This week’s post is based on a blog post by Seth Godin: Numbers (and the magic of measuring the right thing). I encourage you to read it first if you have time.
In a business setting, we are trained to know what numbers are important to the business. But what about in our personal lives? What numbers do you measure…and judge yourself by?
Some of these numbers might stare you down. Some of these numbers are easy to obsess over. It’s easy to mix these numbers up into our identity, and to feel that they define us. But often, it’s the numbers that don’t define us, which we neglect or decide we’ll think about later, which will prompt our growth.
Here’s a list of possible numbers:
- # of dollars in your paycheck
- # of hours of sleep you got in a night
- # of books you’ve read this year
- # of close friends you have
- # of times you’ve visited the gym this week
- # of cups of coffee you’ve had today
- # of minutes spent on Facebook/Twitter
- # of dollars of debt you have
- # of dollars in savings you have
- # of hours you’ve been away from home today (or at home today)
- # of lbs you weigh
- # of points in your GPA
- # of min/sec in your fastest performance
- # of wins/losses in your team’s record
- # of dollars you’ve given to charity
- # of dollars you’ve spent on ______
If these numbers are going to serve us, we need to focus on how the numbers are changing, not the static number and how it makes us feel. When we start feeling sorry for ourselves–or alternatively, when we feel that we’ve arrived and are seemingly invincible–we are saying to ourselves that the number is set. There’s nothing that will change it. This way of thinking isn’t accurate, nor is it helpful for our growth.
Numbers are a tool. Don’t be mastered by them and don’t be too comfortable with them. Don’t let them define you. But do think about what you’re measuring, and how those numbers can encourage you to make the choices you know are best for you.