🌳 Measure backwards, not forward

QUOTE OF THE DAY

MEASURE BACKWARDS, NOT FORWARD

We often measure progress by looking forward. We set goals. We plan milestones for our progress. Basically, we try to predict the future to some degree.

We do this in business, in health, and in life at large.

Can we increase our quarterly earnings by 20%?

Can I lose 20 pounds in the next 3 months?

Will I be married by 30?

These are all measurements that face forward. We look into the future and try to guess when we will get somewhere.

There is, however, an opposite and more useful approach: measure backwards, not forward.

The problem with measuring forward however is pretty obvious… No one can predict the future, therefore, it’s much more effective to make a judgement based on where we currently are compared to where we previously were. Using this type of measurement will help you to determine your next move because you’ve done it in a scientific way, you’ve carried out your experiment (let’s say trying a new routine at the gym) and no you can measure and assess how that affected you and take the perfect step forward.

When it comes to building good habits and breaking bad habits, one of our greatest struggles is maintaining awareness of what we are actually doing. The more automatic a behaviour becomes, the less likely we are to notice it. This helps to explain how the consequences of bad habits can sneak up on us. By the time the repercussions of our actions are noticeable, we have already become hooked on a new pattern of behaviour.

However, measuring backwards can call attention to these invisible patterns by making you aware of what you are actually doing. Measuring backward forces you to take notice of your recent actions. You can't live in a fairytale world of hopes and dreams. You have to look at the feedback of what has recently happened in your life and then base your decisions and improvements on those pieces of data.

The good news is that you can now base your decisions on what you're actually doing, not on what you project your future self to be doing.

ACTIONABLE NEXT STEPS:

Nearly every improvement we wish to make in our lives requires some type of behaviour change. If you want different results, you have to do something differently.

The tough question to answer is what should we do differently to get the results we want?

TAKEAWAYS:

Measure backwards and then get a little bit better. What did you do last week? How can you improve by just a little bit this week?

BOOK OF THE WEEK ⤵️

The book of the week is ‘The Laws Of Human Nature by Robert Green’, it’s a similar book to The 48 Laws of Power but focused on decoding the behaviour of the people around you and helps you understand why people do what they do and how you can use both your own psychological flaws and those of others to your advantage. Read it HERE

CREATOR OF THE WEEK ⤵️

@robmulder88

3 thing that destroy your testosterone levels #testosterone #testosteronebooster #selfimprovement #robmulder

The creator of the week is @Robmulder88, He is a self-improvement creator that shares very simple but sweet advice on anything from relationships to masculinity, habits and more and is one of those creators that you can quite easily binge-watch with ease! Check him out HERE

LESSON OF THE DAY ⤵️

Your comfort zone is where dreams go to die.