What gets measured gets managed.

Someone walks in to the gym, warms up, does a little bit of this exercise, does a little bit of that exercise, bounces around to a few machines, maybe hops on the treadmill, finishes their workout, and leaves the gym.

This isn’t a critique of their workout. In fact, it’s quite possible that they got a nice workout in. So, what is notable about this situation?

They didn’t measure anything. They didn’t track their workout. They didn’t count reps or weight or time or speed or any other metric. And so, they have no basis for knowing if they are making progress or not. Not tracking your progress is one of the six major mistakes I see people make in the gym.

But here’s the thing: We all have areas of life that we say are important to us, but that we aren’t measuring.

The things we measure are the things we improve. 

It is only through numbers and clear tracking that we have any idea if we are getting better or worse.

• When I measured how many pushups I did, I got stronger.
• When I tracked my reading habit of 20 page per day, I read more books.
• When I recorded my values, I began living with more integrity.

Our lives are shaped by how we choose to spend our time and energy each day. Measuring can help us spend that time in better ways, more consistently.

It’s Not About the Result, It’s About Awareness

The trick is to realize that counting, measuring, and tracking is not about the result. It’s about the system, not the goal.

Measure from a place of curiosity. Measure to discover, to find out, to understand.

Measure from a place of self-awareness. Measure to get to know yourself better.

Measure to see if you are showing up. Measure to see if you’re actually spending time on the things that are important to you.

i like that point most of all.

Because it's more important to have a system than goals:

http://pandawhale.com/post/43857/dilbert-creator-scott-adams-on-why-big-goals-are-for-losers-fast-company

Critics will be quick to point out that you can’t measure everything. This is true.

• Love is important, but how do you measure it?
• Morality is important, but can it be quantified accurately?
• Finding meaning in our lives is essential, but how do you calculate it?

You can’t measure love, but you can track different ways that you are showing up with love in your life:

• Send a digital love note to your partner each day (text, email, voicemail, tweet, etc.) and use the Seinfeld Strategy to keep track of your streak
• Schedule one “Surprise Appreciation” each week where you write to a friend and thank them for something unexpected

You can’t measure morality, but you can track if you’re thinking about it:

• Write down three values that are dear to you each morning
• Keep a decision journal to track which decisions you make and whether or not they align with your ethics

The things we measure are the things we improve. What are you measuring in your life?

These are really useful strategies to help ensure we are on the "right" track -- the one we actually want to be on!

Also, does anyone happen to know Atul Gawande?

I don't know him but clearly someone does. :)

Can't know if you're on the right track if you don't measure. 

Atul Gawande writes for the New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/07/29/slow-ideas

He's also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Atul_Gawande