Measurement is Management

This topic goes back to my very first blog entry on Productive Practice and it is sill one of the most important lessons I continue to work with and practice.

Measurement is management.  The first step to change is measuring.  Why?  A couple of reasons:

1. By measuring at the beginning, you know where you are starting.  Said another way, you are acknowledging, accepting and cooperating with what is actually so instead of sticking your head in the sand and refusing to see the cold hard fact of where you are now
2. By measuring repeatedly and consistently, at what ever interval is appropriate, you are training yourself in mindfulness and vigilance.  You are indicating an intention to yourself and by following through you are training your inner self that you keep your agreements and can be counted on
3. What you focus on changes your behavior.  A simple change in focus can have a profound affect

What are some concrete examples:

• What to change your body – choose the form a measurement.  Weigh yourself, check your BMI, measure the size of certain muscle groups, count calories.  Start with one metric.  Do no more that measure daily and see how your behavior changes
• Want to increase the size of your client base or sales volume.  Track the number of contacts you make every week.  I recommend that you don’t track the dollars.  Dollars are a result, not an activity that can be measured and managed
• Want to be more organized.  Track your next actions
• Want a better relationship.  Track the number of loving things you say each day.
• Want to be happier.  Track the number of times you laugh

Just measure and observe what changes take place