The direction edition
Direction is a better metric than distance.
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
– Confucius
The Pattern
We obsess over the goal.
The number on the scale.
The title.
The outcome.
The proof that we’re making it. So we check. We refresh. We compare. We chase.
And each time the result doesn’t show up fast enough — we doubt.
We tweak the plan.
We lose motivation.
We burn out.
But the problem isn’t the goal.
It’s the obsession with where we’re going — instead of how we’re moving.
The Shift: Direction is a better metric than distance.
Outcomes lie.
They lag. They fluctuate. They make you forget who’s in charge.
But direction? Direction tells you everything.
Are you eating like someone who values health — even if the scale hasn’t moved?
Are you writing like someone with something to say — even if the book’s unfinished?
Are you delivering like someone who leads — even if the org chart says otherwise?
Your job is not to arrive. Your job is to choose the right input — and keep choosing it.
Here’s how to shift your measurement system:
The Input Loop
Clarify the Direction
→ “What kind of person would have the result I want?”
Define the Daily Input and then act on it
→ “What actions/habits would that person have ?”
→ “When (specific time) and how (specific action) will I practice this habit?”
Track the input, Not the outcome for 90 days
→ Keep a scoreboard — not for the goal, but for the habit.
→ Recalibrate after 90 days, based on how you feel and what’s shifted.
Your Anchor
Change takes time.
Identity shifts slowly.
When you feel like giving up because the results aren’t showing up fast enough, ask yourself:
“If I trusted the process not the results, what would I do next?”
“What’s the next input I can take in the right direction?”
You don’t need to reach the goal today.
You just need to walk in its direction — every single day.
If this made you pause or breathe easier, forward it to someone you care about.
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