7 Great Ways To Track Your Goals

I’m always surprised by the number of people who set goals and don’t track their progress! It’s kind of the same concept as “posting and ghosting” on social media… you set the goal and then just walk away and hope it all works out. 

I think we all know that’s not how goals work. They require actual effort to achieve and often times they take time to achieve. 

The best way to make sure you are actually making progress and moving in the right direction is to track your goals! 

I love a good tracker. If you’ve been hanging out with me here and on social media then you know I’m a habit tracker daily and I do monthly reviews with myself. I like doing that because a) it keeps me accountable and b) it helps me track my progress. 

If you tend to set goals and then fade away hoping that the universe will take over and achieve your goals this is for you! Let’s talk about how you can track your goals so you can actually achieve them.

Why you need to track your goals

We just touched on this a little bit but really, the main reason is to see your progress. 

It may seem tedious to track things… it does take some dedicated time and it might not sound fun to you. However, the work is worth it! 

Related reads:

• How To Make Time For Your Goals
• 5 Easy Steps To Prioritizing Your Goals
• How To Create A Simple Goal Focused Weekly Plan

Benefits of tracking your progress 

01 – you are your own accountability partner 

Sometimes you won’t have a friend or family member to help you out with your goals. 

It would be amazing if we all just had that friend who called us every week to grill us on our goal progress. I can be that friend for you if you want… hit me up on Instagram and I can be your accountability partner!

It’s also nice to be able to hold yourself accountable without outside assistance. That’s where goal tracking and habit tracking help. 

You can check in daily, weekly, or monthly and just go through your goals and mark down any progress. I think the more often the better so it’s always fresh in your mind but do what works best for you. 

02 – it’s a reality check 

There have been times in my life when I thought I was crushing my goals. 

Then months later I would be like hmm… I actually haven’t lost any weight or hmm… I didn’t reach out to anyone about my services. 

Time passes quickly. We get busy. It’s easy to forget things even when they are important to you! 

If you check in with your progress periodically it can be a wake-up call. You will realize what is working, what isn’t working, what you need to do more of, and so on.

03 – it’s kind of addicting 

I swear that once you start tracking one thing you’ll want to track all the things! 

It started with tracking one habit (working out) and now I track 5 to 6 habits daily. 

I also set several goals this year and I’m tracking all of them (some I’m even tracking and sharing in my monthly wrap-up posts 👀). 

The dopamine hit you get when you tick a box or you see the small progress being made is addicting. You want to keep going and keep pushing. 

Goal tracking: the basics 

So now you know some reasons why you should track your goals, but how are you supposed to do it exactly?

Goal tracking can be as easy or complex as you want it to be. Bullet journal girlys get your fancy pens ready!! Everyone else, it’s okay to just grab a piece of paper and a pen! 

Set goals 

So, the first thing you need to do is set goals. I know that seems a little obvious but it is necessary to do the rest! 

If you haven’t done that then take 5 minutes to set some goals. I’m waiting…

List out your goals 

Write your goals down in a list format. 

Example:

• Workout 3 times a week
• Read 1 book a month
• Write a book 
• Learn to speak Spanish 

Okay, so you have your goals listed. Super easy! This is where you can get a bit fancy if you want. 

Personally, I just keep track in a notebook, nothing crazy. 

Determine milestones 

For some goals, it will be easier and more effective to track them as habits. For example, working out 3 times a week could be a habit you track. 

Other goals like writing a book should have some milestones that you can check in on periodically. 

Once you have the milestones, write them next to the goal so you know what you’re working towards. 

I like to put little boxes next to the milestones so I can physically check them off as I go! Need that dopamine hit 😌

Set a tracking schedule 

You have your goals, your list, and your habits/milestones to track… now you need to do it! 

As I said before, you can do this daily, weekly, or monthly. Determine what kind of schedule works for you. 

I like doing my habits daily and a big goal review monthly. 

The best ways to track your goals 

Above are the basics. If that’s all you want to do then do that because it’s a great way to track your goals!

If you like a little something extra, these are some good ideas. If you are a techy person maybe you want it on your phone or in an app… we can do that too! 

So, without further ado, here are the best ways to track your goals.

Bullet journaling 

If you are creative or want to try your hand at bullet journaling, this might be for you!

The thing I like about bullet journaling is that you can lay your pages out however you want. It’s literally custom-made for you, by you. 

I wish I was better that drawing and having that creative eye. I see so many awesome bullet journal layouts that just wouldn’t be the same if I made them.

However, art-because bullet journaling is an art- is individual. 

Make it a game 

Where are my competitive people at?? There is nothing better than winning a game. 

I have been known to cry when playing Monopoly so I can win. Embarrassing? A little. Does it work? Yes. 

So why not make your goals into games? 

You could keep it simple and just track milestones and give yourself rewards. Or you could get super creative and make your goals into full-on games. 

You could create a board game where you get to move your player a certain number of spaces when you achieve something. 

Or you could create a progress bar like you’d see in video games. The more time and effort you put into your goal, the more progress is shown on the bar.

And my favorite option… side quests. Many video games have an objective. However, they also have side quests you can do if you want or for more points. Create side quests with tasks and smaller goals that you want to achieve but don’t think you have the time or energy for. Attach fun rewards to those goals as extra motivation to make time to achieve the extra things! 

Sticker chart 

It worked when we were kids and it will work as adults. 

The sticker chart is just a more public way to track your goals. It’s the same as if you’d check boxes off in your notebook but just a bit more fun.

Who doesn’t like stickers?! Plus, having it out in the open where others can view will be a silent accountability partner. 

Goal tracker on excel 

You can make your own goal tracker on excel or you can find them online through Etsy. 

If you like to keep things digital this would be a great option. You can color code, fill it with pictures and other graphics, and customize it to your needs! 

I like using Google Sheets for many things because it’s accessible on all devices! You can see it on your home computer and also on your phone when you’re on the go. The convenience is awesome. 

Strides app

The Strides app is on your phone and is a fun and easy way to keep track of your goals. 

It is more of a habit tracker but also has features for setting daily goals and inputting SMART goals.

I like that you can see the overview of your progress in a chart. It’s super motivating to see it all in one spot. 

Goals on track app

This is another app but it’s a bit more involved. It’s actually referred to as a goal management and planning software system. 

You can set and track your goals, create action plans, track habits, and create virtual vision boards. 

There are templates and spots to journal. It’s kind of a one-stop shop for goal tracking if you want to be super involved! 

Coaching 

You could hire a coach! There are so many coaches out there that help people achieve their goals. 

Depending on what you need most, you could find someone who focuses on accountability, mindset, goal setting, confidence, and pretty much anything else you need. 

There are one on one coaches and group coaching programs. It might seem silly to pay someone to help you accomplish your goals but sometimes you need that extra push. Plus, when you’re paying for something you’re a lot more invested in the outcomes!!

Related reads:

• How To Change Your Life With A Habit Audit
• How To Boost Your Motivation To Reach Your Goals
• How To Do A Helpful Mid-Year Goal Check-In

In conclusion 

Goal tracking can be done in many ways. It’s customizable and everyone can do it. 

I think that everyone needs to track their goals. Seeing your progress is motivating and it helps you stay on task. 

The best part is that you can make the tracking fun by creating games, using apps, getting creative with a bullet journal, and more. 

Do you track your goals? Will you be trying one of these tracking methods?