Personal KPIs to help you organize your life

If you work in an office, you have probably heard of KPIs.

These indicators help companies stay on the right track to achieve their goals.

However, you have probably never thought of KPIs as great tools to help you organize all aspects of your life, have you?

Are you excited to learn more? Keep reading to the end!

What are Personal KPIs?

KPI is an acronym meaning Key Performance Indicators, i.e., the metrics used in work control. They are responsible for aligning activities in a way that leads to the achievement of predetermined goals.

Personal KPIs are indicators aimed at one’s personal life and have the role of helping people find a balance in life.

And why are they so important?

Because having balance is indispensable so we can keep healthily pursuing our goals, and so we can be successful in life!

How do you define Personal KPIs for your life?

The good news is that having indicators to organize your life is not impossible; all you need is a little organization. 

The first step is to sit in a quiet place, preferably drinking a cup of tea, and think about the aspects that involve your routine.

Think of a typical day. Which tasks do you perform? Think about all of them and write down all of your ideas. 

Afterward, it’s time to analyze each point noted separately and think about a goal or value you wish to achieve.

Each indicator must be SMART so that you can accomplish it and achieve your goal.

What is a SMART performance indicator?

SMART is an acronym representing the following: 

(S): Specific: Your indicator must be specific and well defined.

(M): Measurable: For you to be able to measure your progress, you should consider a measurable indicator. There’s no use in defining a goal and not being able to measure its performance. This helps find the points that require improvements to achieve the set goal.

(A): Achievable: Placing an action that cannot be performed will only lead to despair.

 (R): Relevant: Your goals should be important to you. This will encourage you to stay focused until you’ve achieved what you want.

(T): Time-bound: To provide continuity to your progress, you need to define actions for a given period.

Now that you know how to define a personal KPIs, you need to learn about the key indicators to inspire you and help you choose the one you consider most suitable.

The main Personal KPIs

We can divide Personal KPIs into 5 categories:

1. Personal development
2. Relationships
3. Finances
4. Health
5. Household chores

Personal KPIs for personal development

Developing yourself is indispensable to be successful. We can think of several areas of development, among which we have:

a) Respecting appointments 

If you are the type of person who makes an appointment and doesn’t show up on time, this KPI is for you! 

Remember that other people’s time is precious. When you are late for an appointment, you are wasting your time and the time of others.

Identify the reasons that make you late. 

If you live in a distant neighborhood and face heavy traffic, for example, plan to leave at least 40 minutes earlier.

If you spend a lot of time getting ready, you should also take the idea of preparing earlier into consideration.

b) Organize your time

This Personal KPI can contribute significantly to your success. 

The more time you invest in your studies, the more skills you’ll develop and the more you’ll gain.

If you don’t know how to organize your time, how about building a weekly spreadsheet? Include all of your tasks and activities in it.

In this spreadsheet, you can include your work schedule, your meals, rest periods and appointments. Soon, you’ll have a better idea of the time you have left each day. Then you can focus on other things.

You can set aside time to take a course in a foreign language, for example. 

Make sure you use this Personal KPI because it will help you use and apply other KPIs. After all, if you don’t have time, you certainly won’t be able to define KPIs in other areas I will talk about later in this article.

c) Productivity

One of the impacting factors that determine success is productivity. 

For example, think about your boss at work. He might not focus as much on how long you took to reach a goal, but more on the numbers, i.e., how much you have produced.

And if you’re the boss, you should invest in this KPI even more!

To get started, when are you more productive? In the morning, afternoon or evening?  

If you feel that you focus better at night, you can use this time of day to carry out activities that require focus.

d) Contain your emotions

Practically no one thinks about this personal KPI despite its significant impact on our lives.

If you don’t know how to control your emotions, you run the risk of missing out on business or development opportunities.

Are you irritable and can’t count to 10? Well then, hurry up and define this KPI now. 

Find out what makes you anxious or edgy and put a few actions into place to help you reduce this feeling. Know that by doing so, you’ll be on the right track!

e) Reading

Many studies show that reading can help reduce anxiety.

Reading enriches your knowledge; therefore, you can add reading for at least 20 minutes a day as a personal KPI.

f) Invest in leisure

Did you know that moments of relaxation can help you maintain your mental and emotional balance?

Investing in activities that generate feelings of well-being is one of the factors responsible for releasing our energies and making us feel happier, besides increasing our ability to accept challenges.

If you don’t have time for leisure, remember the time organization KPI and find the time to have fun!

g) Learn another language

Learning other languages increases your chances of having a better professional future and taking on higher positions in companies.

Think about which second, or third, language is the most applicable to your career and future.  

If you are unable to invest in private classes or enroll in a language school, you can find an excellent alternative in online courses.

With an online course, you can take classes when and where you want and will spend less because they usually have more affordable prices.

h) Patience

This personal KPI cannot be ignored!

If you work in the commercial area and deal with many people daily, patience is an outstanding quality that you need to develop.

