Calculating the Percentage of a Goal

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<h3>Calculating the Percentage of a Goal</h3>

No matter what goal you want to achieve, you can measure your progress as a percentage of the goal. For example, if you have a sales goal for the month, you could measure your sales thus far as a percentage of the sales goal. Similarly, if you have a goal for running a certain number of miles per week or raising a certain amount of money, you can also measure your progress as a percentage. Using a percentage helps to put your progress in perspective. For example, if your goal is running 10 miles a week, eight miles means you’re almost there. If your goal is 80 miles a week, however, eight miles is just getting started.

Step 1

Identify your goal or target. For example, if you want to run 30 miles in a week, 30 miles would be your goal. Alternatively, if you want to raise $1,000, $1,000 would be your goal.



Step 2

Measure your progress toward your goal. For example, if you ran 5 miles the first day and then 4 miles the next day, you would have 9 miles toward your goal. Alternatively, if you got a $200 donation from one donor and a $240 donation from another, you would have $440 raised toward your goal.

Step 3

Divide your progress toward your goal by your goal. In the first example, divide 9 by 30 get 0.3. In the second example, divide $440 by $1,000 to get 0.44.

Step 4

Multiply the result by 100 to convert to a percent. Finishing the first example, multiply 0.3 by 100 to get 30 percent. Completing the second example, multiply 0.44 by 100 to get 44 percent.

Dave Pennells

By Dave Pennells

Dave Pennells, MS, has contributed his expertise as a career consultant and training specialist across various fields for over 15 years. At City University of Seattle, he offers personal career counseling and conducts workshops focused on practical job search techniques, resume creation, and interview skills. With a Master of Science in Counseling, Pennells specializes in career consulting, conducting career assessments, guiding career transitions, and providing outplacement services. Her professional experience spans multiple sectors, including banking, retail, airlines, non-profit organizations, and the aerospace industry. Additionally, since 2001, he has been actively involved with the Career Development Association of Australia.