I prefer using a roadmap technique. I simply right down the steps that I need to complete to get me from A-B. Just like you would write down a list of town names if you were going on a road trip.
For short term goals this can be pretty easy, there might only be one thing that needs doing. But if you have a longer term goal or a very complex goal it can become very difficult. This is where I find the roadmap really comes into its own. You can start comparing where you are to the "map" and can see what needs to be done next.
You can also see if you have started on a new aspect which wasn't in the original spec of the goal. Again this can be very useful as you may get caught p in doing something that is not adding value to the goal. These things can often be difficult to spot if you don't review what your doing.
This process can be used in so many situations. For me I use it nearly everyday. Especially in my budgeting. I currently have set monthly, quarterly, yearly, 5 & 10 year saving goals set up, I monitor my spend to see how I'm doing towards these targets and if I have reached past goals.
If I haven't achieved the target I can tell where I've gone wrong quickly and try to remedy it before my next target. Often I set stretch goals which I tend to throw in every now and then to mix things up, these vary in nature, but usually are along the lines of use 50% less X than last month, whether that be petrol, lunch, clothes etc.
I've come to find this very rewarding. I'll share with you next time how I track my spending to make things easier.
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