Being patient helps in having successful meetings and negotiations, because both your boss and customers will be more satisfied with our work, in addition to expanding your networking.

i) Respect

This KPI is ideal for those who are anxious or irritable.

When we are angry, we usually overreact and lose track of what we are doing.

Almost everyone is subject to situations like this, but we cannot be rude. 

If you belittle people in moments of anger, you should know that by adding this KPI to your development plan, over time, you will achieve great results.

j) Sense of challenge

We often prefer to stay in our comfort zone and choose not to take risks so as not to lose.

However, an entrepreneur’s life is full of challenges, and not facing them means that you are missing opportunities.

How about believing more in your talents and your ability? 

If you train your mind to accept challenges, you will soon be able to face them and will learn, with practice, how to deal with them and overcome them.

Challenging your brain to think outside the box and find unusual solutions that you would never think of if you were still stuck in your comfort zone.

Use this KPI and learn from your adventures, which will only lead you to more success.

h) Create alternatives

If you are used to seeing things one way, then add this KPI to your list.

Nowadays, depending on a single solution isn’t enough. On the contrary, you need to think of different ways that can help you overcome a problem or complete a goal.

When you come across a problem, write it down on a post-it. Immediately below, place several post-its thinking of ways that can be used to overcome the issue in question.

Thinking with other people can help you develop your ability to come up with solutions. 

So, brainstorm with your friends and coworkers, and write down possible solutions. After this has been done, discuss them with the group until you reach the best solution to solve the problem.

i) Responsibility

You need to be responsible for the decisions you make to grow not only professionally, but also personally.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Take on your tasks, analyze the alternatives and make your decision prudently.

Now, if you do make a mistake, you will learn from them. And if you get it right, you will become more independent and embrace the next task with more confidence.

k) Listen carefully to others

As intuitive as this might sound, many people end up confusing listening and hearing.

Listening means hearing what the other person said, considering every word and analyzing the point made. And if it’s valid, try to use it.

Our ego often ends up preventing us from listening to others carefully. Unfortunately, we tend to believe that we understand everything and don’t need any other point of view.

If you wish to grow in life, add the listening KPI to your Personal KPIs, this will make all the difference in your behavior.

Now, learn about other Personal KPIs in the area of relationships!

2) Personal KPIs for relationships

Humans are social beings by instinct. Therefore, when you become isolated for a while because of work, for example, you start feeling uncomfortable or bored.

To develop and grow, you must maintain a balance between your professional and personal life. 

Check out a few Personal KPIs to help you organize your social life.

a) Visiting friends

Invest in the power of friendship, it can work miracles. Recharging your energy and helping you learn from your friends’ experiences. As a result, you will come back to work feeling more energized and wanting to produce more.

Add a KPI that aims at meeting your friends frequently, according to your availability, but neglect this, okay?

b) Make new friends

Having friends is good, but not enough! To keep learning new experiences in other contexts, you need to meet new people.

Those who think that making new friends is hard are wrong. 

Of course, in the beginning, it might seem a bit hard at first. But to make it easier, you can count on the help of a friend. 

Invite someone to go to a party, for example. Over time, you’ll realize that you are making new friends more easily.

c) Set aside time to spend with your partner

As life becomes more complex, we end up not being able to talk to the people we love.

Frequently talking to your partner, getting coffee or ice cream together, for example, is a critical practice that every family should do.

Set aside one hour a week to go out with your partner, pick a quiet place and talk about everything. And remember that this conversation must necessarily be frank!

This KPI can solve most problems between partners and help each partner understand the other better. Take advantage of this great moment to forgive flaws and get closer!

Now, we’re going to talk about a few useful KPIs for a more assertive financial life.

3) Personal KPIs para finances

To achieve financial independence, you need to find a balance between how much you make and how much you spend per month. Also, setting some of your salary apart to invest it is vital.

KPIs such as personal expense control, expenses with leisure, bills/debts and planning can help you live a balanced life.

a) Controlling your expenses

Controlling your personal expenses is essential because it helps you have a sense of your expenses and as a consequence, having a more stable financial life.

This factor weighs more when you have a family and need to support it. So, if you still aren’t using this KPI, it’s time to start!

Organize your expenses in a spreadsheet. Enter your expenses daily, or at least once a week, to ensure proper control. 

If you buy new clothes, write their price down the same day you make the purchase. Do the same thing whenever you sign up for a gym or swimming club, for example.

b) Expenses with leisure

Having fun stimulates us to work harder and be more productive.

However, if you overdo it by renting cars, traveling too much, eating at restaurants every day, going out to bars, not missing a single concert, you will overstretch your budget.

One tip is to define this in your expense spreadsheet to avoid unwanted issues!

c) Bills/debts

Perhaps you feel that paying bills is obvious and they don’t need to be controlled, but the truth is that you probably haven’t paid a bill because you were too busy or simply forgot about it.

To avoid such situations, I advise you to add a KPI for your bills.

