YOUR Indicators of Success

It’s better to change 10 things by 1% than one thing by 10%

Dr. Tara Swart

In a recent interview, author and neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart describes how she considers the Law of Attraction, and, in particular, a vision board. She considers it as an activity log.

She notes that it’s not enough to simply create the dream…it’s also necessary to action the dream. I believe this is a beneficial and action-oriented way of making your dreams work for you.

At some point, your dream must transform into a goal. This means that you must begin to map out the steps to achieving it. This can take two forms.

Constructing or Deconstructing

Constructing means that you are planning ahead…into the future…charting your course.

Deconstructing, in this application, means beginning with the end in mind and working in reverse, systematically breaking the desired outcome into small, achievable steps that can be tracked daily.

If you say you have a dream…where is the proof that you are willing to draw it into reality? If you say you have a goal…where is the proof that you are working towards it?

Your Visionary Tool for 2024

I’d like to introduce you to an organizational and visionary tool that I call a Kudo Calendar. It’s a way of charting your progress. It reveals, viscerally and systematically, whether your current plan is working.

The dictionary describes the term “kudo” as an “award, honor, compliment, or praise.” That is exactly what we can choose to give ourselves, in the form of a living document that clearly demonstrates that you are keeping the promises you made to yourself, are meeting your targets, and are taking steps that are bringing you closer to your goal.

I’ve been utilizing my desktop calendar as an activity log for over a decade, and in the past few years, I’ve come to realize the benefits of it in encouraging me daily by revealing, at a glance, how I’m progressing towards my goals.

I have mounted it on the wall beside my desk. My calendar shows me, in an “in your face” kind of way, whether I am making progress or just blowing smoke out of some kind of orifice. Yep, I have a tendency to BS myself into believing that I will work on my next goal tomorrow, even when I know that tomorrow never comes. To transcend this tendency, I have created a large and very colorful indicator of my progress, a document that I can see even in my peripheral vision.

I enjoy a tangible indicator of my progress because when I enter my workspace I can clearly see my progress. It holds me accountable for what I have entered in each square. I use brightly colored markers to outline specific tasks that I have completed and goals met. I check off each daily achievement, and sometimes even add happy face stickers or stars to a significant milestone because I’ve learned that this system works for kids and it works for my inner kid too!

Think of your desktop calendar as a very affordable system that is pre-made for you. This can also be a means of longer-range planning: You have a goal that is 2-5 years out but you are aware that each calendar entry, each square on the calendar, is drawing you closer to achieving this goal.

Whether you have a short-term, mid-term, or long-term goal, now is the time to set some daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly targets by actually recording them on your calendar.

What I’ve found is this – with each shift in perspective (recording a specific action item on my calendar) my willingness to complete that item is bolstered. I become more focused, confident, and oriented toward success. My enthusiasm is strengthened each time I achieve that small step.

Momentum, Insight, Reinforcement

It goes much deeper than this. With each increment achieved, we are gaining momentum. Your sticking to a specific method opens the door to new information, and with new information comes new inspiration. This process can provide more insight into what you are currently doing and will reinforce its benefits…I’m on the right track, or it can present alternative ways of progressing that you may not have discovered if you hadn’t reached this point.

Small wins are necessary for your progress. What I describe as IOS’s (indicators of success) allows you to enjoy the ride.

It serves you well to acknowledge, appreciate, and celebrate every small item – every check mark or playful sticker on your Kudo Calendar.

I have identified my goals for this coming year for each category that matters to me on a professional development level – physical fitness, continued education, writing, speaking engagements, leadership/coaching/mentoring, and connecting with others. Yours can be a personal development calendar. It’s your choice!

This tool offers you an easy way to find something to appreciate…at a glance. If you have a tendency towards impatience, like me, it helps my brain to be satisfied because I’m making progress!

Your Indicators of Success!

Your calendar has now become a version of a vision board by offering you IOS’s – the indicators that you are achieving success through small steps. 

When these small steps are executed with consistency, they lead to significant results.

I invite you to purchase a desktop calendar and mount it on the wall in your workspace. Use brightly colored markers. Track every small step in the right direction!

And don’t forget to CELEBRATE!