Many architecture, engineering and construction professionals habitually set career goals at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, they often neglect to review their progression on a regular basis. When progress isn’t monitored, deviations and setbacks may occur without the full impact being realized. Then, as the year continues to draw closer to its end, it can become more and more difficult to make any adjustments needed to remain on track.

Ultimately, what you need to review to determine whether you are making significant strides varies depending on the goals themselves. While some objectives, such as attaining a new degree, are inherently easier to measure than others, all progress can be monitored. Regardless, a quarterly time frame is an easy way to schedule assessments.

How to Measure Your First Quarter Progress Towards Your Yearly Goals

Now is an ideal time to look back on the previous quarter to see if your efforts are pushing you forward as you try to make you goals a reality. Use the following four tips to evaluate your first quarter progress.

1. Review Your Objectives

The first step is to review your goals and objectives, including any broken-down steps you created as a means of tracking your progression. Not only will this refresh your memory regarding your goals, it also allows you to refocus on them if you strayed from your target. If you do not know where you were trying to go, it is much more challenging to determine how far you have come, so take a moment to rehash your goals if you did not record them previously.

2. Identify Completed Milestones

If you have not already created a to-do list based on your goals, consider doing so now. Include each larger objective as well as any associated milestones, even if you already finished them. Then, go through the list again and check off those that are complete, allowing you to see how far you have come in Q1.

The intention of this exercise is to allow you to clearly visualize what steps you have taken to make your goals a reality. Sometimes it can be difficult to fully gauge the progress made until the full scope is laid out and visualized. Plus, seeing your accomplishments can help you stay motivated throughout the year.

3. Perform a Self-Check-In

Often, whether your Q1 push towards your goals can be deemed a success is based on your perception and whether you are completing milestones. Do you feel as though you dedicated enough time and energy to make them a reality? Did you get sidetracked by other activities? Do these goals still feel right for your architecture, engineering or construction career?

4. Continue Quarterly Check-Ins

Ideally, you want to perform a self-check-in every quarter to measure how you feel about your progress. At times, when objectives are originally set, people have only a limited understanding of the actual amount of work it will take to reach completion, and only later discovering that their original timeline was not ideal. If you put forth a significant amount of effort but did not accomplish as many tasks as you initially hoped, reevaluate your timeline to determine if it was initially realistic based on your other obligations or if adjustments are in order. Update your schedule if it becomes clear that such a change is necessary. Ultimately, you want to create a timetable that allows you to accomplish your goals quickly but is not so demanding that it is unattainable.

Let RealStreet Help You Meet Your Career Goals

If your career goals involve finding a new architecture, engineering or construction position, the professionals at RealStreet can connect you with some of the area’s leading employers. Contact us to learn more about our services today and see how our approach to recruitment and hiring can benefit you.