Most progress-tracking systems are built around observable behaviors, such as steps taken or tasks completed. A new preprint on arXiv argues that psychosocial goals — like managing anxiety or pursuing personal growth — have received far less attention, even though they are a routine part of daily life.
The paper, titled "It Wouldn't Have Been So Apparent to Me," evaluates how thought-level progress tracking might support these goals. Rather than measuring external actions, such tracking would make internal cognitive changes visible, potentially helping people see how their thinking evolves over time.
Because the abstract is brief, the full details of the evaluation are not yet available. The contribution appears to be a framing and an initial assessment of how such a system could support the psychosocial goals that behavioral trackers often miss.