You've probably heard the cliché that says measure twice, cut once.

Carpenters use that rule of thumb to be sure the measurements are correct because mistakes in measurements can be very costly. The same rule applies to many industries and many situations.

But measuring to avoid mistakes isn't the only kind of measuring that's important to success. To be successful you need to be constantly measuring your progress towards your goals.

Just thinking about where you are in relation to any goal isn't a lot of help. Thoughts are too fleeting. If you have a goal that's really important to you, to make sure you stay on course, make a visual representation of your progress (something like you might see for fund raising campaigns) and keep it where you will see it on a daily basis. If the goal is numerical, you can draw a vertical line with the numerical value of your goal at the top and markers along the way. Use a marker or crayon to draw in your progress towards the goal each week or month.

If your goal is less quantitative, you can still measure it in the same way. Put your goal at one end and divide it into segments based on the steps you need to take to complete the goal. Draw a line each week showing your progress towards the next step enroute to your goal.

The important thing is keeping your goal progress constantly in front of you. Regularly marking off your progress towards the goal will help motivate and inspire you to stay focused until you achieve what you wanted to achieve.

Read more: Top 10 Ways to Stay Focused on Your Objectives

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