For many of us, the thought of keeping statistics is looked upon at best as a necessary evil, and at worst, a boring waste of time. That is, of course, unless you happen to be a statistician and your pulse races with excitement at the thought of comparing all those fascinating columns and numbers.

Like it or not, the truth is that keeping statistics is a very necessary part of the success of any goal plan. If you don't keep a track of your progress towards a goal, you won't have any measure to know where you are. This is especially true for those times when the path has become a bit rough and foggy and you are not really sure if it is all worth it. Statistics can help you realise how far you've come.

For example, you know how it is when you are at the bottom of a steep hill and you can see the point you want to reach. I used to climb a steep hill every day and at the top was this huge tree I would aim for. However, when I was half way up the hill, I couldn't see the tree any more. The steepness of the hill had made it seem to disappear. Hot, tired and puffed I would feel like giving up. But if I turned around and looked down the hill I could see how far I had already come and I could tell it wouldn't be long before the tree came into view again. I would feel re-energised for the last steep bit to the top.

When you first set your goal you can see it way up there in the distance. But as you go along the path it may become rough and foggy with challenges. It can be difficult to know just where you are - and if in fact it is all worth it.

But if you have kept a record as you have gone along the path you can look back and see how far you have come and what you have actually achieved. From there you can give yourself a pat on the back and draw strength for the next challenge.

Without statistics you may be bobbing along so blithely that you can't see that the results are not happening as they should. Keeping statistics enables you to judge what is and what is not working. You can then swiftly back out of any blind allies and get back on track.

Simple statistics like:

• Number of new sales/sign ups
• Gross income
• Net profit
• Ratio of income to expenses
• Number of hours spent with family
• Number of hours spent with self (think about it!)
• Confidence/stress/fun levels (you can do this by deciding where you are on a 1 to 10 scale of confidence/stress/fun etc, and reassessing it each month).

I advise my clients to keep at least three monthly statistics on their progress towards their goal, whether that goal be personal or business focussed. Make those statistics really bottom line and results-oriented. These facts will give you the information you need to stay on track!