So I’ve done a few posts about how I figure out what I want to do, the goals I have for myself. How do I make sure I’m making the right kind of progress? After all, what’s the point of doing something if you’re not moving closer to your destination or, worse yet, moving the wrong direction?
If your goals are well built, it’s really easy to see. They should be quantifiable. I want to deadlift 2.5x my bodyweight. As I lift, is the weight I’m pulling getting heavier? Since my bodyweight is also going down, the relative amount I’m lifting is getting larger as well.
Everything I want to do is like this. Every one has a quantifiable endpoint with specific outcomes. Some of those things might require milestones to break them into sub-goals if they’re going to take a long time. If you want to lose 150lb, that’s going to take a long time. Start with 10. Then another 15. Then another 25. And another. After a while, breaking them into more achievable pieces, you’ll get where you’re going quickly and effectively.
In order to know whether you’re headed exactly where you want to go, you have to know exactly where you’re heading. Having metrics to compare against will give you fast feedback that lets you make adjustments you need to make to keep succeeding in whatever you’re trying to do. Keep it simple and easy to measure. If the goals are nebulous, how will you know whether you’re actually moving toward them?
