Help!!! I am going insane with Variables

Hi

I hope someone can help me.

I am building a training module which contains 4 different lessons. The main slide is a menu, where they select the lesson they want to learn about. In this menu slide they have a counter, which says '1 of 4 lessons completed'. I am using a variable to change the number of lessons completed. The problem is, if the person accesses the lesson more than once it counts it again. So I am getting something like '7 out of 4 lessons completed'... which is wrong.

I also have special awards which are awarded if the user score 100% in each lesson- so there should be a maximum of 4 badges awarded. Again, whenever the timeline starts on the menu slide it counts additional badges, as its looking at the variable every time.

So, basically - how do I keep these variables counting, every time the timeline of the main menu starts?

I hope this makes sense, I have been researching but can't figure it out...

Someone out there, PLEASE HELP!!!

Thanks