The Power of Each Other: Wellness and Well-Being
  • Home
    • About Laura
    • Contact Dr. Burlingame-Lee:
    • News!
  • Resources & FAQs
    • Resources
    • FAQs >
      • Coaching FAQ
      • DBT FAQ >
        • How does DBT work?
        • What are the goals in DBT?
        • How does a DBT Skills Training Group Work?
        • Assumptions about our participants
        • What are some problems that might come up?
        • DBT Skills 1: Introduction and Mindfulness
        • DBT Skills 2: Interpersonal Effectiveness
        • DBT Skills 3: Emotion Regulation
        • DBT Skills 4: Distress Tolerance, Part 1
        • DBT Skills 5: Distress Tolerance, Part 2
      • Payment and Insurance
      • First Appointments: What to expect >
        • What to expect at your first coaching appointment
        • What to expect at your first therapy appointment:
    • Forms
  • Blog: Posts for the Journey
    • Blog Survey!
  • Love the Questions Journal Prompts

Evaluating Goals: How Well Is It Working & Did the Process Work?

1/10/2016

0 Comments

 
So, after you take action, how will you know it's working? The most obvious answer, of course, "I did what I set out to do." Chances are, though, that you'll want to keep track of your progress, and when you reach your goal, want to know what worked to help you achieve it. If you were unable to reach it, figuring out what got in the way can help you when you begin planning again. So, evaluation of both progress and the process are pretty important, and can help you celebrate successes, sharpen your strategies, plan for predictable obstacles, and debrief after your hard work.
​
One thing I recommend is that you engage in evaluation during a dedicated time where you can focus your attention on the process and that (if possible) you work with someone who knew about the goal or helped you be accountable. Having someone to go through this process with you can be supportive and enriching. Your support person may see things you don't, or be able to frame things in a way that may help you see other opportunities, strategies or possibilities. If you have been accountability partners, you can also help your partner do the same.
Picture
"Stone Sculpture" by Anatoli Styf, from http://www.freeimages.com/photo/stone-sculpture-1390088

Where do I start? Periodic Evaluation of Progress

While you're working toward your goal, you'll probably want to know how well it's going, and how what you're doing helps your chances of achieving your goal. So, you'll want to follow up on your processes, assess what is and is not working. You'll want to ask yourself questions that will target your process and pinpoint areas in which you can modify or improve. 

Some evaluaton tools are built into your SMART goals. Remember "Time Liimited"? Having a set time period for your plans means that you have built in a spot for you to pause and reflect on your progress. If you've done everything you needed to in that time period, analyzing what helped you do it can help you figure out strategies for achieving future goals. If you didn't quite meet your time goal, looking at what got in the way might help you identify re-occurring obstacles or factors that might interfere with achieving goals in the future. No matter what the immediate outcome, this process will help you both now and in the future.

The first step in any periodic evaluation process is to ask yourself whether or not your goal has changed. Do you still want or need to achieve this goal? If yes, keep going! If no, maybe evaluate whether or not the goal was right for you. Some questions you might ask include:
  • Is this something I really want? I know many people who set goals because other people want them to or think they should. Many of these goals aren't bad, but if you want to achieve a goal, doing it for yourself is going to dramatically increase your chances of achieving it. Think weight loss, smoking cessation, not drinking - these are common examples of how your own motivation can affect your chances of achieving long-term change.
  • Is the goal defined well enough? Is it SMART, or structured? If not, what can you tweak (assuming you still want to reach that goal)? Do you need to change the focus or structure of your work?
  • Is the goal really achievable? Sometimes, we have to admit that no matter how much we want to reach the goal, it simply is not feasible. No matter how much I want it and no matter how well I define, plan and act, I will never be a prima ballerina or play in the NBA - it's just not realistic.Will you realistically have the resources you need? That might be a limiting factor that can affect whether or not you're able to achieve your objective.

Check-ins for Short-Term and Long-Term or Complex Goals:

If you have a super short-term goal like, "I'll take two hours tonight before bed to double-check my resume for errors before I send it in tomorrow," chances are that you won't need a huge, in-depth review of the process. Let's say, though, that for some reason you weren't able to get it done. It's very useful to spend some time figuring out what got in the way. Look at the factors that might have interfered:
  • ​How was your energy level? Were you tired, hungry, feeling sick, or had some other physical factor that affected your energy levels? Is it a temporary setback or is this a factor you might have to account for in the future?
  • Did other activities or busy-ness interfere? Sometimes, things come up that we don't expect - if you get a flat tire, or your computer's hard drive decides not to work, you might be stuck. However, some things you can control. Maybe you've overscheduled because there are simply too many things have to be done, or maybe you know that you tend to be tired after work. Being honest and recognizing that can help you set up strategies that will give you a better shot of reaching goals in the future.

