Performance goals are easy to set but much harder to sustain once competing priorities, meetings and daily responsibilities take over. Fortunately, research shows that the difference between people who consistently achieve their goals and those who don’t often comes down to a handful of practical habits rather than willpower alone.
Management and Communication Studies faculty at Metropolitan State University of Denver say employees can improve their chances of meeting performance goals by building simple, repeatable behaviors into their routines. From scheduling time for reflection to leaning on colleagues for accountability, these five evidence-based strategies can help turn good intentions into measurable progress.
“Decades of research support the potential power of performance goals,” said Apryl Brodersen, Ph.D., professor of Management and industrial and organizational psychology researcher. “The real keys to success are the behaviors people exhibit as they work to reach their goals.”
1. Make goals a community effort
Goals that happen in isolation are harder to achieve, said Brenden Kendall, Ph.D., professor of Communications Studies and Faculty Senate president. He recommends employees “make goal attainment a community effort.”
“A mentor, colleague, supervisor, accountability partner or even your whole work team can provide perspective, encouragement, practical ideas and connections to resources,” Kendall said.
The workplace and professional communication researcher also encouraged “regular conversations” to “make goals feel less like private pressure and more like an opportunity for shared learning.”
2. Review progress regularly
While it can be hard to prioritize long-term goals amid daily responsibilities, scheduling regular check-ins makes them easier to sustain.
The mental effort of tracking progress is a common reason people may neglect important self-assessment steps, Kendall said. A recurring calendar reminder can help make reflection a routine by prompting employees to:
- Update evidence: Document accomplishments and milestones.
- Assess progress: Compare results with the original goal.
- Identify barriers: Note pain points or obstacles slowing momentum.
- Revise next steps: Adjust priorities or tactics based on what you’ve learned.
“Calendar reminders and recurring reflection periods help keep important professional goals from disappearing beneath immediate demands,” Kendall said. “Even a short monthly block can be used to update evidence, assess progress, identify barriers and revise the next steps.”
Other tools he recommended include a Microsoft 365 app, a Gantt chart in Excel, a routine work journal or an AI tool that helps log activity and connect it to stated goals.
3. Expect setbacks
Even the best goals rarely unfold exactly as planned. Missing a milestone or changing direction doesn’t mean the goal has failed; it simply provides new information for the next step.
Brodersen encourages employees to treat obstacles as opportunities to adapt rather than reasons to quit. Reviewing what’s working, refining the approach and continuing to move forward can build resilience while keeping long-term goals within reach.
4. Prioritize thoughtfully.
What tasks need immediate attention, what should be scheduled, what can be delegated, and what might not need to be done at all? Prioritizing responsibilities based on these questions can help to turn even a complex to-do list into an action plan.
Kendall recommends using the Eisenhower Matrix, a method of sorting tasks into those corresponding four categories according to urgency and importance.
“Used consistently,” he said, it “can help employees make more deliberate choices” about tracking goals and “recognize when doing more is getting in the way of doing the most meaningful work well.”
5. Celebrate milestones.
Before moving straight from one accomplishment to the next, recognizing progress can reinforce the habits that make future success possible.
Whether it’s finishing a major project, reaching a milestone ahead of schedule or simply sticking with a new routine, taking time to acknowledge progress helps sustain motivation. Sharing successes with colleagues or supervisors also creates a clearer record of accomplishments for future performance conversations.
Get started
Performance goals are due in Workday on Aug. 31, but employees are encouraged to start with draft goals by Aug. 7.
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