A few years ago, I was helping an intern prepare to coach a class and I asked her how she would know the class was a success. She did not know how to answer and I knew that improving her ability to coach would be a struggle until she had an answer.

To know whether you are doing something well, you must know what good looks like. Sometimes this is easy, other times not so much.

With movement, you can watch someone else do it in person or on video. Intuitively, you know when it looks right. Maybe it is the grace and fluidity, precision, power or playfulness. There is no right answer, just what matters to you.

Habits are more challenging. You could take one thing (e.g., sleep, nutrition) or something bigger, such as a day.

• Sleep – what does a good night’s sleep look like? Fall asleep easily, sleep through the night, wake up fully rested. If this seems like too far a stretch, break it down and address one area at a time.
• Nutrition – what does a good meal look like? For most people, it probably looks like a plate full of vegetables, with some fruit and lean protein. Think of the meals that make you feel best and use that as a measure for your other meals.
• A whole day seems daunting, but might be worth the effort. Picture that day where everything goes well from waking up until bed time. What does it look like?

Once you know what good looks like, that is your benchmark. You can compare your own performance against the benchmark and use this as a mechanism to continuously improve.

Do you know what good looks like for the areas that matter most to you?