So what about bigger, more complex goals? You may have a great SMART goal -  how do you know you're on track? For longer-term goals, building in time to evaluate your progress, modify your plan if necessary, and/or celebrate successes in progress. Some possible strategies include:
  • Depending on the length of time it will take to achieve your goal, you may want to set a weekly, biweekly, or monthly check-in.
  • Depending on the type of your goal, you may want to test out a sample of your work or product. For example, when I was studying for my license, I took practice tests to assess my knowledge.
  • If you don't have a sample product or a physical measure, checking in with another person who can give you feedback can help. If you're developing an online e-course or trying to assess what topics to write about on your blog, ask someone or set up a survey for feedback.

Some questions you can ask yourself during these check-ins include:
  • What progress have I made toward my goal? Is there a way to measure it or test it? If so, how can I sue that information?
  • What strategies have helped me the most? What do I feel comfortable with, what has been effective so far?
  • What strategies haven't worked so well? What is it about them that was ineffective?
  • Do I want to keep the same strategies I've been using or do I want to change strategies? If I decide to change them, do I want to spend some time developing new strategies or can I use others from previous strategizing? If I want to develop new ones, how will that affect my timeline and will that help me?
  • Where do I want to focus the most effort at this point? Has it changed based on the progress so far? If so, how will refocusing help me reach my goal?
  • Do I need to plan for more or different resources? What do I need from this point, and do I need to modify my process in order to get the resources I need? Do I need to modify my goal to account for differences in resources I have access to?​

Wrapping It All Up: Where Do I Go From Here?

After all this work, you've reached the end of the process. Did you achieve your goal? If so, YEAH YOU!!! If not, think about what happened - it may not be all bad.
  • Did you change your mind about your goal? Honestly, it happens. Sometimes what was important at the beginning of the process may not be as important as time goes on.
  • Did things happen that you couldn't control? If so, how did you handle it?
  • Do you want to keep trying to reach that goal and is it possible to do so? If so, maybe use this opportunity as a chance to re-assess your strategies, planning, and resources
  • Do you want to try to work on a new goal, or maybe modify this one?
  • As with the short-term or brief goals, ask yourself questions about energy level, interfering factors, availability of resources, etc.

When it's all said and done, it's important to review what happened, whether or not you reached your goal . Chances are that you learned a lot along the way!
  • What did you learn about yourself during this process? Did you uncover aspects of yourself that you want to work on? What strengthened you and helped you? What got in your way, and what motivated you?
  • What did you learn about those around you during this process? Did you find support or resources in unexpected places? Who walked this journey with you?
  • If this was a "big" goal, how does it fit with who you want to be as a person and how you want to live your life?​ Are your proud of yourself and your accomplishment(s)? Did reaching this goal bring you joy, improve your life and/or make you a better person?
  • Regardless of the outcome, what in the process are you grateful for?
  • And finally, what's next? What are you ready for in life, and how will you get it? 

Disclaimer: The information and content of this blog are not meant to constitute therapy or therapeutic advice. If you are in need of help or think you’d like to talk to a counselor or psychologist, there are many available. If you are in a crisis, emergency or life-threatening situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. You’re not alone, and there are people who care and want to help. Calling 911 or going to your emergency is not weakness; it’s a true sign of strength.

If you are interested in life coaching or therapy with Dr. Burlingame-Lee or have a question or comment for her, please call (970) 776-6043. You may also contact her via: thepowerofeachother@outlook.com. 

​All information and content on this blog is ©2016 by Dr. Laura Burlingame-Lee, Ph.D., dba “The Power of Each Other.” For inquiries regarding reproduction or use for any purpose, please contact her at (970) 776-6043.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Laura Burlingame-Lee:

    I am someone who thoroughly loves life and believes in the power we have to help each other. I think that having a hot cup of tea, a good book, and a warm, purring kitty are some of the most soothing experiences available in life, and loving my family, hearing the sound of children laughing, feeling rain on my skin, and smelling the salt air by the ocean are some of the best possible things in life! 

    I believe we all have inner wisdom, and that learning to listen to it is one of the hardest and most rewarding things we can do. I believe we all have gifts and talents to share, and that we have the opportunity every day to learn something new. We learn, we grow, and we shine!


    I'd love to hear from you!

