What we are doing is never more important than who we are becoming.
I wrote that last week, and I still believe that it’s true (you can see that post here), but as I went back and reread it, I feel like I might have led folks to believe that doing isn’t important. Nothing is further from the truth.
What you do is incredibly important.
In fact, you don’t become anything until you do something–action is what causes change.
However, we can’t do more just for the sake of doing more. We need to do more on purpose.
How to Do More
One of the most common questions I get asked is, “How do you get everything done?”
The answer is simple, really, I measure things. If you’re not measuring your life, you should start because what gets measured gets done.
If you want to lose weight, you need to get on a scale. If you want to save money, you need to get on a budget. If you want to write a book, you need to start counting words.
However, spending hours with my kids doesn’t make me a better father, in the same way that having a lot of money doesn’t make me live a rich life.
So when it comes to measuring things, there are two important factors to remember:
1. The Purpose of Measuring
We live in a hyper-competitive culture where everything gets measured. But have we ever stopped to ask: What’s the purpose of measuring?
The book of Psalms gives us this insight:
“Teach us to number our days, that we main gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12
The purpose of numbering or measuring things is to gain wisdom, to gain understanding. We shouldn’t contrive metric systems just for the sake of measuring things, we must learn from what we measure.
Therefore, wisdom is the process of gaining understanding from our experiences. The process of learning who we are becoming from what we are doing.
The best way I’ve learned to do this is to write it down. I begin each day by answering this question in my journal: What are you learning from the things that are going on in your life?
This practice has taught me to search for wisdom within each and every experience.
When you position yourself as a student, you begin to find purpose within the numbers.
2. Measure the Right Things
I wrote my book, Redefine Rich, because I realized that a rich life wasn’t only measured by money. I needed a new way to measure richness. Once I learned that there was more to richness than just the financial metric it opened my eyes to a whole new world of opportunity.
If you’re not happy with your life, start measuring new things.
For me, I began measuring things like gratitude, generosity, and humility.
How many smiles can I dish out today?
How many times can I say thank you?
How many times can I speak before you listen?
These simple pivots cause me to focus on new things. Namely, other people rather than myself.
Once you shift your perspective and begin measuring the right things, you’ll begin taking massive action in a certain direction.
◊♦◊
In order to become the person you’ve always hoped you’d be, you have to define who that person is first.
If you try to do more without focusing on who you want to be, you’ll be like a dog chasing its tail–massive action in no certain direction.
You are amazing with a world of opportunity at your fingertips.
But nothing will change until you do something.
So get busy, on purpose.
MH
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About the Author
Matt Ham is primarily a husband and father to three boys. As an author and speaker, he is dedicated to guiding others toward living a rich life. Through his RICH Principles he helps folks uncover fullness, identifying real treasure and discovering true joy and contentment in both their professional and personal lives.
His first book, Redefine Rich, is a journey of uncovering a deeper, more fulfilling life by shifting your perspective. It is available in both Kindle and paperback on Amazon: here
You can order a limited hardback version of the book at www.redefinerich.com
To contact Matt or inquire about his speaking schedule, visit www.mattham.com/speaking
Great post. It’s not just about measuring what we are doing for ourselves, but doing for others adds more meaning and value than just about anything else we can do.