficult to think of your vision, use pen and paper. Write all your thoughts, ambitions, and ideas. The more specifics the better. Once you have written it down, look at it often. This will help your mind more connected to your vision subconsciously and you will have higher chance to succeed. Long time ago I have drawn a rough timeline with my career goals and it magically worked. Try it out! At the very least, you will have better clarity on your vision to guide you along your journey and decisions.