Learning new skills and progressing in your career is a continuous journey with highs and lows along the way. That's why it's important to have regular progress check-ins. Picture yourself on the way to your destination. How do you decide which way to go without knowing where you are right now?
How was the last learning road you took? Did you travel quickly but use a lot of energy? Did you try a difficult road but have more success? Which roads should you avoid in the future? Progress check-ins are there to ask yourself these important questions, to evaluate your learning progress, identify areas for improvement, and course-correct if you need to. So, to help you get the most out of your regular progress check-ins, here are a few questions you can ask yourself to improve your learning journeys:
Perfecting What Works
So, you tried some things and they worked well, but don't move on just yet! Checking in on your progress helps you identify what's working well, and plan more of that success in the future. Here are some questions to help you evaluate your successes:
Check-in Questions for Evaluating Your Success:
What specific actions or strategies have helped me make progress so far?
Where and how could I be more effective or efficient in my learning?
What would help me maintain or speed up my learning journey?
Have I rewarded myself for my achievements along the way?
How can I stay motivated and focused as I continue learning?
Use Your 'Failures' to Succeed
Sometimes, we find ourselves falling behind on our goals and reaching our milestones slower than we would like. Remember, setbacks are normal in any part of a learning journey, and 'failures' or mistakes are the best learning opportunities there are! Here are some questions to help you face your 'failures' and use them to build a road to future success:
Check-in Questions to Profit from Facing Your 'Failures':
What specific obstacles or problems have slowed me down or made my journey more difficult?
Do I need to adjust my timeline or break my goals down into more manageable steps?
Are there any bad habits or distractions preventing me from progressing?
What extra resources, support, or monitoring could help me get back on target?
Do I need to update my priorities or commitments to make more time for this goal?
Staying Up-to-Date
Sometimes, you work toward a goal you've set and then realize it's not really useful or important to you anymore. Over time, your needs, priorities, and working life will change, and your goals should change to match them. So, don't be afraid to update your goals based on your check-ins. Here are some questions to help you update your goals:
Check-in Questions to Keep You Up-to-Date:
Has my life changed in a way that makes this goal less useful or important?
Are there new opportunities I should prioritize instead?
Can I adapt my goals to fit with my new circumstances better?
If I remove this goal, how can I use that time and energy on something more useful?
What have I learned from working on this goal, even if I don't need to achieve it anymore?
Wrap Up
Progress check-ins are like the bread in your 'learning burger'. The exciting tasty bits are the goals and future learning plans, but without the bread your burger can fall apart. Use your check-ins to see how you can make better burgers more quickly, learn which ingredients work best, and change your burgers to fit your diet.
Remember that you can make huge improvements with good planning, check-ins, and hard work over time. Use your 'failures' as opportunities to learn, celebrate big and small wins, and make sure your goals are still a good match for your circumstances. It's the way we naturally learn and improve over time, just with added check-ins to make the process as successful (or delicious) as possible!
Helpful Links
How to Make the Most of Check-ins - PeopleGoal's 30-minute video guide to using check-ins to progress in your career.