{"id":139122,"date":"2025-01-05T16:45:53","date_gmt":"2025-01-05T20:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=139122"},"modified":"2025-01-10T17:00:20","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T21:00:20","slug":"how-to-measure-progress-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Measure Progress: Why You Should Do It Backward"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Do you want to make incredible progress? How can you measure your achievements?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <em>10x Is Easier Than 2x<\/em>, Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy reveal how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/measuring-progress\/\">measure progress<\/a> in a way that can transform your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/your-path-to-success\/\">path to success<\/a>. Their insights show a way that builds momentum and unlocks unprecedented <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-grow-as-a-person\/\">personal growth<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep reading to discover why looking backward, not forward, might be the game-changing perspective you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-measure-progress-backward\"><strong>Measure Progress Backward<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sullivan and Hardy argue that how you measure progress greatly impacts<strong> how easily you can achieve transformational growth. <\/strong>It can either motivate you and help you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-build-momentum\/\">build momentum<\/a>, or it can discourage you and cause you to miss valuable lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The authors write that many people judge their progress by how close they are to their end goals\u2014like how many items they have left on their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/gtd-to-do-list\/\">to-do list<\/a> or how many chapters they have left to write for their book. However, judging progress this way can actually hinder your ability to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/steps-to-achieve-your-goals\/\">reach your goals<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Research shows that how you measure progress really does matter. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2011\/05\/the-power-of-small-wins\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a study of knowledge workers<\/a>, making progress in work that\u2019s personally meaningful is the single most important factor in boosting satisfaction and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-motivate-people-at-work\/\">motivation at work<\/a>. Even small wins and minor steps forward can create disproportionately positive effects and increase creativity and productivity. At the same time, setbacks have the opposite effect, with small losses causing people to feel unmotivated and consider the day a \u201cbad day.\u201d So, measuring progress in a way that feels like you\u2019re moving toward your goal keeps you motivated and productive.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of looking at how far you still have to go to reach your goal, the authors recommend you <strong>look backward to see how far you\u2019ve come. <\/strong>Measuring progress backward is better for two reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Greater satisfaction: <\/strong>Recognizing how far you\u2019ve come makes every step feel like a win. In contrast, when you always measure against an ideal future state, you\u2019ll feel discouraged and unsuccessful no matter how much you achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: While looking back can be motivating, be careful not to fall into the <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-willpower-instinct\/chapter-4#the-im-making-progress-trap\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cI\u2019m-Making-Progress\u201d trap<\/a>. In <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-willpower-instinct\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Willpower Instinct<\/em><\/a>, Kelly McGonigal explains this trap as when you feel so good about the progress you\u2019ve made toward a goal that you give yourself permission to slack off. For example, after setting up a home office for your new business, you might reward yourself with a TV binge instead of working on your business. Because of this, McGonigal recommends you ask yourself \u201cHow committed am I to my goal?\u201d instead of \u201cHow much progress have I made?\u201d By reminding yourself of your commitment, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-keep-going-when-you-want-to-give-up\/\">maintain momentum<\/a> and avoid the pitfall of using good behavior to justify procrastination.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Valuable learning: <\/strong>By reflecting on past experiences, you can extract valuable lessons that help you toward your goal. For example, if a product launch fails, you can identify what went wrong and improve for next time. In contrast, if you measure forward against your ideal outcome, you\u2019ll consider the launch as an outright failure and move on without reflecting on ways to improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Gretchen Rubin\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/the-benefits-of-looking-back-and-looking-forward\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">look back\/look forward<\/a> exercise shows the importance of both looking backward and looking ahead. She suggests meeting with friends every year to reflect on the past year\u2019s accomplishments and set intentions for the future. Rubin argues that while the backward-looking part is energizing, the forward-looking aspect is important for articulating goals, planning adventures, and staying focused on big projects. This balanced approach of reflecting on progress while also setting future intentions can help you stay both satisfied with your achievements and excited about what\u2019s to come.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-review-your-past-achievements\">Review Your Past Achievements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One way to measure backward is to <strong>review times when you\u2019ve achieved transformative growth in the past.