The Morning Oracle
Choose the Measure Before the Race
Define useful progress before effort begins to distort your judgment.
R
Richard Nkwenti
1 min read
Before starting today's work, decide which measure would tell you something useful about it. Pages completed, questions clarified, people reached, and mistakes corrected each reveal different parts of an effort.
Choose a measure that serves the purpose of the work. Give yourself a way to notice quality as well as quantity. A number can become an attractive hiding place when the purpose beneath it is left unexamined.
Write one sentence explaining why your chosen measure matters. Return to that sentence when the day's busyness offers easier things to count.