    Need to find something? Search the blog:
    View my profile on LinkedIn

    RSS Feed

    Home

    Archives

    August 2022
    July 2022
    September 2017
    August 2017
    January 2016
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    Acceptance
    Accountability
    Accountable
    Accreditation
    Accredited
    Achievement
    Achieving
    Action
    Action Planning
    Active Trust
    Affirmation
    Affirmations
    Afraid
    Alone
    Anger
    Angry
    Antidepressant
    Antidepressants
    Anxiety
    Appointment
    Appointments
    Art Journal
    Assertive
    Assertiveness
    Attitude
    Beck
    Behavior
    Black Or White Thinking
    Boundaries
    Boundary
    Care
    Caring
    Cat-I
    CBT
    Certification
    Certified
    Chain Analysis
    Change
    Changing
    Checking In
    Check-ins
    Choice
    Choices
    Coach
    Coaches
    Coaching
    Code Of Ethics
    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Insomnia
    Cognitive Distortions
    Cognitive Errors
    Cognitive Triad
    Comfort
    Comfortable
    Commitment
    Commitment Planning
    Commitment Strategies
    Compassion
    Compassionate
    Compassionate Detachment
    Control
    Controlling
    Copeland
    Coping
    Coping Skills
    Counseling
    Counselor
    Counselors
    Courage
    COVID
    Cruelty
    Daily Hassles
    DBT
    Depressed
    Depression
    Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
    Dichotic Thinking
    Differences
    Discomfort
    Distorted Thinking
    Distraction
    Distress Tolerance
    Dream
    Dream Analysis
    Dreaming
    Dreams
    Dream Symbols
    Effective
    Ellis
    Emergency Room
    Emotion Regulation
    End
    Ending
    ER
    Ethical
    Ethics
    Ethics Code
    Evaluating Goals
    Fear
    Forgive
    Forgiveness
    Frustrated
    Frustration
    Fun
    Goal Planning
    Goal Progress
    Goals
    Goal Setting
    Goal Strategizing
    Grief
    Happiness
    Happy
    Heal
    Healing
    Health
    Healthy
    Helpless
    Helplessness
    Hero
    Heroes
    Hopeless
    Hopelessness
    Hospital
    Hospitalization
    Hotline
    Hotlines
    Hurt
    ICF
    Identity
    Image Rehearsal Therapy
    Insight
    Insightful
    International Coaching Federation
    Interpersonal Effectiveness
    Introversion
    Irrational Beliefs
    Irrational Thinking
    IRT
    Journal
    Journaling
    Joy
    Judgment
    Judgmental
    Letting Go
    Licensed
    Licensure
    Loneliness
    Lonely
    Mean
    Measurable Goals
    Medical
    Medication
    Mindfulness
    Minimization
    Mistrust
    Mood Stabilizer
    Mood Stabilizers
    Motivate
    Motivation
    Move
    Moving
    Moving On
    Negative Thinking
    Negative Thinking Patterns
    New Normal
    No
    Nonjudgmental
    Nonjudgmental Stance
    Obstacles
    Opposite Action
    Organization
    Organizing
    Overgeneralization
    Pain
    Painful
    Personality
    Personalization
    Plan
    Planning
    Play
    Playful
    Playing
    Positive Psychology
    Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
    Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
    Precipitating Event
    Prioritize
    Prioritizing
    Process
    Process Writing
    Procrastination
    Progress
    Prompting Event
    Psychologist
    Psychologists
    PTSD
    Rabbit Hole
    Radical Acceptance
    Reaching Goals
    React
    Reacting
    Reaction
    Reinforce
    Reinforcement
    Relationship Skills
    Relax
    Relaxation
    Resiliency
    Resources
    Responding
    Responsibility
    Responsible
    Rest
    Restful
    Resting
    Results
    Reward
    Rewards
    Role Play
    Role-play
    Sadness
    Safe
    Safety
    Saying No
    Schedule
    Self Acceptance
    Self Assurance
    Self Awareness
    Self Care
    Self Control
    Self Esteem
    Self Liking
    Self Soothing
    Self-soothing
    Setting Goals
    Should
    Shoulds
    Skills
    Solitude
    Stigma
    Stigmatize
    Stigmatizing
    Stinking Thinking
    Stop
    Stopping
    Strategies
    Strategizing
    Strategy
    Suicidal
    Suicidal Feelings
    Suicidal Thoughts
    Suicide
    Suicide Hotline
    Suicide Hotlines
    Support
    Supporting
    Supportive
    Taking Action
    Task Management
    Termination
    Therapist
    Therapists
    Therapy
    Thinking
    Thinking Patterns
    Thoughts
    Time
    Time Management
    Tough Times
    Trained
    Training
    Transition
    Transitioning
    Trauma
    Traumatic
    Traumatized
    Trigger
    Triggers
    Trust
    Trust The Process
    Uncomfortable
    Visual Journal
    Voice
    Vulnerability
    Vulnerability Factors
    Wellness
    Wellness Action Recovery Plan
    Wise Mind
    WRAP
    Write
    Writing

Proudly powered by Weebly