Iterate, Measure, Reflect, Grow

A process for leveling up

Iterate

“We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can you find progress.” - Richard Feynman

The creative process requires experimentation. This will lead to many hypotheses failing before experiencing the Eureka moment. Each instance you are wrong should be viewed as a good thing. You are one step closer to breaking through. The key is to realize when you are heading down a hopeless route as quickly as possible. Pivot and start anew.

Measure

“Measuring something is the first step to improving it… Without data you are blind.” - Josh Kaufman (The Personal MBA)

Numbers don’t lie. To ensure you are making progress you should have metrics you are tracking. Otherwise, you are only guessing. This can act as either a wakeup call or added reassurance. You may be working really hard at something, but the numbers show little tangible progress. This is a sign to change your strategy. Other times you may feel frustrated and that nothing is going your way. However, when reviewing the numbers it makes it clear how far you’ve come. The only way to know when you're on course or need to right the ship is through hard evidence.

Reflect

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.” - Ernest Hemingway

The self-improvement journey is you against yourself. That’s it. There will always be someone doing something better than you that you can choose to be jealous of. This is to be avoided at all costs. The true comparison is to who you were yesterday. If you wake up better than the day before, that is all that you can control.

Grow

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our power to do has increased.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see further.” - Thomas Carlyle

What seems impossible today can be attained tomorrow. That is the purpose of growth. We equip ourselves with a more advanced skillset to tackle the adversity life throws our way. The only way to do this is to start now. To begin playing in the Arena. To not give up when things get tough. Because as Emerson says, if we persist through it, we reach new heights. What appears as mountains today will seem like mere speedbumps tomorrow.

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Thomas