So far we learned how to define a huge goal and set a deadline in our process to achieve our goals. Today we will discuss how to measure our success.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is not defining clearly how they will measure “success”.

For some goals, it is easy to define how you will measure progress. But I believe everything can be measured, directly or indirectly via a proxy.

For example, if your goal was to “lose weight and get fitter,” you could measure weight loss, your Body Mass Index, the distance you can easily walk or run in a given time, etc. These are very concrete ways to measure weight loss and fitness gain.

If your goal was “improved family relationships,” it is more difficult to measure progress.

In this case you may have to define a whole set of “soft” performance measures to give you a good way to assess your progress.

In this example, is the frequency of family contact increased, especially if there is geographical distance between family members? Are the interactions deeper and more meaningful and satisfying? Are you increasingly happy emerging from those interactions?

Remember my audacious goal was to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, at 19,340 feet, one of the world’s seven peaks and Africa’s tallest mountain. I  set a very clear timeframe of reaching this goal in 1.5 years, taking the opportunity of a three week school break in January 2005 that my daughter would have to undertake the trek with me.

My measure of success was simple: get to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro at 19,340 feet without endangering my life or those in the group. Read the rest of this entry »