There are three ways to know how much progress you have made:
1. First - Acknowledgement or approval from others. This can happen at two levels - global and local. Let's first take the recognition at the highest level. Let's say winning a Nobel Prize or an Oscar. Data suggests that the fame is short-lived, controversial and impersonal. The public will soon find their next hero.
At a local level - say within our company, it feels good to be celebrated. And it is indeed an acknowledgement of our hard work. But is it an indicator we should watch? There is no doubt that recognition is reassuring but it is not something worth aspiring for. We are better off focusing on the task at hand than on the result.
2. Second - Compare yourself with others. This is never fulfilling. Rich want to get super-rich. The truth is - man can never have enough of anything. One may experience all sorts of negative emotions when comparing oneself with others.
3. And finally the third way is to ask - Am I a better version of myself today? This sounds like the best way because it is a continuous improvement process. At the end of each day we can ask ourselves - did I improve today? Did I do more? Did I get better? Marginal improvements over long periods get stacked and result in huge progress.
Reviewing you day before sleeping helps.
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