How to Measure Success
Define your outcome., Outline performance benchmarks., Compare actual performance with benchmarks., Take setbacks into account., Reset benchmarks.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Define your outcome.
If you have defined success as having achieved a specific outcome, you need to know what that outcome is.
Think about your school work, or job or whatever aspect of life you’re looking to succeed in.
Do you want success to be measured at regular intervals or do you want success to be measured at the end of a project? For example, is success to you achieving 80+% on all of your assignments throughout the school year or straight A’s in all of your exams at the end of the year? You decide your definition of success.
Be sure that your outcome measures are attainable and realistic, if they are not you might end up feeling exhausted and fatigued as you will always be fighting a large uphill battle.Ask others for strategies on how to achieve your desired outcome.
You should have a plan for achieving your goals. -
Step 2: Outline performance benchmarks.
A benchmark is an ideal or standard that you set for yourself; it is essentially the best outcome that you would like to get for yourself.
Make a calendar of your expected performance as indicated by the benchmarks you have chosen.
For example, if you’re trying to lose 16 pounds in two months, break it apart so that you have smaller benchmarks.
Using the same example, you might put on your calendar benchmarks of two pounds per week over eight weeks.As another example, imagine that you're trying to obtain the outcome of becoming a top student in your class.
Performance benchmarks you might set for yourself could be receiving an A at least two out of your exams and an A on at least four out of five of the class assignments.
Leave space to add details of your actual performance. , Mark your actual performance on your calendar under your benchmarks.
Reward yourself if you met your target.
It’s okay to feel upset if you didn’t manage to meet your benchmarks at any one particular time.
Make sure your reward is in line with your performance.
For example, if your benchmarks are set weekly, don’t reward yourself with a shopping spree at the end of each week that you meet your goals.
Keep things in perspective and save big rewards like this for when you succeed at the final overarching goal. , Sometimes things happen that are out of your control.
If this is the reason that you don’t meet your target performance, know that you have not failed.
If there is something that you are doing that is keeping you from achieving your goals, think of solutions to the issue.
For example, if you are sleeping in and that’s preventing you from studying as much as you would like to, ask someone you live with to make sure you wake up at a certain time. , Given any setbacks that may have happened, reset your benchmarks for success if you need to.
This will more likely happen if your benchmarks are set at regular intervals.
If you have a major outcome as your definition of success (e.g., run 10k in 1 hour at the marathon in June) then you can easily change your outcomes along the way.You will need to change the amount of effort it takes to achieve your outcome but it is still likely that you will achieve your goal.
Reset your benchmarks for performance outcome and carry on. -
Step 3: Compare actual performance with benchmarks.
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Step 4: Take setbacks into account.
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Step 5: Reset benchmarks.
Detailed Guide
If you have defined success as having achieved a specific outcome, you need to know what that outcome is.
Think about your school work, or job or whatever aspect of life you’re looking to succeed in.
Do you want success to be measured at regular intervals or do you want success to be measured at the end of a project? For example, is success to you achieving 80+% on all of your assignments throughout the school year or straight A’s in all of your exams at the end of the year? You decide your definition of success.
Be sure that your outcome measures are attainable and realistic, if they are not you might end up feeling exhausted and fatigued as you will always be fighting a large uphill battle.Ask others for strategies on how to achieve your desired outcome.
You should have a plan for achieving your goals.
A benchmark is an ideal or standard that you set for yourself; it is essentially the best outcome that you would like to get for yourself.
Make a calendar of your expected performance as indicated by the benchmarks you have chosen.
For example, if you’re trying to lose 16 pounds in two months, break it apart so that you have smaller benchmarks.
Using the same example, you might put on your calendar benchmarks of two pounds per week over eight weeks.As another example, imagine that you're trying to obtain the outcome of becoming a top student in your class.
Performance benchmarks you might set for yourself could be receiving an A at least two out of your exams and an A on at least four out of five of the class assignments.
Leave space to add details of your actual performance. , Mark your actual performance on your calendar under your benchmarks.
Reward yourself if you met your target.
It’s okay to feel upset if you didn’t manage to meet your benchmarks at any one particular time.
Make sure your reward is in line with your performance.
For example, if your benchmarks are set weekly, don’t reward yourself with a shopping spree at the end of each week that you meet your goals.
Keep things in perspective and save big rewards like this for when you succeed at the final overarching goal. , Sometimes things happen that are out of your control.
If this is the reason that you don’t meet your target performance, know that you have not failed.
If there is something that you are doing that is keeping you from achieving your goals, think of solutions to the issue.
For example, if you are sleeping in and that’s preventing you from studying as much as you would like to, ask someone you live with to make sure you wake up at a certain time. , Given any setbacks that may have happened, reset your benchmarks for success if you need to.
This will more likely happen if your benchmarks are set at regular intervals.
If you have a major outcome as your definition of success (e.g., run 10k in 1 hour at the marathon in June) then you can easily change your outcomes along the way.You will need to change the amount of effort it takes to achieve your outcome but it is still likely that you will achieve your goal.
Reset your benchmarks for performance outcome and carry on.
About the Author
Alexis Fox
Brings years of experience writing about home improvement and related subjects.
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