<\/strong> Sullivan and Hardy suggest you think about milestones like getting your first job, traveling abroad for the first time, or starting your career. At each stage, you grew far beyond what you could have imagined and developed new skills that are core to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/your-genius\/\">who you are<\/a> today. Reviewing past achievements also normalizes the process of pursuing 10x growth\u2014you realize it\u2019s possible because you\u2019ve done it before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The authors suggest you also identify patterns in your growth and recognize the special strengths that consistently helped you succeed. Think about the 20% of efforts that drove your progress and the 80% you let go of to make room for growth. For example, if you transitioned from an entry-level position to a team leader, your 20% might have included developing leadership skills and building relationships with colleagues. The deprioritized 80% could have been tasks that didn\u2019t contribute to leadership, like pointless busy work such as attending <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/unnecessary-meetings\/\">unnecessary meetings<\/a> or creating reports that no one reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Use Journaling to Aid in Reflection<\/strong><br><br>Research suggests that reflection as the authors suggest can greatly improve your performance. Even 15 minutes at the end of the day can help: Research shows that after 10 days, employees who spent this time on reflection <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2017\/03\/why-you-should-make-time-for-self-reflection-even-if-you-hate-doing-it\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">improved their performance by 23%<\/a> compared to those who did not.<br><br>To make <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-self-reflect\/\">self-reflection<\/a> easier, consider <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-miracle-morning\/chapter-10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">journaling<\/a> about your achievements and the lessons you\u2019ve learned so that you can remember them in better detail. In <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-miracle-morning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Miracle Morning<\/em><\/a>, Hal Elrod provides suggestions for getting started: Choose a format that works for you (digital or paper), set aside time each day to write, and focus on recording accomplishments, gratitudes, and areas for improvement. By making journaling a habit, you\u2019ll create a reliable record of your growth journey, making it easier for you to identify your 20% of high-impact efforts and the 80% you can let go of to make room for further progress.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-develop-the-skills-for-your-next-transformative-growth\">Develop the Skills for Your Next Transformative Growth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sullivan and Hardy write that measuring progress backward helps you recognize the qualities and abilities you want to improve in yourself to prepare for your next transformative growth. By understanding what worked in the past, you can then <strong>consciously decide on which qualities to strengthen for your future growth and commit to developing them fully. <\/strong>The authors explain that whatever you focus on, you become. For instance, if you want to be a great teacher, you might focus on developing creativity, empathy, and a deep knowledge of your subject. The more specific you are, the easier it becomes to take action and develop those skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To accelerate your growth and skill-building, the authors recommend that you envision a \u201cdream check\u201d\u2014imagine a check for a large sum of money you\u2019d like to receive in the future. Then, clarify the skills and abilities you need to develop for someone to happily pay you that amount. For example, if you aim to start a successful tech company, you might focus on improving your coding skills, business knowledge, and ability to pitch to investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Develop Skills Through Experimentation<\/strong><br><br>Sullivan and Hardy explain how to identify the skills and knowledge you need to make your next 10x jump, but they don\u2019t elaborate on how to acquire them. In <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/ultralearning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Ultralearning<\/em><\/a>, Scott Young provides guidance for learning skills quickly and effectively. He suggests <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/ultralearning\/chapter-12#the-experimentation-mindset\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">experimenting with different learning approaches<\/a> instead of sticking to one method. He points to Vincent van Gogh as an example: The famous painter tried hundreds of techniques, materials, and perspectives until he found what worked best for him, allowing him to develop his unique artistic style while mastering fundamental skills.<br><br>Young outlines five experimentation methods to develop new skills:<br><br><strong>1) Replicate: <\/strong>Start by copying experts in your field to build foundational skills. Study how they approach problems and imitate their methods so you can learn proven strategies and identify areas to focus your practice.<br><br><strong>2) Compare: <\/strong>Try two different approaches and change just one variable at a time. This gives you immediate information about the impact of that variable, helping you identify which approach is best for you.<br><br><strong>3) Constrain: <\/strong>Challenge yourself with constraints, like practicing a language with people who don\u2019t speak your native tongue.<br><br><strong>4) Diversify: <\/strong>Pick up seemingly unrelated skills. Combining abilities in unique ways, like nursing and art for example, can open up niche opportunities and help you make creative connections.<br><br><strong>5) Explore: <\/strong>Explore the extremes\u2014whether that\u2019s using bold colors in painting or tackling complex projects. Pushing the boundaries expands your experience and understanding of what\u2019s possible.<br><br>Young asserts that the key to successful experimentation is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-push-yourself\/\">pushing yourself<\/a> beyond your comfort zone. Intentionally experimenting with techniques can help you develop the skills you\u2019ll need to earn your \u201cdream check.\u201d<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you want to make incredible progress? How can you measure your achievements? In 10x Is Easier Than 2x, Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy reveal how to measure progress in a way that can transform your path to success. Their insights show a way that builds momentum and unlocks unprecedented personal growth. Keep reading to discover why looking backward, not forward, might be the game-changing perspective you need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":139411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,7,43],"tags":[1712],"class_list":["post-139122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career","category-lifestyle","category-self-improvement","tag-10x-is-easier-than-2x","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Measure Progress: Why You Should Do It Backward - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wondering how to measure progress effectively? Find out why tracking growth by looking backward is key to achieving your goals.