When we’re starting out on a new goal, we’re full of energy and enthusiasm. We eagerly make changes and take steps in our new direction in the first few weeks. But as time goes on, the newness wears off. Our energy drains, and we lose sight of our goal. Ultimately, we slide back into the status quo.

No matter how sophisticated your strategies to rid yourself of bad habits and create good ones, you’re less likely to succeed if you don’t track and review your progress frequently. Noting your improvements each day encourages you to keep going. And by identifying where you’re falling short, you’ll notice patterns and make adjustments, so you won’t feel stuck in habits that feel unnatural or aren’t producing real change.

After several weeks of tracking your habits, assess whether there are any patterns that need adjusting. Doing so lets you see your successes — and missteps — and helps you to identify what might be causing issues.

You can set goals to achieve your dreams or improve your behavior, but without actionable ways to move forward and a way to measure progress, you’ll fall back into your old bad habits once again.

Summing-up: Take the time to identify how to meet your goals, starting with little steps, and take note of your improvements. Pretty soon, you may discover you’ve developed some positive new work habits.