365QOD- Day1125

Changing X into Y

“ I want to drop my weight from X to Y”- typical weight goal

What is wrong with this goal?  I have used the format and so have many others.  Do you see it?

It lacks a definite date.  A better format should be

     Change X into Y by Z

Where Z is a date

Setting any goal without a date is a BIG mistake.  So lets assume you have set your wildly important goal correctly:

     I want to drop my weight from 220 to 200 by June 1,2014

It is still not good enough.  Why?

Suppose you measure your weight daily.  That is a lagging indicator.  It tells you a result today of what you did yesterday and before to get to this point.  Interestingly, we use lagging indicators in business all of the time.

What would be leading indicators?  Well how about calories input and exercise performed.  Every day we can monitor the calories we put into our system and exercise performed to burn them out.   Note that the better the leading indicator that we chose the easier it will be to get to the WIG.  It is like finding the right lever to lift the rock.

What I am describing is the First and Second Disciplines of Execution from the book  4 Disciplines of Execution that I am currently reading.  You need to set a goal in the Change X into Y by Z with lagging indicators to monitor it and leading indicators to move the X towards the Y.

Today’s question is:

“What do you want to Change X into Y by Z date?”