Wondering how you can show yourself you’re making progress on a project or assignment?

Are you looking for some thoughtful tips to keep you motivated?

You settle down to do some work on a project at work.

A little bit of work here and some work there. But for some reason, it doesn’t seem like you’re getting anywhere.

What gives?

It’s not that you aren’t doing the work, it’s just that you’re having a difficult time visualizing what you’re doing.

In this post, you’ll find a few ways to help you better visualize the progress of your work.

Do keep in mind, these ideas won’t work unless you contribute to them on a regular basis.

The only real way to see progress is to work at  something consistently.

So, how can you mark your progress so you can see where you’ve been…and where you’re going?

The trick is to use a visual and physical representation of your productivity.

Instead of guessing where you are with your work, you clearly, and easily see your progress.

Try any one of the following suggestions to keep track of your work.

The calendar cross-off.

All you need for this visualization exercise is a desk or wall calendar.

While you could use a digital calendar, a paper calendar is preferred because you can easily interact with the calendar.

You can write in little notes and cross off days by hand, for example.

If you’re counting down to a certain date, say a deadline or something, you can mark this down and easily see where you are and how many days you have left until the deadline.

The two-jar transfer.

You’ll need two clear jars or containers of the same shape and height.

Fill one of the jars with marbles or other small items such as pennies, dried beans or buttons.

Each one of these little items can represent any measurement you so choose: a day, a task, a pound, an idea, whatever.

Whenever you’ve successfully reached a certain measurement, transfer one of the small items to the other jar.

This makes it easy to actually see your progress.

The sticky note switch.

Get a stack of sticky notes and find a flat surface on which to stick the notes, say a whiteboard, blackboard or a wall.

Write down a single task on each note, or any other measurement of your choice (days, pounds, ideas, etc.).

Now, divide your designated surface into two sections. Draw a line down the center of the whiteboard/blackboard or use string to mark off the wall. Place all sticky notes on one side of the line you’ve drawn.

For each task or item completed, transfer over the sticky note to the other side.

The Gantt Chart tracker.

This exercise works well if you’ve already sat down and broken out a project and assignments into different sections or phases.

Convert these sections and phases into a visual chart going from left to right.

This is otherwise known as a Gantt chart, or a chart that tracks the progress of different projects or assignments.

Print out the chart and mount it to a wall or board. The next thing to do is to use a little marker such as a sticky note, flag or other item to mark your progress as you complete work on the project.

The journal entry.

Use a paper journal or online journal for this exercise.

At the end of each day, or whenever you so choose, jot down a few notes of  the things you’ve accomplished that day.

Don’t forget to date your entries!

Within just a short amount of time you’ll be able to see where you’ve been…and also where you’re going in future.

Learn how To make progress Everyday

Productivity levels are a major concern for any business owner. That’s why it’s important for you to learn how to do your work with less stress, time, and energy.

My time management guide can show you how to prioritize tasks, manage assignments, and run meetings.

If you want me to show you how you can get things done in your business with less time and energy, then check out my productivity consulting services. Book a strategy session with me today!

How about you? Do you need help tracking your progress on a work or personal project? Which of these exercises will you try? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!