How often to you look back over the past 90 days to see how far you’ve gotten?
If you can’t answer that question easily, you might feel like you’ve missed the mark in your business. But the real reason is usually because you are so forward-focused, you forget to acknowledge small wins and progress on the journey to your big goal.
Caught Measuring The Wrong Direction
Does this sound like you? You love to push, but ultimately the horizon moves with you. That means that you never truly arrive. It’s easy to feel like you’re stuck in the gap between where you are and where you want to be. This can tip you into overwork and overwhelm.
Then, add the daily tasks that you may wish you could delegate into the mix. These tasks could include the paperwork that feels meaningless in the face of your goals, the repeated work that doesn’t rely on your expertise, and backpedaling through broken systems. When your time is taken up with tasks like this, you begin to feel further and further away from success.
Feeling Far Away From Your Goals?
If you’re feeling this way, here is what you can do. Write down the gap between where you are and what you want. This will help to make the size of your gap clear. It also will allow you to strategize LATER on crossing that gap. When you’re ready, you can break down that problem or the things you have to cross of your list to accomplish the win. (That link will give you some additional ideas on how to do this.)
Have you written down your gap? Great! Now, I also stop and write down how far you’ve come in your business. This may feel counterintuitive, but I want to share with you what tracking progress has done for my business!
Recently, I stopped to think about the small wins in my business. As I began the list, it spurred me on to think about how many things have actually happened in the past 90 days. I ended up with a page and half of scribbled bullet points of all the things I accomplished with my team. I never would have realized the progress we had made if I didn’t take the time to write it down!
Why Looking Forward Can Burn You Out
We tend to overestimate the things we can accomplish in the future, and we underestimate the things we have already accomplished. When you are stuck looking ahead, you’re more likely to burn yourself out chasing the next goal. Ironically, taking time to note your wins and progress can help to counteract those feelings of burnout!
If you put this on your to do list, you may never do it. So stop reading right now and write down all the things you’ve done in the past 90 days. (You can also check out some apps that help you track and organize progress.) As you recognize your wins and CELEBRATE them, you’ll walk away energized and refreshed for the future.
