In reflecting on last week’s noodle, something dawned on me: we’ve become obsessed with numbers.
Ironic given the message of the post was to focus on 1% improvements.
Alas, it’s true.
So often we get caught up seeking to:
- Increase our followers on social media… because we all have that friend who’s an ‘influencer’, and their photos aren’t even that good, right?
- Decrease the number of people we follow on social media… gotta improve that ratio, amiright?
- Increase our bodyweight… and get those gainz
- Decrease our bodyweight… and shred for summer)
- Increase sales in our companies… because we have a profit target to hit
- Decrease the headcount in our companies… because this might help with said target
- Increase efficiencies… because it sounds like the right thing to do
- Decrease inefficiencies… because it also sounds like the right thing to do
We measure success by our ability to change numbers, so it’s no wonder this becomes our focus.
Numbers are important, don’t get me wrong. They give us a way of keeping score. Whether it’s 1%, 10% or 100%, we like them because we can measure them.
But it’s worth highlighting that numbers are results. They happen after an action is repeated over time.
Social media followers go up because we consistently publish relevant content. Bodyweight changes because we eat and exercise in a certain way for a sustained period of time. Sales increase our team members are motivated by a broader purpose and change. Efficiency improves by being open to constantly changing processes.
So a revised message after last week:
In order to create change, identify the actions that matter and work on them every. single. day.
The numbers, the improvements, the 1%’ers, they’ll take care of themselves.