One tip is to insert a new sheet for this in your expense spreadsheet!

In order not to forget your bills, plan to pay them in 1 or 2 days in a row according to your payday.

d) Invest your money

Investing your money means that you and your family’s future will be secured.

There are several types of investments that can provide you with a monthly return. Things like fixed income securities, treasury securities, CDs, and government bonds are a good start. There are also forms of variable income investments, such as stocks, real estate and others.

You can start by investing a small amount, seeking help from your bank or someone you trust who understands the subject, to choose the investment best suited to your profile as an investor.

4) Personal KPIs for health

a) Physical exercise

Spending all day working is good, because you make money. But this can be detrimental to your health if you overdo it.

Avoid working all day sitting down. Add the physical exercise KPI and start applying it at your workplace.

Stretching exercises and walking in the hallways for 10 minutes are examples of good practices that protect your joints and also your spine.

Would you like more options? You can set aside half an hour, preferably every day, or 3 times a week, to go to a gym or take a walk in a park, for example.

b) Diet

A proper diet doesn’t mean hamburgers, fried chicken, pasta, pizza and fast food. 

Your body needs vegetables and fruits so that it can function correctly. 

How about organizing a diet table? Include balanced portions of healthy carbs, vegetables and protein. Take vitamins and minerals if needed and avoid overeating bad fats and refined sugar.

Having a controlled and varied diet strengthens your body and boosts your immune system.

c) Drink more water 

Did you know that the human body is 60% water and that water is part of all of the body’s chemical reactions?

In addition to this, we lose about 2.6 liters of water daily. Therefore, we need to drink at least 2 liters of water every day to meet the body’s needs.

How about adding a KPI to help you drink the recommended amount of water? For example, you can drink a glass every 2 hours, picking the frequency that suits you best.

So you don’t forget; you can use an app to remind you to drink water.

d) Sleep well

Getting enough sleep is crucial for people to carry out tasks the next day in a productive manner. It helps recharge your energy and consolidates learning.

Most people need between 7 and 8 hours a night. 

You should get enough sleep to stay healthy and thus ensure higher productivity.

One of the practices to help you sleep is to turn off your phone and stay off the internet. And don’t follow your profiles on social media while you are in bed!

e) A biannual or annual checkup

A regular checkup is one of the most critical Personal KPIs after the age of 30.

Going in for a biannual or annual overall checkup will help you stay fit and allows any illness or health problem to be diagnosed early, which helps in your recovery.

Many illnesses are a cause of death precisely because they were diagnosed late.

So, schedule a checkup and know that everything is okay. This way, you’ll be able to focus on your life without worrying about your health.

5) Personal KPIs for household chores

Organizing your home allows you to carry out your work more efficiently. When you leave home and everything is organized, you are completely focused on what is important.

We have selected a few Personal KPIs to help you control your main household chores.

a) Grocery shopping

Grocery shopping for your home is inevitable, right?

Add a shopping KPI and set aside one or two days a week, according to your availability, to do all the shopping you need.

Having a list of the items you need pays off.

b) Cooking/preparing meals

Cooking at home helps you cut down on expenses. Start by making a point to cook at least two or three times a week, depending on your time.

Thus, you’ll eat less in restaurants and can bring your meals to work.

c) Household chores

There’s nothing worse than coming home at night, turning on the lights and finding out that the lightbulb has burnt-out or that your shower drain is clogged.

To prevent such situations from making you angry, how about adding a Personal KPI that aims at organizing your home maintenance?

Plan to do this every 15 days or once a month, checking all the rooms in the house: a dripping faucet, a burnt-out lightbulb, a broken window, etc.

d) House cleaning

The name is self-explanatory; it’s a KPI to help you organize the cleaning of your home.

Sitting next to a table covered in dust is a nuisance. And please, don’t leave your clothes in the dryer for a week.

You should add a KPI to help you clean your home.

You can do it over the weekend or on vacation, take a look at the calendar and mark specific dates.

And what do we get out of this? We’ll live in a more pleasant environment and above all, without getting in the way of other activities.

e) Talk to your kids

Although we feel quite overburdened with the issues of practical life, we have to think about our families, because our kids need us, especially during their teenage years. 

Set aside one day during the week, for at least 30 minutes, and sit with them and ask if they have any problems. Ask them to tell you about their week and offer any help they need, demonstrating how much you care about them.

Conclusion

If you’ve gotten this far, you have undoubtedly realized how essential it is to have an organized personal life to grow!

With the KPIs defined, you can:

1. Have a comfortable home
2. Enjoy a better life with your partner
3. Have your mind focused on work and your professional growth
4. Reach an emotional balance and have a social environment that is full of energy
5. Have a balanced life at home and work
6. Reconcile household chores and work
7. Have a vibrant personality, flexible and ready to adapt to any environment, as well as take on new challenges.

So, did you enjoy our post? We’ll be even happier if we hear from you. Use our comment area!

See you next time. Good luck, and we wish you a successful life!