Measurement & Momentum
There is a lot of information in the world. It is rarely a lack of information that stops people. My own story shows that information is abundant. Information is only as good as the action you take. The action is evidenced by the fruit. Sometimes this fruit shows quickly. Often it takes time.
Fruit trees take the resources available in the soil and air, and produce a harvest of fruit. With the right conditions it can be an abundant harvest. The purpose of the AIM methodology is to help you do the same in your life. It’s designed to be simple. At its core is the principle of identity: understanding that your identity determines your actions and, through repeated actions (often revealed as habits), your character and destiny are formed. Being the ideal person you want to become starts with a decision. I have this little mantra I repeat over in my head a lot: ‘You need to decide who you want to be, be that person in thought, word and action every day, and that is who you will become.’
Seeing the gap between who you are and who you want to be is why the element of ‘awareness’ is so crucial. Accepting where you are in your journey of becoming who you want to be and then taking action on that knowledge creates a foundation. Being honest with yourself allows you to be more intentional and helps you manage the inevitable changes and challenges life throws your way. Focusing on what matters will help you build momentum.
Momentum is powerful if you are pointed in the right direction. You want your efforts to move you forward towards your ideal. This is where measurement, feedback and fruit trees are so helpful. Fruit trees?
Yes, Fruit trees. As an illustration. If you plant a fruit tree, you need to have a measure to gauge whether the methods you are using to fertilise, nurture and prune are working. Essentially, you are checking if your actions help the tree bear more fruit. More on that shortly.
One thing that all humans have in equal quantity is 1440 minutes in a day. I recently started to focus on my 1440 - it is amazing what you can do in a minute: 40-50 pushups, floss your teeth, send a text of love and encouragement and so much more. If you are intentional and put the methodical process I have given you in place, you can be abundantly more fruitful. The initial challenge is that it is not a quick fix. You actually have to do the work. It is about more than one-off goals and achievements. I am talking about your habits and routines. You are the sum of your habits. Ask yourself if your habits are serving you? Measuring their impact will tell you.
Most people live their days unconsciously going through pre-programmed motions. You default to what is habitual and easy. Left unattended, your brain's ‘wiring’ will configure to keep you safe and comfortable. Measurements help you gauge if your habits are beneficial and serve you well - is it fruitful?
We have some fruit trees at home. They fruit every year. Nothing amazing, but nice fruit all the same. I realised how unproductive they actually were when I visited an orchard, where they have a method for creating fruitful trees. One branch had more fruit than my entire tree! It was an epiphany. I had not truly appreciated what my tree was capable of and I was reaping limited fruits because of my poor care for the tree. I needed to be more intentional in my actions if I wanted a better harvest.
I came across a Thomas Edison quote, ‘If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.’ It made me ask myself some tough questions, chief of which was, ‘Are you being as fruitful as you want?’ I realised I needed to prune some bad habits, too much screen time on the unimportant ,especially social media and the news. I was lazy in some areas of my life and undisciplined. I looked at my routines and habits and realised I needed to nurture some better habits like healthy eating, establishing a sleep routine and getting enough sleep, creating focus time, learning to breathe better and exercising more. My measurements include how consistently I make time to exercise each week and how flexible and energetic I am.
The AIM method helps measure the fruits of your efforts and builds momentum in achieving positive change. Your life won’t slip by with you wondering what happened. You can read many books and speak to many wise people, but without taking action and measuring how you are applying your method, all that learning is likely to be more entertaining than educational, more business than productivity.
