When your measurement is wrong

As you embark on a journey of self-improvement using the systems and habits approach to improvement, one element that can create confusion is with regards to measurement.

It is crucial to measure the steps we take and the outcomes we receive. Because we are more concerned with progress over perfection, I tend to emphasize tracking those daily activities. Even when the desired outcomes remain elusive, we can see that we are taking the right steps forward that will eventually result in a win.

We all want those end results to reflect the hard work and dedication we put forth. We go on a diet to lose weight. We save money so we have more in our bank account, not less. We come in early and stay late at work to earn the promotion.

In other words, most of the activities we take part in are to obtain a goal. That goal is the outcome we hope to achieve so we push towards it. With the systems and habits approach to improvement, our shift moves from the outcome we hope to achieve to the daily steps we need to take. We focus on the process.

I encourage setting process goals here, goals that track what you do and how consistent you are with those steps. That can help when the results stagnate. They can provide the proof that you are doing what you need to do.

Even though I am well-versed in this, I recently fell victim to the wrong mindset with regards to measurement. I track my weight daily so I can see trends and understand the ups and downs that naturally occur.

When I bring in a new workout or a new approach to my nutrition, I can track the outcome to see if it helps or hurts. Then I can quickly adjust if the approach is not right for me.

But recently I adapted a new workout that was very fundamental to getting healthier. I tracked my progress. I created a consistent habit. The work became easy as it became my normal routine.

The problem was that my weight kept increasing. It was frustrating. I expected a little increase temporarily. But after months, no dip was in sight.

Finally, I decided a better measurement was body fat percentage. I expected a reading near my normal level. I was shocked when that number had dropped lower than typical for me. I would have expected to notice the change but didn’t until that measurement.

It forced me to realize that the measurement I was using, daily weight, was probably not the right one now that I changed up my workout routine. I needed to adapt the way I tracked progress.

It is crucial to measure our steps and the outcome. But we have to realize that there isn’t a straight line that connects our efforts with our results. Often it twists and turns and we need to be able to continue. We need to make progress. We need to see beneficial steps as valuable, even when the results disappear. Because if we keep making the right decisions and taking the right steps, eventually we will get to the success we desire.