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Measure Progress: Why You Should Do It Backward\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wondering how to measure progress effectively? Find out why tracking growth by looking backward is key to achieving your goals.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-05T20:45:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-10T21:00:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/woman-writing-at-desk.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1056\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"592\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Katie Doll\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Katie Doll\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Katie Doll\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937\"},\"headline\":\"How to Measure Progress: Why You Should Do It Backward\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-05T20:45:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-10T21:00:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/\"},\"wordCount\":1435,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/woman-writing-at-desk.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"10x Is Easier Than 2x\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Career\",\"Lifestyle\",\"Self-Improvement\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/\",\"name\":\"How to Measure Progress: Why You Should Do It Backward - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/woman-writing-at-desk.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-05T20:45:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-10T21:00:20+00:00\",\"description\":\"Wondering how to measure progress effectively? Find out why tracking growth by looking backward is key to achieving your goals.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/woman-writing-at-desk.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/woman-writing-at-desk.webp\",\"width\":1056,\"height\":592,\"caption\":\"A cartoon image of a young woman writing in a notebook at a desk to measure her progress\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Measure Progress: Why You Should Do It Backward\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World&#039;s Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937\",\"name\":\"Katie Doll\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6239731a3fc739640b80be30f2b1727a055d3535d0ee4569e8282faa323e47fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6239731a3fc739640b80be30f2b1727a055d3535d0ee4569e8282faa323e47fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Katie Doll\"},\"description\":\"Somehow, Katie was able to pull off her childhood dream of creating a career around books after graduating with a degree in English and a concentration in Creative Writing. Her preferred genre of books has changed drastically over the years, from fantasy\/dystopian young-adult to moving novels and non-fiction books on the human experience. Katie especially enjoys reading and writing about all things television, good and bad.\",\"knowsAbout\":[\"Bachelor of Arts in English With a Concentration in Creative Writing\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Senior SEO Writer\",\"worksFor\":\"Shortform\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/katie\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Measure Progress: Why You Should Do It Backward - Shortform Books","description":"Wondering how to measure progress effectively? Find out why tracking growth by looking backward is key to achieving your goals.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Measure Progress: Why You Should Do It Backward","og_description":"Wondering how to measure progress effectively? Find out why tracking growth by looking backward is key to achieving your goals.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2025-01-05T20:45:53+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-01-10T21:00:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1056,"height":592,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/woman-writing-at-desk.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Katie Doll","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Katie Doll","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/"},"author":{"name":"Katie Doll","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937"},"headline":"How to Measure Progress: Why You Should Do It Backward","datePublished":"2025-01-05T20:45:53+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-10T21:00:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/"},"wordCount":1435,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/woman-writing-at-desk.webp","keywords":["10x Is Easier Than 2x"],"articleSection":["Career","Lifestyle","Self-Improvement"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/","name":"How to Measure Progress: Why You Should Do It Backward - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/woman-writing-at-desk.webp","datePublished":"2025-01-05T20:45:53+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-10T21:00:20+00:00","description":"Wondering how to measure progress effectively? Find out why tracking growth by looking backward is key to achieving your goals.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/woman-writing-at-desk.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/woman-writing-at-desk.webp","width":1056,"height":592,"caption":"A cartoon image of a young woman writing in a notebook at a desk to measure her progress"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-progress-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Measure Progress: Why You Should Do It Backward"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World&#039;s Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937","name":"Katie Doll","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6239731a3fc739640b80be30f2b1727a055d3535d0ee4569e8282faa323e47fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6239731a3fc739640b80be30f2b1727a055d3535d0ee4569e8282faa323e47fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Katie Doll"},"description":"Somehow, Katie was able to pull off her childhood dream of creating a career around books after graduating with a degree in English and a concentration in Creative Writing. Her preferred genre of books has changed drastically over the years, from fantasy\/dystopian young-adult to moving novels and non-fiction books on the human experience. Katie especially enjoys reading and writing about all things television, good and bad.","knowsAbout":["Bachelor of Arts in English With a Concentration in Creative Writing"],"jobTitle":"Senior SEO Writer","worksFor":"Shortform","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/katie\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/woman-writing-at-desk.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139122"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":139363,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139122\/revisions\/139363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}