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5 Ways to Track Your Progress (And Why it's so Important) - RescueTime
Completion bias
It's where your brain specifically seeks the hit of dopamine you get from crossing off small tasks and ignores working on larger, more complex ones.
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Key Ideas
Small wins and motivation
Out of all the things that can boost our mood and motivation, the single most important is making progress on meaningful work.
Just like we love crossing small tasks off our to-do list, being able to see that we’re even one step closer to a big goal is a huge motivator. The problem is that these “small wins” are hard to measure.
Why we feel busier than ever
... but feel like nothing gets done:
- Our days are filled with meaningless, busy-work (like answering emails).
- We’ve lost the ability to set meaningful, effective goals.
- We don’t set in place methods for tracking progress.
- We’ve lost the ability to handle uncertainty.
Tracking progress is a powerful tool
It keeps you motivated and productive.
You become more purposeful about the work you do. And that can create the kind of meaning that so many of us search for in our daily work. You also have more insight into the value you’re creating.
Break out large tasks
... into smaller pieces and visualize them.
When you’re facing a large project, your first step should be to break it out into smaller goals. Then, break those goals down into smaller tasks. The more chances you have to feel like you “finished” part of it, the more motivation you’ll get from your progress.
Set daily quotas
... and start every day at zero.
Rather than simply looking at your overall progress on a project, set smaller daily quotas.
If your goal is especially complex, a quota can be easier to hit than a goal.
Track your metrics on a calendar
Pick a metric (or two) that makes sense for you and then track how many days you hit it.
Your calendar becomes a large, visual reminder of your progress (and also brings in the power of streaks).
Write in a diary
... for 5 minutes a day.
At the end of each day, take a few minutes to write about what you worked on. Make sure to note both your “small wins” and any setbacks.
At the end of the month, flip back through your notes and see how far you’ve come. It’s amazing the clarity you get from seeing the progress you made over a longer period
James Clear
“If you want to summarize the habits of successful people into one phrase, it’s this: successful people start before they feel ready.”
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Productivity Shame
Work is never finished, and we are unable to disconnect from it, causing us to experience productivity shame, impacting our happiness and creativity.
The modern working pro...
The Busyness Paradox: Addicted To Being Busy
- Personal productivity is not about all-round efficiency, and it is wrong to think about your input as that of a machine in a factory unit.
- This is further complicated by our mistaken assumption that being in demand means that we are doing a splendid job.
- We blur our all boundaries between our work and personal life and every minute of the day is to be kept busy as we rush to attend every meeting, cross out every task from the to-do list or to answer every email that we get.
Completion Bias
Our brain starts to favour small tasks that give a false impression of productivity (woohoo! I just sent out fifty emails!) while we neglect the large, complex but meaningful tasks.
This is known as the completion bias.
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Flow is the state of mind
... where we are so immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity that we lose sense of space and time.
It is thought to be t...
Why it’s hard to achieve flow in your workplace
- The processes, policies, and busy work gets in the way.
- Most jobs don’t have a clear goal.
- Feedback can be inadequate.
- The pace of work has increased, and it’s hard for people to spend time thinking deeply.
- Your skills aren’t well matched to the challenges you are allowed to pursue.
- There’s a lack of control over interruptions or when and how you work.
- The job doesn’t push you out of your comfort zone.
Take more risks
... to push your mind beyond its comfort zone. Flow happens when we get a bit out of our comfort zone. Too much, and you get anxious; Too little and you get bored.
You need to know your physical or emotional limitations and consciously push past them.
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The Spiral of Productivity Shame
Productivity shame is a feeling that you are not doing enough, whatever the number of hours you are working, or the number of tasks you are crossing off your to-do list. It also means you fe...
Causes of Productivity Shame
- We link our products to our self-worth, thinking that we need to get more done, and our self-esteem depends upon it.
- We set unrealistic goals, which can be discouraging for us if we keep on focusing on the end result.
- We compare ourselves with others, who seemingly are doing better and are more productive.
Overcoming Productivity Shame
- Disconnect your Self-worth from your achievements.
- Set realistic, effective goals: The three elements of goal-setting are knowing what you want to achieve, how you're going to get there, and why you want to achieve something. If you have a compelling reason and motivation, go for it.
- Appreciate progress: Consistent progress aids productivity better than the achieving of goals.