For the past couple of weeks we have been talking about acquiring the habit of measurement. We discussed the importance of measuring progress and eliciting feedback as essential habits to follow in our daily pursuit of perfection.
When I began this Habits blog some 12 weeks ago, I issued a 30 day challenge to those interested in addressing the negative affirmations that haunt so many of us and replacing them with uplifting, positive and affirming messages.
We are all too aware of the impact those “tapes” in our heads have on our sense of self-worth and the role they all too often play in keeping us imprisoned inside the thick walls of self-doubt, self-criticism and self-loathing.
Ever since that day way back on January 9th when I first issued this challenge, I have received a steady stream of calls from people at various stages of their 30 day mission.
While some abandoned this project within the first few days, the majority seem to have stayed committed to the ideal for the full 30 day period and, indeed, a number of folks have continued well beyond their 30 days and still text me each day with the day # and the word “Done.”
Each participant, whether they stayed the course or not, used a system of measurement or feedback to evaluate their progress and then determine their next move(s).
Their measurement began the very day they sat down with pen and paper to record their list of affirmations.
As they pondered what to place on the list, their emotions became the measuring stick by which they determined the “stay” or “go” of every line they wrote.
And as each one of them began their daily ritual they used the same system of measurement to determine whether they would stay with the process, quit the process, increase/decrease frequency and/or intensity of their process and alter, modify, add or delete the content of their affirmations.
In other words each person used their own internal measurement to determine whether this practice was worth pursuing or whether to discontinue the activity.
Regardless of the conclusion reached, all decisions made pertaining to this exercise were arrived at as a result of some measure of the progress being made or not made.
Interestingly, those folks who stayed the course for 30 days and beyond, and who have communicated directly with me, have all reported that the progress they made resulted from their own subjective measurement of how they were doing and then from the changes they made.
They listened and paid attention to their own feelings and modified what they were doing so as to produce stronger, more permanent results.
There is no other way of knowing whether we are on the right track. Measuring our results and paying attention to feedback – be it external or simply our own feelings communicating with us – are vital to any success we hope to achieve.
The old saying, “if it matters, measure it,” renders a truth that is ignored at our own peril. The universe has a unique way of communicating with us and letting us know how we are doing.
When we are in pursuit of a goal, measuring the results of everything we do enables us to enhance effectiveness and speed up progress. By not measuring we leave ourselves vulnerable to the dubious world of assuming and we all know that when we assume facts not in evidence we position ourselves firmly on the road to self-delusion.
And that just doesn’t measure up.
Let’s make a habit of meeting like this.
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